WATER CLOSET

Water Closet Choices: One-Piece Bowls, Urinals and Seats

A water closet is the one fitting in a bathroom that cannot be moved later without breaking the floor, so the rough-in comes before the choice of shape. This category holds one-piece water closets, a wall hung urinal, and manual bidet seat covers that fit onto an existing bowl. Measure the outlet position and the space beside the bowl first, then pick the style. If you are replacing an old WC, bring the old rough-in distance and a photo.

Buying guide

Choosing a Water Closet: Rough-In, Trap and Flush

Measure the rough-in before you fall for a shape; a water closet that does not match the outlet is a floor to be redone.

One-Piece, Two-Piece or Wall Hung Water Closet

One-piece: the cistern and the bowl are one moulding, so there is no joint between them to leak or to collect dirt. Heavier to carry in, simpler to keep clean. See the one-piece water closets.

Two-piece: a separate cistern bolted onto the bowl. Cheaper to replace parts on, and the most common type in older Malaysian homes, but the joint needs wiping.

Wall hung: the bowl hangs off a steel frame and the cistern is hidden inside the wall. The floor is clear and the look is clean, but it is a decision for a new build or a full renovation, because the frame and the concealed cistern go in before the wall is closed. Ask about wall hung options when you enquire; the wall hung urinal is listed here.

Rimless: a bowl with no rim underside, so there is nowhere for dirt to hide and the flush washes the whole bowl in one sweep. Available on one-piece bowls.

Rough-In, Outlet Type and Seats

S-trap or P-trap. An S-trap bowl drains down through the floor; a P-trap bowl drains back through the wall. The existing outlet decides which you need, and the two do not swap without plumbing work.

The rough-in is the distance from the finished wall to the centre of the outlet. Measure it on the old bowl or on the bare floor before choosing. A bowl with a different rough-in either will not fit or leaves an awkward gap at the wall.

Manual bidet seat covers replace the existing seat and add a wash function with no electricity, fed from an angle valve through a flexible hose. Check the bowl length and the seat hole spacing against the bowl. If you prefer a hand-held spray, the bidet sprays sit with the taps.

Small parts to order with it: an angle valve for the cistern supply, a flexible hose, and a floor trap for the wet area, all in the floor traps, angle valves and small fittings category. The rest of the bathroom range follows the same order of work.

Common questions

What is a water closet?

The toilet bowl and its cistern, as one item or two. Water closet is the trade term used on Malaysian drawings and quotations; WC and toilet mean the same thing.

What is the difference between a one-piece and a two-piece water closet?

A one-piece has the cistern and the bowl moulded together, so there is no joint to clean or to leak. A two-piece has a separate cistern bolted on. One-piece is easier to keep clean; two-piece is cheaper to repair because the parts separate.

S-trap or P-trap: which do I need?

Look at where the existing outlet is. A pipe in the floor means S-trap; a pipe in the wall means P-trap. In most Malaysian homes the outlet is in the floor. Changing from one to the other means breaking the floor or the wall, so match what is there.

What is a rimless water closet?

A bowl with no hollow rim under the top edge. On a standard bowl the rim hides a channel that dirt and bacteria collect in; a rimless bowl has a smooth edge and a flush that sweeps the whole bowl, so it cleans in one wipe.

Does a manual bidet seat need electricity?

No. A manual bidet seat cover uses water pressure only, fed from an angle valve through a hose, and is operated by a lever. It fits onto an existing bowl in place of the old seat, so it is the simplest way to add a wash function.

Can I change a floor-standing water closet to a wall hung one?

Only in a renovation that opens the wall. A wall hung bowl needs a steel frame and a concealed cistern inside the wall and a P-trap outlet, so it is a plumbing and building job, not a swap.

Send the rough-in distance and the outlet type with your enquiry; those two measurements answer most of the questions before you visit.

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