Lavatory Pans

[petercharlesfagg]

My wife and I as we increase in years find it more and more difficult to use these low profile lavatories.

They may be all the vogue and an essential for 'modern' homes but are the very devil to stand up from as the joints sieze up!

We have been looking and asking in B&Q, Bathstore, Homebase, General plumbers etc. to obtain the old, dare I say it, 'Bog standard loo'!

Nobody appears to stock such items any longer!

Can anyone suggest an online supplier, we have tried using Google etc. but it always comes up as the so called 'modern' design!

Regards, Peter Charles Fagg

[Rod]

I suggest that you have a look at the Blue Book - the online guide for Armitage Shanks and Ideal Standard.

That page also has links to specific sites for their various brands - may be easier to navigate than the full site.

Of course, it is a complete bodge, but you *could* mount the pan on a step/shelf/platform. That would make it effectively higher (relative to the floor) but other issues might get in the way (e.g. difficulty in connecting up the soil pipe).

I also went to the RIBA site and searched. This produced the link below

- I have not gone through it but some links appeared to be possible. (I am sure you don;t want to be considered "special needs" - I don't - but reality might say this is how to locate the product you do want.)

[auctions]

Go for a wall hung pan on a frame like

can mount the frame, and therefore the toilet at any height you like. If you need to go higher than the adjustment in the frame, just sit it on blocks - it will be concealed anyway.

A

[dennis]

Just do what I did for my dad.. put the pan on a raised platform. His is 3" higher than normal now.

[mogga]

That's why they have those toilet grab rails. Almost certainly cheaper and less effort than having a new loo.

[dennis]

You can raise existing loos..

[OG]

This may not be what you're looking for as a long term solution, but I noticed one of these seat risers at a tea rooms we visited over the weekend

[dave]

try here.

the extra height one when I refurbed the bathroom. I am tall and my wide is disabled. all toilets I looked at were too low. I didn't buy from here but locally to me.

Dave

[Bruce]

Possibly a cheaper option is to buy an extended toilet seat:

[Andrew Gabriel]

Additionally or as an alternative, fit grab handles to the wall if it's in a corner. You can get grab rails to install alongside if it's not against a wall. Obviously, any such items need to be very well secured, as they may need to take the weight of someone who grabs one when falling.

[Cicero]

================================== This is a good alternative to fixed grab handles and it can be removed completely without any modifications:

very similar to this is supplied by my local hospital for use after hip replacement. Height is adjustable.

Cic.

[Mary Fisher]

We bought a cheap ceramic dual flush lavatory from Aldi (I think) and when it was taken out of the box it looked much lower than the original 1937 one which used a lot of water for the flush and had a cracked basin.

When Spouse installed it I took a picture to prove to him that it WAS lower.

He measured the height to prove me wrong. Both models were exactly the same and neither of us has had a problem rising from it.

It was a special so might not be available again, it's certainly not a stock item, but it shows that sensible height wcs are still being made.

Incidentally I had a letter from the water company today. Since we installed the lavatory we've used so much less water that our payments have dropped considerably, the cost of the wc will be recovered in a few months - not that we care about that.

Mary

[petercharlesfagg]

My sincere thanks to everyone for their input.

We have decided to completely strip out the present toilet arrangement and go for a new one that is higher, all that needs to be done is compare prices through all those links provided.

The seat raisers were a no go from the start because they are always there with the seat and lid permanently raised, pain in the a... especially if guests are present!

Thanks again we really do appreciate the help.

Peter Charles Fagg

[Mary Fisher]

I agree. They're a last resort.

I hope you find what suits you.

Mary

[Huge]

I have good news and bad news; the good news is that my mother, who is disabled, has a "raised" toilet pan - the actual pan is taller than a "normal" one, and therefore easier to get up from(+). The bad news is that she is in the USA, and I therefore have no idea if such things are available here(*). I can get her to tell me the manufacturers name on it, if that would help?

(* Provision for disabled people in the USA seems to be *way* better than here. Disabled parking spaces everywhere and vicious enforcement. Grab rails in Home Depot [I put one up over her bath]. At least 2 shops in the small town she lives in selling nothing but aids for the disabled.)

(+ It also flushes really well. It seems to have assistance from mains pressure plumbed into the pan to provide a jet of water giving the, er, payload, an initial acceleration before the cistern washes it down the soil pipe. I wonder if you can get those here, too?)

[Rod]

Any chance of you posting back with your final decision? It might help anyone looking with a similar question.

[dennis]

Really? I just phone the local council and get them to pop around and put them up where needed. No need to pop to a shop to buy anything even though they have them in B&Q.

They supply, grab rails, toilet seat extentions, chairs, commodes, walking frames, toilet frames, etc. all free.

[Mary Fisher]

NOT to everyone who's disabled.

Mary

[dennis]

Who don't they supply to? You must be getting £500+ pw AFAICS not to qualify.

[Mary Fisher]

Quite. That means that free equipment is not given to everyone who's disabled.

Just because you're disabled doesn't mean you're poor.

Mary