The Bao toilets on this page
This page lists the Bao Elegant rimless toilet suite in a standard height and a raised height, the raised height in gloss white and matte white, and the Bao Elegant wall faced pan for an in-wall build. The listings describe an open rimless bowl with no pan lip, and an easy clean glaze that runs through the pan, the trapway and the neck. The suites are rated 4 star under WELS with a 4.5 and 3 litre dual flush, which averages 3.5 litres per flush. For how a rimless bowl differs, see rimless toilets. For the range as a whole, see the Bao Elegant range.
Standard height and raised height suites
The standard height suite is a close coupled suite. It is 820mm high overall and 378mm wide, with a pan height of 410mm and a projection of 640mm. The raised height suite is a back to wall suite that is 850mm high and 360mm wide, with a pan height of 440mm and a projection of 670mm. Both use a universal trap, so one pan fits an S trap or a P trap, with a set out of 100 to 200mm, and a universal cistern that takes a back or a bottom inlet. Check these figures against your existing outlet and supply, and see the main toilets guide for how to measure. The close coupled toilets and back to wall toilets pages explain each style.
What comes in the box
Both suites ship in two boxes. The first holds the pan, a slim seat and cover, a pan connector and the installation instructions. The second holds the ceramic cistern, a universal inlet valve, a flush valve and rectangular dual flush buttons in chrome. Open the boxes when they arrive, check each item against the list, and keep the packaging until the plumber has finished.
Close coupled, back to wall, or both
The standard height listing calls the suite close coupled, with a pan that sits back against the wall, and the raised height listing calls it a back to wall suite. Sources use the terms differently. CHOICE describes the close coupled design as the cistern sitting directly on the pan with no gap, which looks neater than a link design though the trap pipework still needs cleaning, and the back to wall design as sitting flush with the wall. A Buildmat help centre article describes a back to wall toilet as a pan flush against the wall with the cistern concealed in a built-in unit or wall cavity. The Bao suites ship with a ceramic cistern in the second box, so they are close coupled suites that sit against the wall. Compare the box list and the figures and not the label.
What the Bao Elegant listings promise, and what they give
The listings use plain language for what the glaze and the bowl do. They describe an open rimless bowl with no pan lip, an easy clean glaze that runs through the entire pan, trapway and neck, minimal lines and gaps that wipe down with a cloth, and a soft close seat with a quick release. They give the numbers for each suite: WELS 4 star at 4.5 and 3 litres with a 3.5 litre average, a WELS registration number, and the statement that all Bao toilet pans, cisterns and components are Watermark certified. The standard height suite carries the registration L07440, the raised height suite L07751 and the wall faced pan L07621. Ask your plumber to check the number for the suite you buy, since the number belongs to the model.
Why the glaze through the trapway matters
A glaze that runs through the trapway and neck covers the parts of a pan that cannot be reached with a brush. Digitalfire, a technical reference for ceramics makers, says rough surfaces can trap particles and be difficult or impossible to clean, even though the glaze is glass, and that organics can attach to micro-cavities and build up over years of use. A patent for sanitary earthenware found in a search ties low surface roughness to surfaces where stains and soils are less likely to adhere. The Bao listings say the glaze is applied through the pan, the trapway and the neck. The claim to ask about is what finish the maker applies and what it advises for cleaning, because the listings give no roughness figure or test result.
Rimless, in three descriptions
A Wellsons guide to rimless toilets describes the bowl as one continuous curve with the flush covering the whole bowl surface, and so no hidden crevices where bacteria can build up. An Orton Baths comparison says the rim is removed and water jets flush the bowl directly, and that rimless toilets tend to produce slightly more noise during flushing. CHOICE says rimless toilets have no rim, so the whole bowl is visible and easy to wipe with a sponge, and that they are easier to clean and reduce chemical use. Wellsons also lists the trade-offs, which include splash and parts that may be harder to source. The Bao listings describe the open rimless bowl as removing the lip that hides grime, and they give no noise or splash figures.
Standard height against raised height
A Buildmat help centre article says a standard Australian toilet is around 400mm from the floor to the top of the seat and that a comfort height is around 450mm. CHOICE gives the usual toilet height as about 39.5cm and ambulant toilets as 46 to 48cm. The standard height listing describes its pan as an easier height for households with small children, and the raised height listing describes an easier transfer on and off the toilet. Choose by the people who will use it.
What universal means on the Bao listings
The Bao listings use universal for the trap, the inlet and the cistern. The trap is universal, so one suite fits an S trap or a P trap, with a set out of 100mm to 200mm. The cistern is universal, so it takes a back or a bottom inlet. CHOICE explains that a bottom inlet is under the cistern with exposed plumbing, usually visible as a tap, and a back inlet is concealed, neater and needs less cleaning, and it recommends a plumber for a back inlet. The raised height suite is supplied with a pan connector, as the matte white listing notes. The set out range is the number to match to your waste, and a plumber can confirm that the connector suits.
Why the range of set outs is worth reading twice
A set out range such as 100mm to 200mm is wide, but it is still a range, and it only helps if the waste is measured the right way. CHOICE says to measure an S trap from the centre of the waste outlet to the finished wall. A Buildmat renovation guide warns that the main risk is choosing the wrong trap type, which could mean a costly plumbing fix, and that switching from an S trap to a P trap, or moving the toilet, may need extra plumbing work. The Bao Elegant listings say the trap is universal and the set out is 100mm to 200mm, which covers many existing wastes. Write down your measurement, the trap type and the side the supply comes from, and send them with your question so the supplier can answer with the figures in front of them.
