Toilet cistern - does it always have to be immediately behind the toilet?

[Benedict]

Hello

I've got a plumbing query - I'm redoing a bathroom and trying to add an extra sink, but unfortunately on opening up the walls I've found out that the area I was planning on putting a sink into has a downpipe running through that I can't touch.

To get round this I was thinking of swapping over the sinks and toilet so that the toilet is in front of the down pipe and was wondering if it was possible to have a toilet cistern that would be off to one side rather than immediately behind the toilet.

Is this something that can be done?

Any advice greatly appreciated

Thank you

Ben

 

[Alanka]

Apart from possibly looking very odd, there's no technical reason for a wc cistern to be exactly lined up with the pan it serves. After all, you can have low level and high level cisterns that are remote from the pan. As long as the flush pipe does not have sharp bends in it that would reduce the flushing action too much.