RAK Toilets

The RAK suite on this page

This page lists one RAK suite, the Fienza RAK Washington close coupled toilet suite. It has traditional lines and a concealed trap, which keeps the base of the pan smooth, and a gloss white vitreous china finish. The RAK Ceramics Australian site lists ceramic and porcelain tiles, slabs and sanitaryware. For the wider Fienza range, see Fienza toilets. A close coupled suite has the cistern bolted straight onto the pan, and close coupled toilets explains the style. If you are matching an older bathroom, see traditional toilets for other heritage-style suites.

Sizes, trap and inlet

The Washington is 790mm high overall and 360mm wide, with a pan height of 400mm and a pan projection of 705mm. You choose an S trap or a P trap when you order. The S trap set out is 240mm and the P trap set out is 190mm, so measure your existing outlet before you pick one. The water inlet is at the bottom, on the left or the right, which helps when the supply is already in the floor. The suite is rated 4 star under WELS with a 4.5 and 3 litre dual flush, which averages 3.5 litres per flush. The main toilets guide explains set out, inlet and projection if you are measuring for a replacement.

What comes in the box

The box lists the pan with concealed floor fixing screws, a ceramic cistern with a round dual flush button, and a soft close hinge seat in white. The listing adds that the cistern holds Geberit internal flushing valves and that the seat hinges are stainless steel. It links to a specification sheet, so read it with your plumber before you order. The sheet's plus or minus 10mm ceramic tolerance means the 705mm projection can vary, so dry fit the pan against the door and the vanity before the plumber fixes it, and measure the actual pan when it arrives.

Who makes the Washington

The Washington sheet states that the suite is made in the UAE. RAK is also the name of RAK Ceramics, a company based in Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE, although the sheet does not name the maker, so the link is the name only. Wikipedia's article on RAK Ceramics says the company sells to more than 150 countries and reports an annual sanitaryware capacity of 5.7 million pieces across plants in several countries, while a company catalogue and project page give a lower figure of 5 million pieces. Sources also differ on founding year and staff numbers, so read the figures as the company's and the encyclopedia's and not as independent counts. What matters for a buyer is smaller and checkable. The sheet is dated 1 April 2024, it gives the dimensions and the WELS rating, and it says the Washington is sold with either a P trap or an S trap.

What the sheet means by a boxed rim

The Washington sheet lists a boxed rim pan, an alpine white finish and a concealed pan. The sheet does not define the term, and Caroma's Luna listing uses a similar one, a glazed box rim and trap for easier cleaning. Where a listing and a sheet differ, the sheet is the maker's own document, so rely on it. The Washington is a boxed rim suite. The Wellsons guide to rimless toilets lists the trade-offs a rimless bowl is judged against, including splash and the availability of parts. If a rimless bowl matters to you, the tornado flush suites on tornado flush toilets are the rimless Fienza options.

S trap, P trap and skew, in CHOICE's terms

CHOICE explains the three trap types. An S trap connects to the sewer through the floor and is the most common set out in Australia. A P trap exits from the back and connects through the wall, and wall hung toilets use a P trap. A skew trap exits to either side of the pan, is the least common, and can suit tight bathrooms. The Washington is listed as an S trap suite with a 240mm set out or a P trap suite with a 190mm set out, and the sheet lists no skew version. So the Washington suits a floor waste or a wall waste, and a skew waste needs a different suite or a plumber's change.

Check which trap your existing toilet has before you order, and look at the pipe, not at the pan. A plumber can confirm the trap type in a few minutes, and the answer decides which version you order. If the existing toilet has been moved or replaced in the past, do not assume the original plumbing is still there, and share a photo of the outlet with the supplier before you order.

The S trap set out of 240mm

CHOICE says that when you replace a toilet the existing set out usually decides your choice, unless you are willing to pay for a bathroom redesign. A Buildmat renovation guide says S traps are the most common setup in Australian homes, especially in houses with older plumbing, and that bottom entry inlets are more common in older homes. The Fienza back to wall sheets list S trap ranges of 90 to 160mm and 160 to 230mm, so the Washington's 240mm sits beyond both. That makes it a suite for a waste that is some way from the wall. Measure first, and compare the figure with the sheet.

