Shrouded close coupled toilet - cistern removal

[RJH]

I've got a leak coming from somewhere around a close coupled toilet's cistern (the water is clean), but there's no access to the nuts that fix the cistern to the pan. It's one of those that fits flush to the wall types like this:

Is it necessary to remove the whole toilet to access the cistern and flush mechanism fixings? I could find out the hard way, but just wondering before I get involved.

As an aside, I discovered the leak all of a sudden, with a heavily soaked ceiling on the room below. I was in the room an hour earlier - returned and mini-flood. Investigating behind the WC did reveal a drip-leak but I couldn't see where it was coming from except roughly at cistern-pan coupling height. But no sign of water backing up. Odd.

[John Rumm]

It appears to be in two bits - so the cistern is probably a normal close coupled design with a "doughnut" washer etc.

That may mean that the bolts the clamp the bits together are accessible only from the underside, which would mean pulling it away from the wall to get at them.

However, sometimes pans like that have expanding fittings with a screw into a wider plastic "plug", and can be tightened and loosened from just the top (i.e. inside the cistern).

You might need the installation manual to check.

(this supposes that it is that connection that is leaking, and not at the pan connector that joins it to the soil pipe - and you will need to pull it out for that).

[Brian]

As John suggests, try and get the instructions / installation manual. It may be on the web- even YouTube.

I would expect a similar set up to a norm close fitting cistern - a large rubber like ring, as John mentioned, but possible a special. That said, they rarely fail. I’ve never fixed one in 40 years of house ownership.

[RJH]

Many thanks both. I've been busy clearing up the mess, having isolated the supply.

Inside the cistern I can see two slot-heading nylon fixings. I'll start there and report back . . .

[alan_m]

But often leak if you remove the cistern from the pan and attempt to reuse the original again. The rubber/foam ring becomes deformed to the original fitting of cistern and pan

If there has been a leak the mounting hardware may have become rusty and if so it's advisable to replace that on reassembly.

Or maybe, depending on design

The rubber on the latter may have become brittle or split if long term usage of in-cistern bleach/cleaning type blocks.

[Sam Plusnet]

Like

[RJH]

It doesn't have any branding, and I can't find any examples of shrouded WC installation. I assume it needs a longish flexible connecting pipe which is connected before sliding the whole thing against the wall.

Quite how you're supposed to isolate the water supply without disconnecting the pan I've no idea. Anyway, I've isolated it by going round the back, opening up a partition wall, and capping the supply pipe. I'll be fitting an access hatch when it all goes back together.

That's not shrouded. Even I can manage that :-)

[John Rumm]

Not necessarily - if the pan connector is positioned at the right height, and projects from the wall the right amount, you can just push the pan into place, and it will naturally seat in the connector.

Using the service valve that the installed thoughtfully placed in an accessible location! :-)

[RJH]

Sorry - meant the water supply pipe.

Ha!

The whole design seems a real form over function . . .