A paradigm shift in the bathroom
1964: World's first concealed cistern
What was once visible is now hidden: from 1964, only a black button on a white plate could be seen of the flushing technology. With the first concealed cistern for wall installation, Geberit placed the technology behind the wall, transforming the appearance of bathrooms worldwide.
Twelve years after the introduction of the first surface-mounted plastic cistern, Geberit surprised the sanitary world again in 1964. With the development of a plastic cistern that could be built into the wall, they achieved a masterpiece. The “Concealed Cistern No. 15,000,“ as it was officially named, aimed to be a “reliable and quietly operating WC unit for limited space,“ as stated in the first brochure. Combining the concealed cistern (CC) with a wall-mounted toilet resulted in a projection of only 54 cm, setting a new standard at the time.
Initial Hesitation
The sanitary industry was initially skeptical of the new cisterns. Installing the cistern within the wall deviated from traditional installation methods and, in the eyes of many plumbers, initially meant a lot more effort. Concealed cisterns were ahead of their time and initially remained a niche product.
Success Factor: Installation Systems
The necessary momentum came only with the spread of prewall installation, particularly with the establishment of drywall techniques in the 1980s. The major breakthrough came in 1993 with the Geberit Installation System (GIS). In 1996, quickly installable mounting elements with the Duofix frame – in traditional Geberit blue – followed. Today, after millions of installed elements, Duofix is the most installed element in the sanitary industry. There are likely very few plumbers in Europe who have not installed one of these blue “Duofixes.“
It flushes and flushes and flushes…
Geberit cisterns reliably perform their duties behind the wall for decades. Plumbers often come across Geberit concealed cisterns from the early years that are still in operation. The longevity, high quality, and safety even after decades of use have contributed to the enduring success of the concealed cistern. Additionally, the availability of spare parts for 50 years ensures the long-term and reliable flushing functionality of the concealed cisterns.
150 years of Geberit: A look into the past
We are celebrating the anniversary with several articles and are therefore publishing historical stories from the company archive throughout the current year.
Further exciting information can be found on the anniversary website www.geberit150.com