My latest problem / myLot

United Kingdom

January 22, 2026 9:38am CST

This is the problem I have to deal with now. And I admit I am a bit stumped. Basically the flush mechanism in the toilet has worn out. This is easily fixed by simply replacing the thing, and if it was a ‘normal’ free-standing toilet with close-coupled cistern it would be easy, and the work of about 15 minutes. As it is though, the cistern is completely enclosed within a tiled wall. The people we bought this house from really liked everything to be hidden away, which makes it an absolute nightmare to repair anything plumbing-related! I did manage to fit a new mechanism in the main bathroom last year, but there only the pipes are fully boxed in, and after an hour or two of wriggling about on the floor with my arm down a gap in the tiles and a magnet to pick up dropped nuts I actually managed it. This is a whole other level of difficulty though. The tiles cover three walls of the room up to about shoulder height, including the bath panel and the entire wall behind the bath, toilet and bidet, completely enclosing all the pipes and the cistern. Naturally we don’t want to have to re-tile the whole room! Any ideas? All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2026.

13 people like this

14 responses

Jimbo45

@Ineeddentures (31603)

•

22 Jan

Wow I am normally quite good eith stuff like this. But this is beyond me. I might be tempted.to rip it all out and start again

2 people like this

Fleur

@Fleura (34704)

• United Kingdom

22 Jan

The tiles seem to be stuck onto MDF. I'm wondering whether it would be possible to cut out that 3X3 square, and then somehow put it back again afterwards.

1 person likes this

Fleur

@Fleura (34704)

• United Kingdom

5 May

@Ineeddentures It worked!!

1 person likes this

Jimbo45

@Ineeddentures (31603)

•

22 Jan

@Fleura I would need to see it I imagine it would go back Worth a try

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@DaddyEvil (173574)

• United States

22 Jan

Have you tried talking with a plumber? Surely there's a way to access the inner workings of the toilet without breaking the tile wall.

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@DaddyEvil (173574)

• United States

22 Jan

@Fleura I really hope it's a workable solution.

1 person likes this

Fleur

@Fleura (34704)

• United Kingdom

22 Jan

Drilling through the brick wall from outside??

1 person likes this

Fleur

@Fleura (34704)

• United Kingdom

22 Jan

@DaddyEvil I will investigate further... I'll be back

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Kayla Tsukino

@kaylachan (84225)

• Daytona Beach, Florida

22 Jan

Ouch. I don't envy you. You'd probably need the help of a professinal. Our tolits have tanks so you can get to the things inside.

1 person likes this

Fleur

@Fleura (34704)

• United Kingdom

22 Jan

Most toilets are like this - nice and simple. In fact I installed this one myself.

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Kayla Tsukino

@kaylachan (84225)

• Daytona Beach, Florida

22 Jan

@Fleura I want one with the buttons. we have flush handles.

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Max Crisp

@Orson_Kart (8149)

• United Kingdom

24 Jan

You haven’t showed the inside of the cistern, so I can’t see the the gubbins!? Do you really need to remove the cistern? Modern toilet systems normally have like a bayonet type flush syphon that you can replace with ease. If it hasn’t and you have to get underneath the cistern to unscrew the whole thing, then I can’t see any way round damaging the tile work. Inbuilt is great to look at, but only if maintenance-free, which it never is. I avoid it like the plague.

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Fleur

@Fleura (34704)

• United Kingdom

24 Jan

Depends what you call modern I guess. The people before us remodelled the entire house; that was in the 90s. They stayed 20 years. We have lived here almost 10 years. So it's probably 30 years old. Is that still modern? It is in my book but I guess it depends what you compare it to!

Fleur

@Fleura (34704)

• United Kingdom

26 Jan

@Orson_Kart this is the inside of the cistern. I already disconnected the flush handle and the ball valve is tied up so I could empty the water.

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Max Crisp

@Orson_Kart (8149)

• United Kingdom

26 Jan

@Fleura Thanks for the photo, it certainly helps.

That’s not a modern system. Ball valves have been replaced by float valves which are silent and standard fit now. I can’t tell from the photo what the flush siphon is, but I suspect it is old and not replaceable without needing access to the underneath of the cistern. Is there a separate external overflow pipe? Again, modern flush syphons use internal overflow back into the pan, Can you see a model number on the flush syphon?