How to measure for a replacement

CHOICE gives the measurements to take before buying. For an S trap, measure from the centre of the waste outlet to the wall. For a P trap, measure from the outlet to the floor. Note the current inlet location. Check the projection, which is how far the toilet extends into the room, because too much projection can block a door, a cupboard or a shower and is hard to fix after installation. The Washington's projection is 705mm on the sheet. Check the height too: CHOICE says most toilets are installed at 39.5cm and ambulant toilets at 46 to 48cm. The Washington's pan height is 400mm before the seat, so the seat adds to that. A Buildmat guide says a standard bowl height is around 400mm and a comfort height 450mm or more.

Bottom inlet and the exposed supply

CHOICE describes the two common inlets. A bottom inlet is under the cistern, with exposed plumbing, usually visible as a tap. A back inlet is concealed, neater and needs less cleaning, and CHOICE recommends hiring a plumber for that type of installation. Some toilets can take either inlet, and if not you may need a plumber to make changes. The Washington has a bottom inlet on the left or right, so the supply pipe will be visible, and the choice of left or right should follow where the supply comes through the wall or floor. Tell the supplier which side the supply is on before you order.

WELS rules and what the label means

CHOICE explains that every toilet should carry a WELS star rating, introduced by the Australian government in 2005, and that the rating is based on the litres used for four half flushes plus one full flush. All toilets sold in Australia must have both half and full flush options. Current requirements are typically at least four stars for new homes and at least three stars for replacements and renovations, it says, and rules may vary by jurisdiction. The Washington is rated 4 star at 4.5 and 3 litres, an average of 3.4 litres on the sheet, so it meets the new home figure CHOICE gives. Confirm the rule for your project with your plumber or certifier.

Traditional shape, modern rules

A traditional suite still has to meet modern rules. The sheet gives the WELS rating, the label figure of 4.5 and 3 litres, and a dual flush button. CHOICE says all toilets sold in Australia must have half and full flush options and a WELS star rating. The installation must follow the plumbing rules of your state, and the listing says all Fienza toilet pans, cisterns and components are Watermark certified where required. None of that depends on the style, so the choice between the Washington and a modern suite comes down to fit, look and the plumbing you already have.

Fitting a traditional suite into a heritage bathroom

A traditional suite often goes into an older house, and an older house brings its own constraints. A Melbourne architecture firm's guide to heritage bathrooms says original floor joists were sized for the loads of their era and may need reinforcement before modern fixtures and waterproofing are added. Victorian-era drainage runs at shallow angles that contemporary fixtures can overwhelm, it says, so hydraulic planning is needed. Modern membrane waterproofing was not considered in original construction, so the subfloor should be inspected first, and the guide cites AS 3740 for waterproofing of buildings. Original construction assumed natural air movement through gaps and cracks that modern sealing eliminates, so airtight upgrades need mechanical ventilation designed for the space. These are one firm's views, written about Melbourne, and several figures in the article are the firm's own claims, so use them as a list of questions for your builder.

The guide also notes that council approval depends on heritage overlay status and street visibility and not only on whether the work is internal, and that owners should check overlay status through council planning records before budgeting. It says properties built before 1960 may contain asbestos in bathroom walls, though another part of the article gives a different cutoff year, so the date is something to ask a licensed assessor about. A close coupled suite changes the plumbing little if the waste stays where it is, which is one reason a traditional suite suits a like for like replacement in an old bathroom. If the toilet moves, the drainage is a larger question.

