A toilet is an essential part of the plumbing equipment of any modern bathroom. Once acquired, a quality model serves the owners for many years.
Many people find it challenging to choose such a product at a plumbing store on their own. Different models of multiple brands on the market make it tricky to decide on a suitable one.
However, a trustworthy brand isn’t a guarantee of your future convenience, it’s primarily about the product itself. Even if you choose well-known American Standard or Kohler brand toilets, you should understand which features of a toilet you need.
Therefore, it is important to approach this kind of purchase with all responsibility. It’s not easy to find a comfortable, functional, high-quality, yet affordable toilet that will harmoniously fit into the interior of your bathroom.
In this article, you will find out which significant things to consider before purchasing a new toilet and why:
1. Floor-Standing vs Wall-Hung Design
Professionals recommend choosing all plumbing equipment based on the layout and area of your bathroom. Toilets are no exception.
The most common types of toilets on the modern market are floor-mounted and wall-mounted ones.
Floor-mounted toilets are fixed to the floor, with the cistern outside. This is a classic, pretty standard design, easy to maintain and operate. It can be collapsible when the tank is separately attached to the bowl, and monolithic.
Pros:
- Simple to maintain and operate
- Easy to replace
- Wide assortment of models
Cons:
- Noisy
- Larger than wall-mounted toilets
Wall-mounted toilets are installed on the wall, and the tank is hidden inside the wall. Therefore, all you can see are flushing buttons. Such a model neither needs nor features any floor support system, and it seems to be floating in the air.
These toilets are highly popular in modern interiors decorated in the style of minimalism, modern, contemporary, hi-tech, etc.
Pros:
- Saves space
- Large tank volume
- Can be installed at any height you want
Cons:
- Requires proper installation
- Not suitable for all houses (the wall should be of brick or concrete)
2. Toilet Bowl Shape
There are various types of toilet bowls to choose from. You can find elongated, compact elongated, and round bowls. All of them have similar functions and differ in size.
The elongated ones are oval in shape. Their main characteristic is extra length. Most of such bowls are around 2” longer than the round options. Their additional length makes such a toilet seat more spacious and convenient to use.
Round toilet bowls are roughly rounded in shape. They are much smaller and slightly less comfortable than elongated bowls. The main difference here is that they take up less space, so people usually install them in rather small bathrooms where every inch matters.
A combination of two previous types is called a compact elongated toilet bowl. Such models basically have the same rounded footprint as round toilet bowls. At the same time, they offer extra seat space, like in elongated bowls.
3. Toilet Flushing System
This technical characteristic is quite important to consider when choosing a toilet. While there are many types of flushing systems, it might be difficult to figure out which one you need. Here is a list of the most popular options:
- Gravity flush system: It is the most common type. It flushes a toilet by using the natural force of gravity.
- Pressure-assisted flush system: This system combines compressed air with the gravity flushing system. It helps to create a more powerful flush when the gravity flush system isn’t efficient enough.
- Dual flush system: This system provides you with two options for the amount of water to be used. You can either flush with a small amount of water or use more of it. The first way helps you go green in your home since you save a lot of water when using it.
- Single flush system: This system allows you to use the same stated amount of water all the time.
4. Material
Consider the following list of the most popular materials that are used for toilets:
Faience Toilets
Toilets made of this material are the cheapest and most popular ones. Faience is a type of white ceramic with a porous structure. Its surface is covered with a special enamel that can be white, beige, turquoise, yellowish, etc.
The downside of such toilets is that the protective glazed enamel can wear off during many years of operation under certain mechanical influences. So be ready to take good care of these toilet models, or you’ll have to buy a new one in a couple of years.
That’s a great way to avoid bathroom renovations.
Porcelain Toilets
As well as faience, porcelain is commonly used for the manufacture of sanitary ware and is made from white types of clay. Toilets made of porcelain are also covered with an enamel glaze, but their abrasion is much slower.
These models are on the expensive side of the price range. However, they do look a little better and make your bathroom look expensive.
Steel Toilets
This material a priori is not capable of absorbing moisture, and almost nothing sticks to its smooth surface. Another advantage of steel toilets is their high durability. That’s why such toilets are more expensive than previous models.
Plastic Toilets
Plastic toilets are mainly made of acrylic. They are lightweight, very affordable, and easy to install. On the other hand, they’re not that durable, so their lifespan won’t be long.
5. Toilet Seat
The functionality of a toilet is also determined by a well-fitted seat. There are various seat models available on the market, from the thickest to the thinnest ones.
The thinner options are usually better. Made from high-quality materials, they are ergonomically shaped for comfortable use and fit versatile designs.
Expert plumbers recommend choosing a seat from the same manufacturer you got a toilet from. This way, it will more likely fit perfectly.
The material of the seat is equally important when choosing an appropriate model. It can be lightweight and flexible polypropylene or durable duroplast.
Also, make sure that the seat has antibacterial properties to prevent germs from accumulating on the surface.
Choose the Model You Will Conveniently Use
If you’re facing the problem of choosing a suitable toilet for your home, the best thing you can do is approach it rationally.
It is the most important plumbing fixture in the house, so considering all the aspects of a purchase beforehand might prevent lots of mistakes in the future.
You have to consider the features like the type of toilet, the shape of its bowl, flushing type, material, and toilet seat before going to the store to choose the product you like.
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