Nero Concealed Toilet Buttons

Which cistern the Nero in wall push plate fits

The Nero in wall toilet push plate is made for the R&T in wall cistern. The listings also name the Bao Elegant in wall toilet suite with an R&T cistern as one it suits. The fit rule is the same on every listing, and stockist pages for the same plate say it too: the plate is for R&T cisterns only, and the cistern is not included. Find the make and model of the cistern behind your wall before you order. A plumber can read it, usually from the cistern itself once the old plate is off. If it is not an R&T cistern, the plates for other cisterns are collected on concealed toilet buttons.

Finish, material and size

The plate is 304 grade stainless steel with soft rounded corners and fully concealed fixing. It is listed in brushed gold, brushed bronze, brushed nickel, gun metal and graphite. The graphite listing gives a size of 258.6mm wide, 178.6mm high and 28.6mm deep, and describes two buttons of different sizes, the usual layout for a dual flush system.

The box holds the flush plate and buttons, and each listing links to a specification sheet and to the installation instructions. The listings do not say the plate comes with a cistern, a frame or a pan, so it is bought on top of the in-wall system you already have or the one you are installing. Read both documents before the plumber starts.

What the installation instructions show

The installation instructions are a short document, dated version 202605, that shows the plate drawing and lists the contents as one toilet push plate. The same document lists the finishes and product codes the plate is made in. Beyond the five finishes on this page, it names Rome Bronze and Tumbled Antique Brass, which are not sold here. If you are matching an existing Nero plate, check the code and the finish name against the document, since a name like bronze covers more than one finish.

Which finish goes where

A Buildmat guide to Nero tapware describes the finishes the plate comes in. It calls brushed nickel warmer than chrome and very versatile, and recommends it for natural stone, terrazzo and neutral palettes. Brushed gold, it says, is not a loud finish and suits timber cabinetry, warm whites and marble. Brushed bronze is on trend and pairs well with green and terracotta, earthy tones, organic materials and dark tiles, and the guide calls it one of the most popular choices. Gunmetal and graphite it calls moody and sophisticated, suited to dark cabinetry and concrete-inspired tiles. These are one retailer's opinions and not facts about the plate, but they give you a starting point when you hold a sample against your tiles.

The same guide notes that Nero sells basin mixers, shower sets, bath spouts, towel rails and toilet flush buttons and push plates in the same finish. That is the reason to choose the push plate last, after the tapware finish is fixed. Take the tapware finish name to the supplier, ask for the matching plate, and compare the two side by side in the room's own light before the plate goes in.

The finish groups on the Nero site

The about page on the Nero website sorts the finishes into two groups. Chrome and matte black are electroplated, and brushed nickel, brushed gold, gun metal grey, graphite and brushed bronze are PVD finishes. Its navigation also lists aged brass, matte white, rome bronze and tumbled antique brass. The plates here come in five of those names. The plate listings do not state the process, so read the specification sheet if the process matters to you. The same page says a design team in Australia designs the products, and that the packaging is meant to minimise waste and uses recyclable materials where possible. It does not say where the products are made.

Nero's range covers tapware, showers, bathroom accessories, heated towel rails, toilets, basins, hardware and spare parts, in named collections that include Mecca, Opal, Kara, Pure and Zen. The same finish names run across it. Bring a sample or a photograph of the tapware to the supplier and compare the plate against it under the room's lighting. Finishes shift between warm and cool light, and a plate that looks right in a showroom can look different on a tiled wall.

The Bao Elegant in wall pan the listings name

The Bao Elegant wall faced pan listings give the figures. The overall height is 820mm, the pan height is 405mm excluding the seat, the projection from the wall is 550mm and the overall width is 370mm. The pan suits an S trap or a P trap, with a set out of 180mm for a P trap and 95mm to 145mm for an S trap, and it has a back inlet only. It is listed in gloss white and matte white, with a WELS 4 star rating at 4.5 and 3 litres, an average flush of 3.5 litres. The pan listings call it easy to install and service through the flush plate, which is why the plate and the pan are chosen together. The pan and its cistern options are on Bao toilet suites.

