toilet cistern tank replacement

[chrisw99]

Does anyone know where I could source a replacement cistern tank?

Ours has a crack in the porcelain and is leaking, and I was hoping I could find a like-for-like replacement but there's no make/manufacturer on mine that I can see. Was hoping to find somewhere with a website with measurements so I can see what is out there.

The crack spreads out from where the tank was screwed into the wall too tightly and cracked it all the way down to the bottom and then a few inches along the bottom - the funny thing is, the whole crack is covered with rotting silicone sealant which means the crack has been there since before we moved in (17 years ago), guessing whoever put that toilet in cracked it on installation and just sealed it, and the sealant must have finally perished.

Suppose if it lasted 17 years, I could probably just re-seal it (which I will try to do as an emergency repair initially), but now I know the crack is there I don't particular want to live with it like that in case one day someone sits back too hard and cracks the whole tank in two!

 

[Burnerman]

You'll be lucky, Chris - especially if its a close coupled loo. I'd look at Araldite for a better repair from the inside but it needs renewing.
John

 

[JohnD]

if it's white, you will find a used one on ebay or freegle. There are a few traders who buy them as scrap and sell as vintage, and a few that sell old stock, but if you can find one locally that is being stripped out and replaced with an inferior modern one, it will save you the difficulty of transport.

 

[chrisw99]

Cheers for the replies.

Does it even have to be a similar like-for-like? Would any old cistern tank do - is the bit that connects to the toilet universal? The water inlet/overflow don't really matter as those connections could always be redone.

Will probably just bite the bullet and go for a new loo, it's showing it's age now. Hopefully an emergency repair will buy me a bit of time. I had some roof seal emergency mastic that says its good for underwater and inside tanks, so a few coats of that painted along the crack may do the trick.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Is it 'Close coupled' i.e. the cistern sits directly onto the pan, or 'Low Level' with a flush pipe connecting the cistern to the pan? Close coupled maybe slightly more difficult to replace, as cistern may be moulded to fit the pan. Low level, a new cistern can be picked up fairly easily.

 

[chrisw99]

Close coupled and looks moulded. New bog it is then...

 

[oldbutnotdead]

You can get cistern repair tape (thick foil backed with impressive glue)- if the crack doesn't get to any underwater holes it should work.
But a new basic close coupled loo is only £50 so may be a better bet

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

You'd be better off replacing I think. If that cistern gives way, not only will you have an unholy mess, the insurance will probably refuse to pay out as the problem was known about. A new WC is going to be a sight cheaper than dealing with flood damage.

If you check the inside of the cistern, the manufacturer sometime stamps their details into the porcelain before firing. Possible you may find something to fit, but be prepared to pay for it, so again a new WC may be cheaper.

Only concern is though, check the outlet height on the current pan, a new horizontal outlet WC may be too low to fit that existing outlet, so that may require alteration.

 

[Bosswhite]

A new Close couple unit " Bog in a box" would cost just over £50 complete with internal fittings saves aggravation trying to match up or repair .

 

[lostinthelight]

I lined the inside of a leaking difficult to find cistern with fibreglass mat and resin back in early 2015 and its still ok

 

[undertrained]

New close coupled pan and cistern, but as others have said about the height of outlet potential difference and the flooring may need to be renewed as a lot of bases are smaller.

Sometimes if you can measure the centres if the fixing bolts, you might find a replacement to fit, but it may also look odd.