Geberit concealed toilet systems and plates
Geberit is a Swiss maker of plumbing systems that sit inside the wall. The company is based in Jona, Switzerland, and its flush plates are manufactured in Switzerland. The Blue Space stocks the plates that sit on the wall, the buttons that fit Geberit's Sigma and Kappa cisterns, and the packages that pair a concealed cistern with a toilet.
People look for the brand under several spellings, including Geberit, Gebrit, Gerbit and Gerberit. This page covers what the brand is, how a Geberit system works, how the plate families differ, how to match a plate to a cistern and how to choose a finish. The collections for each product type are linked as we go.
Where Geberit is from and why that matters
The most common question about the brand is what country it comes from, and the answer is Switzerland. The company is based in Jona, and the plates stocked here are manufactured in Switzerland. The live product range is built around one idea: put the working parts of the toilet behind the wall and leave only a plate visible.
That idea has a plain benefit. A toilet with a concealed cistern has no cistern on the wall or on the back of the pan, so the wall is flat, the floor is easier to clean and the room reads as smaller than it is. The cost of that benefit is a bit of planning. The cistern, the frame and the pipework all go into the wall before the tiles, so the choice of cistern has to be made early. The plate, by contrast, is a late decision, and that is where most of the choice sits.
How a Geberit system works
A concealed cistern is a tank built into a frame behind the wall. It is filled from the water supply and flushed by a mechanism that reaches the wall surface through two small rods. The flush plate covers the opening, holds two buttons and presses the rods when you push a button. One button gives a full flush and the other a half flush, which saves water on a liquid-only flush.
The plates are designed to be changed. Any time you redecorate, a Sigma plate lifts off and the new plate drops into its place in a few seconds, so a bathroom that changes from chrome to matte black does not need new plumbing. That is the reason to treat the plate as a finish and not a fixed part of the toilet.
Three details of the plate mechanism are worth knowing, because they show how the part is built. The actuator rods are sound-absorbing, which keeps the click of a flush quiet. They adjust without tools, which makes fitting faster and lets the height be corrected after the tiles are on. And the force needed to press the button is limited to a maximum of 20 newtons, so a light press is enough.
The plate families
Four plate families are stocked. They differ in shape, size, depth and the cistern they work with, so the first step is to know which cistern is in the wall.
| Family | Button shape | Plate size | Material | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sigma 20 | Round | 24.6 by 16.4cm, 1.2cm deep | Plastic or stainless steel, depending on the finish | Sigma concealed cisterns |
| Sigma 30 | Square | 24.6 by 16.4cm, 1.2cm deep | Plastic | Sigma concealed cisterns |
| Sigma 60 | Square, surface-even | 21.4 by 13.2cm, 2.5cm deep | Metal, die-cast zinc in the brushed chrome version | Sigma 8cm concealed cisterns |
| Kappa 50 | Square | 21.1 by 14.2cm, 1.5cm deep | Die-cast zinc | Kappa concealed cisterns |
The Sigma 20 and Sigma 30 are the everyday plates. They are the same size and use front actuation, and the difference is the shape of the buttons, round on the Sigma 20 and square on the Sigma 30. A small button flushes a little water and a large button flushes a full cistern, so the plate explains itself the first time anyone uses it. The Sigma 20 comes in a long list of finishes, from gloss and matte white to matte black, chrome with a matte trim, white with a gold trim, black with chrome and stainless steel with a chrome finish.
The Sigma 60 is a flatter, more architectural plate. It sits flush with the surface, so the plate reads as part of the wall instead of a panel on it. It comes in brushed chrome, white glass and black glass. A flush-fitted plate needs a wall of the right thickness: the cover over the cistern, tile and backing together, must measure between 24mm and 50mm. A cover frame is sold as an accessory for the Sigma 60 plate.
The Kappa 50 is the plate for a different cistern. It works with the Kappa under counter 150 concealed cistern, it actuates from the top or the front, and it doubles as the access panel for servicing the cistern. Because it is the way into the cistern, it must stay accessible, so plan the wall so the plate can be reached and removed.
Matching a plate to a cistern
This is the check that decides whether an order works. A plate is made for a cistern family, and the families are not interchangeable. Look at the cistern in the wall or the one in the package, find its family and depth, and choose a plate that names it.