What a retailer listing says about an R&T in wall cistern

A retailer listing for an R&T in wall cistern for wall hung pans gives figures that help you picture what is behind the plate. It describes a one piece HDPE tank designed to fit a standard 90mm stud wall. It gives an operating pressure of 10 to 1000kPa and lists a 4.5 litre full flush and a 3 litre half flush with a 4 star WELS rating. That listing is for a cistern sold by a retailer and is not a Nero document, so the figures describe the type of cistern the plate is made for and not your own. Your plumber will have the figures for the cistern in your wall.

Looking after a stainless steel plate

The plate is 304 grade stainless steel, so the care is the care for any stainless fitting in a bathroom. A Simple Green cleaning guide for stainless steel bathroom fixtures says to apply the cleaner to a soft cloth, not directly to the fitting, and to wipe along the grain, buffing with a clean, non-abrasive cloth. If you wipe against the grain, it warns, soils may sink deeper and get harder to remove. It lists harsh abrasives, scouring powders and steel wool as risks to the finish, and cleaners containing chlorine, bleach or ammonia as ones to avoid. The page also notes that even plain water can leave marks and spots if it is not used properly, so wipe the plate dry. Check the specification sheet for the finish of the plate you choose, and use the mildest cleaner that works.

Cleaning advice from the stainless steel association

The Australian Stainless Steel Development Association, ASSDA, gives a cleaning method that suits any stainless fitting. Use soap or a mild detergent in warm water, rinse with clean cold water, and wipe dry for the best finish. Abrasive cleaners, and cleaners that contain chlorides or bleach, must not be used, and neither must hydrochloric acid. The smoother the surface, it adds, the better the resistance to tea staining, because rough surfaces and crevices trap salt. For a plate in a damp bathroom, that means a gentle wash, a rinse and a dry wipe, with no scouring pads and no bleach-based sprays. If marks come back after cleaning, the page says chemical cleaning and passivation usually works better than polishing, which is a job for a professional and not for household cleaners.

Grade 304 near the coast

The listings name the grade, 304, and the same ASSDA page explains what that grade can and cannot do near the sea. Tea staining, it says, is discolouration of the surface of stainless steel by corrosion. It is cosmetic and does not weaken the material, and it appears as brown discolouration, mostly in coastal areas. It most commonly occurs within about five kilometres of the surf, and wind, pollution, sheltered locations and high temperatures can extend the risk to 20 kilometres or more. For that zone the page says grade 316 or an equivalent should be selected as a minimum, and that lower alloy grades such as 304 will probably become tea stained in a marine environment.

That page is about exterior stainless steel, and a plate inside a ventilated bathroom is a different setting. Treat it as a reason to ask questions and not as a rule for your wall. If you live close to the surf and the bathroom is damp, ask the supplier whether the plate suits your location.

How the association rates grades for different settings

ASSDA uses a Pitting Resistance Equivalent, or PRE, figure to compare grades. Its page says a PRE of about 18 suits areas away from marine influence, about 24 suits marine atmospheres, and about 34 suits severe marine conditions. It also says the roughness of the surface matters as much as the grade, since a smoother surface resists better, and that a finish called No.4 is not enough to specify unless the roughness is also stated. The plate listings give no roughness, PRE or finish standard, so the specification sheet is the place to look. If the sheet does not answer the question, the supplier should, and the answer belongs with the plate's paperwork.

Getting at the cistern through the plate

The Bao Elegant pan listings describe the in wall system as easy to install and service through the flush plate, and that makes the plate the access panel. The NSW Government plumbing advisory note 18/2022 says that cutting gyprock, or breaking fire rated, tiled and waterproof elements, in the future is not considered appropriate access to an item that must be accessible. It reports audits of Class 2 buildings that found such items inside walls that were waterproofed, tiled and fire rated with no provision for access, and says the cost of fixing that falls on the owner or occupier. Fix the plate so it can come off again, and tell the tiler where the opening is before tiling starts.

