Replacing a toilet - water feed question

[Dan Tink]

Hi, seeking some advice please.

I am a complete newbie when it comes to pluming. But I would like to attempt to replace my old toilet. My main question is the cold water feed, which you can see from my photos comes down the corner of my wall (behind a boxed in cover), enters a t-joint, and horizontally into the bottom of the cistern.

What would be the best (and easiest) solution for coming off that t-joint? or would it be easier to cut the old pipe going into the old cistern and fix a new pipe (flexi connector?) onto it? Should I insert an isolation value somewhere?

I've not even looked at toilets yet, what do they generally supply in terms of fixings for the cold water supply?

My other concern is that a flexi connector going across the back of my toilet wall isn't going to look very attractive - it is a bit too high up to box in.

Any general ideas or advice would be much appreciated
Many thanks.
Dan

 

[rob_j20]

You can undo the nut, and use new pipe with a new olive.
Or you could cut about half way along clean the pipe and use a push fit flexi with a built in isolation valve.

 

[slippyr4]

Is that a high level cistern?

If there's a significant height difference in cisterns then you could probably redo the tee lower down as appropriate.

Your new toilet will come with a fill valve that will have a 1/2" thread. You will need to provide all the plumbing running up to that. The last bit you need, which screws on to the fill valve, is called a tap connector - that's what the last piece on your existing set is.

You can get tap connecters in copper for soldering, or compression, or push fit, and also flexible hoses with compression or push fit on one end, and a tap connector on the other.

Tip: only do up the tap connector hand tight, overtighten it and it will leak.

 

[Dan Tink]

Thanks for your replies.

It's not a high level cistern (ie near the ceiling), but a high-low one (right name ?), the bowl is 10" below the cistern.

Actually that may raise another complication- I want to replace it with a close coupled so the current water feed is probably going to be too high up? Visually, I don't really want a pipe/hose coming out and then down along the cistern side and then underneath, so would this mean my only option would be to get the t-joint moved down?

 

[slippyr4]

pretty much, yes.

 

[rob_j20]

You will probably be able to remove the overflow pipe as well to tidy things up. Most newer ones overflow internally now.

 

[slippyr4]

but a high-low one (right name ?)

No, that's a low level cistern. Most modern ones are "close coupled".

A close coupled cistern will hide a lot of the pipework or hose anyway, if you move it all underneath.

 

[Dan Tink]

Actually, the other half says she doesn't mind too much the pipework being on display! I don't mind, so its what ever would be easiest for a beginner:

I'm guessing to avoid removal of the old tee (and fix) and re-insert it lower, it would be easiest for me to come off the existing one and then with two elbow joints work my way under the new cistern (with a flexi pipe to connect to the fill value)?

I think I want to avoid using solder, so it's either compression or push fit - what would be easiest? I'd want to paint compression joints white if i went that way so maybe I should just use white push fit?

Thanks so much for your help so far!

 

[oilboffin]

Close coupled usually simpler neater too.