The seat and lid
The Bao listings describe a soft close seat with quick release. CHOICE says 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. Burdens Bathrooms notes that soft close dampers use hydraulic or viscous fluid in the hinge. It gives a lifespan of generally 40,000 to 55,000 cycles, or more than five years of daily use with care, and advises mild soap and water for cleaning. The standard height suite's box lists a slim seat and cover. Ask the supplier what the Bao seat is made of and how it should be cleaned.
Testing for a leak after installation
A water conservation handout from Lower Murray Water says a leaking toilet could be wasting as much as 300 to 1000 litres of water every day. It gives a simple test. Remove the tank lid, put a few drops of food colouring in the tank without flushing, wait about 20 minutes, and check the water in the bowl. If the bowl water is coloured, the toilet has a leak. Run the test when the plumber has finished and again after a few weeks. The Bao listings give a WELS 4 star rating at 4.5 and 3 litres, which is the water use of a sound suite, and a leak undoes it.
The in-wall pan
The Bao Elegant wall faced pan is listed as a pan with cistern options, in matte white and gloss white. It has a pan height of 405mm excluding the seat, a projection of 550mm, an overall height of 820mm and a width of 370mm. It takes a back inlet only, in an S trap or a P trap, with a P trap set out of 180mm and an S trap set out of 95 to 145mm. The listing mentions a soft close seat but gives no box list, so confirm what is included before you order.
A Buildmat guide to smart toilets says the pan and the cistern frame must come from compatible brands and that the frame is often installed months before the toilet is selected. The NSW Government plumbing advisory note 18/2022 says that cutting gyprock or breaking tiled and waterproof elements in the future is not considered appropriate access to something that must be accessible. So the plate, the cistern and the wall are one plan. A concealed cistern needs an in-wall setup, so read in wall concealed toilets first. The Nero in wall push plate lists the Bao Elegant in wall toilet suite with an R&T cistern as one it suits, and Nero concealed toilet buttons lists the finishes. The suites on this page that include a cistern do not need that planning, which is one reason to choose them for a renovation with fixed walls.
Which suite for which job
Choose the standard height suite for a family bathroom or an ensuite where the listing's easier height for small children is the point, and the shorter projection of 640mm helps in a narrow room. Choose the raised height suite where the seat height matters for easier transfers, accepting the longer projection of 670mm. Choose the wall faced pan only if a concealed cistern is part of the plan and the wall is open. Whichever you choose, the set out range is the number that decides fit: 100mm to 200mm for the two suites, 95mm to 145mm for the S trap pan, 180mm for its P trap. If your waste falls outside, ask the supplier before you order, and get the answer in writing.
Room to move, and a like for like swap
A Real Homes buying guide, written for a UK audience, says around a metre of elbow room is best and that a narrower toilet suits a small room. The Bao Elegant widths are 360mm to 378mm, and the projections are 640mm and 670mm for the suites. CHOICE says too much projection can block a door, a cupboard or a shower and is hard to fix after installation. For a like for like swap, CHOICE says the existing set out usually decides your choice, so measure the old toilet's waste before you buy and note which side the supply comes from. If you are replacing a close coupled suite with another close coupled suite on the same waste, the universal trap and the 100mm to 200mm set out give a good chance of a simple swap, and the plumber confirms it on the day.
What WELS and WaterMark require, in the bulletin's words
The Western Australian industry bulletin IB 066/2016 says WELS is a mandatory point of sale requirement under the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005, meaning covered products cannot legally be sold in Australia without a WELS label. Breaches may bring infringement notices, significant fines and penalties, the withdrawal of a product from the market, or deregistration, it says. Toilets are rated 3 star at 6 and 3 litres or 4 star at 4.5 and 3 litres. Toilets in new Class 1 buildings must be at least 4 star dual flush, and WELS rated products are required to be certified under the WaterMark scheme. The Bao Elegant listings state a 4 star rating, give registration numbers and state WaterMark certification, so each suite on this page meets the new-home figure. The bulletin is Western Australian, and your state's rules may differ.
Keeping the glaze in good order
Because the Bao listings stress the glaze, care for it. Use a soft cloth or sponge, warm water and a mild cleaner, and a soft brush in the bowl. Avoid scouring powders and pads, which can scratch any glaze. The Australian Stainless Steel Development Association's advice for stainless steel, soap or mild detergent in warm water and a dry wipe, is a good routine for the hinges. For the gloss white suites, wipe dry after cleaning in a hard water area to avoid limescale marks, as Ceramica Flaminia advises for its ware. The Bao listings give no maker's care note, so ask for one with the sheet and follow it over any general advice.
Caring for the matte white suite
A magazine article from the Italian ceramics maker Ceramica Flaminia says matt ceramic can be cleaned the same way as glossy ceramic, and that it is a misconception that matt ware calls for special treatment. Its advice is to wipe the surface dry with a microfibre cloth to prevent limescale marks and to avoid alcohol-based or highly alkaline detergents, nitrous solvents and acetone. That is one maker's advice for its own ware, and the Bao listings give no care note for the matte white glaze, so ask the supplier for the maker's guidance before you use anything stronger than mild soap and a soft cloth. The matte white toilets page covers the finish in more detail.
Keeping the paperwork
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 WaterMark certification is required for flush components sold in Australia. Keep the plumber's certificate, the specification sheet, the installation guide and the WELS registration number together. If a part fails in the years to come, the sheet tells the next plumber which cistern is fitted, and the registration number lets you check the product on the register.
Questions to ask about Bao toilet suites
Ask for the specification sheet and the installation guide for the exact suite. Ask which of the two seats and covers is in the box, and for the height with the seat fitted. Ask what the pan connector does and whether it suits your waste. Ask which cisterns the wall faced pan suits, and what the sheet gives for the cistern's depth and the plate's position. Ask for the WELS registration number, and check it.
