Toilet Installation Parts

Toilet installation parts are the bits that actually join your toilet to the plumbing and hold it to the floor: the pan connector that seals the pan outlet to the soil pipe, and the floor fixing kit that stops the pan rocking. The connector is the one most people are after.

Get a straight connector if the pan outlet lines up with the soil pipe, a bent 90 degree one if the pipe sits at a right angle to the outlet, and a flexible pan connector if the alignment is awkward or you are not sure. The buying guide and quick answers below cover which connector to pick, how to fix the pan down and what suits a close coupled, back-to-wall or wall-hung toilet, with the parts themselves in the grid underneath.

What to look for in toilet installation parts

Most “toilet installation parts” searches come down to one part: the pan connector, the fitting that seals your toilet pan outlet to the soil pipe so nothing leaks. The rest is the floor fixing kit that anchors the pan down. Two things actually matter when you buy a connector: the shape (does your pan outlet line up with the soil pipe, or not) and whether it is rigid or flexible. Get those right and the job is straightforward.

Straight, bent or flexible: which connector. This is the real decision, and it is set by how your pan outlet and soil pipe line up. A straight connector is a rigid, straight-through fitting for when the pan outlet and the soil pipe are in line. It is the simplest and cheapest fit, with a watertight design that gives a solid, direct seal, and the Straight WC Pan Connector at £6.40 is the standard choice here. Go straight only if the outlet genuinely lines up, because a rigid connector will not take up any offset, however firmly you push.

A bent connector is rigid too, but with a built-in right-angle turn, for when the soil pipe sits at 90 degrees to the pan outlet rather than in line with it. The Bent WC Pan Connector 90 degree at £7.85 makes that turn for you.

A flexible (flexi) connector is a concertina that bends and stretches to absorb an offset between the pan and the soil pipe, which makes it the forgiving option when the alignment is not perfect or you cannot measure it cleanly. The Viva Mini Flexi Pan Connector at £12.99 suits a short gap, and the Viva Long Flexi Pan Connector at £13.49 covers a longer run.

Honest version: a flexi connector gets you out of trouble when nothing lines up, but a rigid straight or bent connector gives a neater, more permanent fit when it does, and it costs less, at £6.40 or £7.85 against £12.99 and £13.49 for the two flexis. If you can measure the gap, buy the right rigid shape. If you cannot, the flexi is the safe call.

Fixing the pan down: floor fixing kits. A connector seals the waste, but it does not hold the toilet still. A floor fixing kit is what bolts a floor-standing pan down so it does not rock or shift over time, and each kit here comes with complete fixing components and a corrosion-resistant finish. Pick the finish to suit the rest of the room: the chrome WC floor pan fixing kit at £3.99 sits alongside your other chrome bathroom accessories, and the matt black version is £4.99. A floor fixing kit is for a pan that stands on the floor, so a wall-hung toilet does not need one.

Sizes and fit. The connectors linked here are all listed for standard compatibility with toilet fittings. Pan outlets and soil pipes are not all identical, though, so if you are replacing like-for-like, take your old connector to compare, or measure the pan outlet and the soil pipe’s internal bore before buying.

What else you might need. The connectors and the fixing kits are separate products, so a full install on a floor-standing toilet usually means one of each. They are not the whole job either: the cistern still needs its cold supply connecting, usually with a flexi hose, and a bead of sanitary silicone around the base of the pan keeps water and grime from creeping underneath, so have both sorted before you start. Check each product page for exactly what is included before you check out, and if you are replacing the whole toilet rather than just the parts, start with the close coupled toilets or back-to-wall toilets ranges.

Quick answers

What is a toilet pan connector? It is the fitting that seals your toilet pan outlet to the soil pipe, so waste goes away and nothing leaks at the back of the toilet. It pushes onto the pan outlet at one end and into the soil pipe at the other. You get them straight (for when the pan and pipe line up), bent at 90 degrees (for a right-angle turn), and flexible (to absorb an offset when the alignment is not perfect).

Straight, bent or flexible pan connector: which do I need? It depends on how your pan outlet lines up with the soil pipe. If they are in line, use a straight connector at £6.40. If the pipe sits at a right angle to the outlet, use a bent 90 degree connector at £7.85. If the alignment is awkward or you cannot measure it cleanly, a flexi connector bends to take up the gap, at £12.99 for the mini or £13.49 for the long.

What size is a toilet pan connector? The connectors here are listed for standard compatibility with toilet fittings, and the bigger question is usually reach rather than bore: the mini flexi suits a short gap and the long flexi a longer run. Pan outlets and soil pipes are not all identical, so if in doubt, take the old connector with you or measure the pan outlet and the soil pipe bore before buying.

Will these parts fit my toilet? The connectors are listed for standard compatibility, and what changes from one toilet to the next is the shape of connector you need (straight, bent or flexi) rather than whether it is close coupled, back-to-wall or wall-hung. The floor fixing kits are the exception: they are for a pan that stands on the floor, so a wall-hung toilet does not need one. Compare against your existing connector if you are replacing one, and check the product page before you order.

Do I need a pan connector and a floor fixing kit, or just one? For a floor-standing toilet you usually want both. The pan connector seals the waste to the soil pipe, and the floor fixing kit bolts the pan to the floor so it does not rock. They are separate products, so a typical job is one connector plus one floor fixing kit, such as the chrome kit at £3.99.

Is fitting a pan connector a DIY job? For a straightforward like-for-like swap, yes, it is one of the more manageable bathroom jobs: the connector pushes on, no glue needed on most push-fit types, and the fixing kit screws down. The fiddly part is getting a clean, square seal onto both the pan outlet and the soil pipe, especially in a tight space behind the toilet. If the alignment is off, a flexi connector makes life much easier. If you are moving the soil pipe or unsure about the seal, get a plumber to do that bit.