Looking after the Washington

The care panel on the sheet says to clean only with a soft cloth or sponge using warm water and mild soap or detergent, and not to use any abrasive cleaning materials, solvents or corrosive liquids. The suite has a UF soft close seat on stainless steel hinges. CHOICE notes that soft close lids close more gently, reduce noise and are less likely to damage the pan, and that quick release seats can be removed for cleaning without tools. The Australian Stainless Steel Development Association advises soap or mild detergent in warm water, a rinse and a dry wipe for stainless steel, and says cleaners containing chlorides or bleach must not be used. Wipe splashes of bowl cleaner off the hinges, and keep the bowl cleaner on the porcelain.

What the soft close hinge does

Burdens Bathrooms describes a soft close seat as having a damping mechanism in the hinges that slows the seat and lid on the way down. It says the hinge holds hydraulic dampers or viscous fluid that absorb the energy and control the speed, so the seat closes quietly instead of slamming. Repeated slamming can chip or crack porcelain, it adds, and it gives a lifespan of generally 40,000 to 55,000 cycles with proper care. If the closing speed slows, it suggests soaking the hinges in warm, soapy water to remove debris. The Washington's seat is a UF soft close seat on stainless steel hinges, per the sheet, and the care panel's no-abrasives rule applies to it too.

Where the traditional shape comes from

Wikipedia's article on the flush toilet gives the background to the shape. Sir John Harington described a precursor in 1596, with a flush valve and a wash-down bowl, and Alexander Cumming patented the S trap in 1775, using standing water to seal the bowl outlet against sewer air. Joseph Bramah patented a float valve system for the tank in 1778, which closes the inlet as the float rises with the water. Older high suite combinations used a cistern mounted above head height with a pull chain. Close coupled cisterns, first called low suite combinations, became the most popular residential system in recent decades because improved waterway design was found to improve flushing more than high mounting. A traditional shape on a close coupled suite therefore keeps the look of the period while using the modern arrangement.

Washdown pans, and why a boxed rim is easier to wipe

The same article says washdown bowls developed from earlier hopper closets and have a steeply sloping back and a gently sloping front, with the trap toward the rear. The water area is small compared with North American siphonic bowls, it says, so washdown bowls are prone to soiling. A separate Wikipedia article on the dual flush toilet says Australian dual flush toilets rely on gravity rather than siphoning, and have a larger trapway of about 10cm. That is the context for the Washington, a boxed rim suite with a concealed trap made for an Australian dual flush cistern. Use a soft brush and mild bowl cleaner on the bowl surface regularly, and do not leave staining to build up.

What a close coupled design means for cleaning

CHOICE describes the close coupled design as the cistern sitting directly on the pan with no gap, which it says looks neater than a link design, though you still need to clean the trap pipework. It describes a link or connector design, two parts joined by a pipe, as the easiest to install, and a concealed cistern as one hidden behind a wall or cabinet, with the flush buttons in an access panel. The Washington is the close coupled design, so the cistern is visible and reachable by lifting the lid, which suits a traditional room where a concealed cistern would be out of period. Clean around the join of cistern and bowl, because dust gathers there.

The Geberit flushing valves in the cistern

The Washington sheet and listing say the cistern has a Geberit flushing mechanism. Geberit's Australian toilets page says inlet and outlet valves are available for Geberit concealed cisterns made since 1964, and Geberit's global page for concealed cisterns says spare parts are available for 50 years. Those statements are about concealed cisterns and not this suite, and they are the maker's claims, so they do not promise parts for the Washington. A Sydney Bathroomware guide says a cistern that keeps running after a flush usually points to the outlet valve or its washer, and hissing points to the inlet valve. If your Washington runs on or hisses, the valves are the likely cause, and a licensed plumber should do the work.

Questions to ask about RAK toilets

Ask whether the suite you are ordering is the P trap or the S trap version, and give the supplier your measured set out. Ask which side the bottom inlet should be on for your supply. Ask for the specification sheet and the box contents, since the listing says the pan comes with concealed floor fixing screws, the cistern has a round dual flush button and the seat is a soft close hinge seat. Ask how the supplier checks the goods before sending them. If the bathroom is in an older house, ask your builder about the floor, the drainage and any heritage overlay before you order.