Where the flush control sits for an accessible user

If the toilet is for someone with limited reach or grip, the position of the control matters as much as the finish. The Design for Dignity accessible toilets guide, published with the Australian Network on Disability, gives the flush control zone as 600 to 1100mm above the floor. A back-mounted control sits in a zone 500mm wide from the toilet centre toward the side away from the wall, and a side-mounted control in a zone 300mm either side of the toilet front. The guide points to AS 1428.1 for the full detail. A plate directly above an in-wall cistern sits where the cistern and frame put it, so check the height against the zone with the plumber before the frame is fixed.

What an Australian buying guide says about in-wall plates

The MyHomeware guide to push button flush types says an in-wall cistern sits inside a wall frame so only the button shows on the tiled surface. It gives plate sizes as 180mm or 240mm, says to confirm compatibility with the frame, and adds that button plates and actuator covers can often be swapped without disturbing the cistern internals. The Nero plate is larger than both of those figures, at 258.6mm wide, so the opening in the lining needs to suit the plate on the listing. The guide also says that upgrading only the button does not change flush volume, so you choose the plate for fit and finish while the water figures stay those of the cistern.

Push plate or another plate type

A Sydney Bathroomware guide to flush plates sorts them into mechanical, pneumatic and electronic types. Mechanical plates are reliable and easy to service but need the cistern directly behind them. Pneumatic plates move air through hoses, so the cistern can sit away from the plate. Electronic plates work with a hand wave but narrow the choice of cisterns. The Nero plate is a push plate, with two buttons of different sizes, and it is made for one cistern, so the type question is settled by the R&T cistern in the wall. If you wanted a hands-free plate, that is a different cistern decision, made before the wall is closed.

What the plate does not change

The MyHomeware guide to in-wall cisterns gives typical ranges: a cistern 500 to 600mm high, 350 to 400mm wide and 90 to 150mm deep, a wall cavity of at least 150 to 200mm, and flush plates 150 to 200mm high and 200 to 250mm wide. It says these vary by manufacturer and model. The Nero graphite plate is 178.6mm high and 258.6mm wide, so it is wider than that typical range, which is one more reason to take the opening size from the listing and not from a general guide.

The same guide says a dual flush cistern gives a 4.5 litre full flush and a 3 litre reduced flush, averaging about 3.3 litres under the WELS calculation, and that Australian toilets must not exceed a maximum average flush volume of 5.5 litres. Those figures belong to the cistern, so a new plate does not change them. It also says that any flush component sold in Australia must carry WaterMark certification. Ask your plumber to confirm the certification of the cistern, since the plate only operates what is already there.

Questions to put to your plumber

Ask which make and model of cistern is behind the wall, and whether it is an R&T in wall cistern. Ask where the access opening sits and whether the plate will cover it, and whether the lining thickness suits the plate. Ask whether the finish you want matches the other fittings in the room under the room's own light. Keep the specification sheet and the installation instructions from the listing with your plumbing records, so the next person who opens the wall knows what is behind it.

Keep the paperwork with the house

The MyHomeware guide says cistern internals and connections to the water and waste pipes need a licensed plumber, who must provide a compliance certificate, and that flush components sold in Australia must carry WaterMark certification. The plate sits in front of that work, but it is the part that comes off when the cistern is serviced. File the plate's specification sheet and installation instructions with the plumber's certificate and the cistern paperwork. If the plate is ever replaced, the next installer will know which cistern it was made for and what finish it was.

Matching it to the toilet

The plate is the part of an in-wall toilet you see, and the toilet itself is a separate choice. For the Bao Elegant in wall pan, see Bao toilet suites. A concealed cistern needs an in-wall setup, so in wall concealed toilets explains what that involves, and the main toilets guide covers choosing a whole suite. The graphite plate is 258.6mm wide, so mark the opening on the wall at that width and have the tiler confirm it before the lining goes on.