A close coupled toilet consists of a toilet pan and cistern that are 'coupled' together; the cistern sits on the back of the toilet pan creating a single, more compact unit. In modern UK homes, a close coupled toilet is by far the most popular design. The emergence of close coupled cisterns/pans came as more homes moved away from traditional gravity-fed systems, negating the need for the cistern to be raised higher up in order to provide a powerful flush.
