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Choose the right cisterns for the toilet
The close coupled toilet is linked to the cistern without a connectine pipe. PHOTO BY CONSTANCE OBONYO
What you need to know:
Buying toilet cisterns
- One can buy cisterns separately. At Nakasero, a ceramic cistern costs Shs35,000. The whole unit goes for Shs150,000.
- A plastic cistern costs Shs35,000. A whole unit for the sitting type toilet goes for Shs80,000. That for the squatting type toilet goes for Shs100,000.
- A complete unit that contains a bidet, toilet, bath tub and hand wash basin costs Shs2m.
- At CTM, one cannot buy a cistern on its own. It has to be bought as part of a toilet set. A ceramic cistern goes for Shs240,000.
- A Practica set from Egypt. It is sold as a set- toilet and hand wash basin and goes for Shs650,000.
- A Millenium toilet from Egypt goes for Shs520,000.
- At The Building Centre, Jinja Road, Kampala, all the products are imported from the United Kingdom. They are sole agents for Armitage Shanks and Ideal Standard products.
- A Sophia Simplicity toilet set. It is a close couple type toilet set with a side handle. Capacity is 7 litres and it goes for Shs550,000.
- A close couple type toilet set with a top flush goes for Shs550,000.
- A low level type toilet with a front handle. It goes for Shs650,000.
According to Ms Olive Mutonyi, a sales representative with The Building Centre, they sell toilets as whole units and not in pieces. They sell the toilets with the seats and covers.
“Unless a client buys a toilet from here and the cistern breaks, then we can sell it to him or her. Secondly, we cannot sell only cisterns because the toilets differ in size.
She adds that if a client has a broken cistern, we have to get a price to charge him. The average price of a cistern can be Shs200,000 and above, depending on the kind of cistern and the toilet it is going to sit on.
Ms Ritah Namugenyi has two toilets in her house; one for the visitors and another one for the family. The one for visitors recently started leaking whenever it was flushed. She later realised that the cistern (bowl that holds the container) was tampered with and became loose, which led to the leakages.
A water closet or toilet uses a cistern to hold the right amount of water to flush the toilet bowl. Toilets are connected to septic tanks, or to sewers. The flush toilet is sometimes called a water closet.
Toilets work with gravity. When the flush lever is pulled, a plug opens, allowing water to flow out and fill the bowl. The cistern contains different parts. The inlet valve controls the water supply going into the cistern. It lets water in when the cistern is empty and stops water going in when the cistern is full.
Cistern types
According to Mr Faisal Hamza Kimuli, an engineer with Tamp Engineering Consultants, there are automatic flushing cisterns. These are usually used for children’s toilets and other situations where the users are not able to operate a manual toilet. They use gradual air compression in the stand pipe to operate.
Close coupled toilet
With this one, the cistern is placed upon the back of the toilet bowl, with no connecting pipe. The cistern and the bowl form a single unit. The flush mechanism is often located somewhere on the cistern. Both the inlet and outflow connections are at the base of the cistern.
Space saving cisterns
These are meant for small spaces where normal cisterns would not fit. Types are corner cisterns and compact cisterns. Corner cisterns are meant to fit into corners. Compact cisterns are plastic, usually four to five inches from the front to the back. Most space saving cisterns are the close coupled type as opposed to the two separate unit types.
Concealed cisterns
In concealed cistern toilets, the cistern is built into the wall behind the toilet. It is only the bowl that is visible. The advantage is that one can use a basic cistern that is not expensive, which they can then hide behind a wall. It can be any of the low level type cisterns.
The only difference is that the flush is located onto the wall panelling as opposed to the use of the usual flush lever. The user should allow for access to the cistern for maintenance purposes.
The measurements
Older model cisterns can use 13 to 19 litres per flush while newer models use six litres per flush. Today, some well-designed six litre cisterns flush better than others that use two to three times more water per flush.
The design of the surfaces that control the flow of water can make a big difference. Householders should be able to identify different parts of their toilets and cisterns to be able to save money in simple maintenance measures.
Maintenance tips
Mr Masudi Katamba, a plumber, says house holders can use ordinary washing soap or detergents like Vim to clean the insides of their cisterns.
For broken cisterns, he says people should just close a tap by the side of the cistern that lets in water, a device he calls an angle valve. This should stop the water flowing into the cistern until they are able to call a plumber to look at it.
If you have to repeatedly depress the cistern handle to make it flush, this is often a sign that the flush valve needs replacing. This valve controls the amount of water leaving the cistern. If it is a modern plastic ball valve with a small float, the flow of water is controlled by a rubber diaphram.
The modern cistern has come a long way since the days when it was only functional, to the various styles in which it comes today. A user needs to choose a type after considering its functionality, convenience, ease of maintenance and style.