Sigma cisterns come in two depths, 8cm and 12cm, and most of the plates in this range are made for the 8cm cistern. The Sigma 60 is made for the 8cm Sigma cistern from the 2016 range, and it is not suitable for a frame used for a wall-hung toilet in a barrier-free layout. The Kappa 50 is only for the Kappa cistern. If you are not sure what is behind the wall, find the model number on the cistern, or check the paperwork that came with the toilet system.
Two accessories help with fit. An extension set is available for Sigma, Omega and Kappa concealed cisterns. A DuoFresh module adds automatic actuation and a holder for a DuoFresh stick to an 8cm Sigma cistern.
Buttons made for the 8cm cistern are collected in buttons to suit the Geberit Sigma 8 cistern. The wider range of Geberit plates, in every shape and finish, is in Geberit concealed toilet buttons.
Choosing a finish
A plate is the one part of a concealed toilet that you see every day, so the finish should agree with the room. Match it to the metal in the room first: the tapware, the towel rails, the hinges on the toilet seat and the handles on the vanity. A matte black plate belongs with matte black tapware, a chrome plate belongs with chrome, and a gold-trimmed plate is for a room where gold is already doing work.
| If the room is | Choose |
|---|---|
| White and soft, with chrome tapware | Sigma 20 or Sigma 30 in white, gloss or matte, or a white plate with a chrome trim |
| Dark, with matte black tapware | Sigma 20 or Sigma 30 in matte black, or a black plate with a chrome trim |
| Warm, with brass or gold fittings | White with a gold trim |
| Metal-led, with stainless steel accessories | Stainless steel with chrome, or Sigma 60 in brushed chrome |
| Minimal, with the wall left plain | Sigma 60 in white or black glass, set flush with the wall |
Matte finishes are fingerprint resistant, so they suit a plate that is touched with wet or soapy hands. If you are unsure, white is the safest choice because it disappears into a white wall.
The matching hinges and buttons for the seat and the cistern are collected in toilet hinges and buttons, and the full range of plates from every brand is in concealed toilet buttons.
Planning the wall
The wall is where a concealed system is won or lost. The cistern and frame go in before the wall lining, so the plate position, the height and the service access are decided on the building site, not in the showroom. A few rules keep that decision simple.
- Fix the plate height so it is comfortable to press and does not collide with a shelf, a window sill or a towel rail.
- Keep the area in front of the plate clear, because a plate hidden behind a door or a basin is awkward to use and harder to service.
- Choose the plate before the tile layout is set, because the plate size, 24.6 by 16.4cm on the Sigma 20 and Sigma 30, decides where a tile cut falls.
- Check the thickness of the wall build-up if you want a flush plate, because the Sigma 60 works between 24mm and 50mm.
- Leave the plate accessible, because it is the way in when a valve needs adjusting.
A licensed plumber should connect and commission the cistern. The plate itself lifts off and drops in without tools.
Cistern and toilet packages
A plate is only half of a concealed toilet. The other half is a cistern, a frame and a pan, and the packages in Geberit cistern and toilet packages put them together so the parts are known to work. A package suits a new build or a full bathroom renovation, where the frame and wall are open and the whole system can be chosen at once.
The different types of concealed toilet, in-wall and wall-hung, are explained in in-wall concealed toilets, and the wider choice of toilet types is in toilets. If you are replacing only the plate on an existing system, you do not need a package. You need the right plate for the cistern behind the wall.
Is Geberit a good choice?
The honest answer is in the specifications. The plates publish the force needed to press them, a maximum of 20 newtons. The rods are sound-absorbing and adjust without tools. The plates come in four families that cover round, square, flush and top-actuated layouts. And a plate swaps in seconds, so the finish can follow the room when you redecorate. Each of those is a design decision you can check against the product in your hand.
What Geberit does not do is make every part fit every wall. A plate suits a cistern family, and a cistern suits a frame, so the quality of the system depends on choosing the parts as a set. Choose the cistern first, the plate second and the finish third, and the result is a toilet system that is quiet, flat to the wall and easy to service.
Before you order
Check the cistern family and depth in the wall. If you want a flush plate, measure the wall build-up. Choose the button shape, round or square, then the finish, from the metal in the room. If the toilet is part of a new bathroom, look at the packages first.
