A toilet is one of the most frequently used items in all households. Buying a toilet may seem like such a simple decision, but we believe it’s important to understand your options when deciding which toilet best fits your needs. There are plenty of features to consider – bowl shape, height, and design just to name a few.
This toilet buying guide will help you understand that there is more to a toilet than pushing a lever and walking away! Let us know the most important features that you look for in purchasing a toilet.
Buying Decisions To Make
Here are five different decisions to make when considering the best toilet for your home.
- One-piece or two-piece toilet
- Installation type
- Measure the space in the bathroom
- Elongated bowl or round bowl
- Type of flush system
If you have enough budget, try buying a toilet from a well-known brand like TOTO, American Standard, or Kohler
Main Factors To Consider
Here’s a list of five main factors to consider when buying a new toilet for your bathroom.
1 – Measurements
Taking measurements is the first and most important step before buying a toilet.
- First, measure the distance between the rear bolts of the toilet and the wall. In addition to that, measure the distance from the side walls to the bolts as well. Make sure that you check the bolt configuration too.
- Second, measure the rough-in. The toilet rough-in is the distance from the wall to the center of the floor drain or the waste outlet.
Most toilets usually use a 12-inch rough-in. However, homes that have older models of toilets might have different rough-in sizes, such as 10-inch or 14-inch. Therefore, you must take the measurements carefully to purchase a compatible toilet.
Furthermore, rear-outlet toilets are configured a bit differently because the waste in these toilets exits through the bathroom wall instead of the floor. The measurements for these toilets are the distance from the finished floor to the center of the waste outlet.
2 – Bowl Shape
The next step is choosing the toilet shape that fits your needs.
They are usually the standard shape because they take less space. If you have limited space in your bathroom, then a round-front bowl is the right option for you.
They are two inches longer than round-front toilet bowls because they provide added comfort. Therefore, if you want to go for an elongated bowl, make sure that your bathroom has enough space. And make sure the elongated bowl won’t interfere with the door, drawers, or any other items in the bathroom.
3 – Bowl Height
The bowl height is the distance from the finished floor to the top of the toilet bowl, without including the toilet seat. Most toilets usually have a standard height of 14 to 16 inches.
Taller toilets are also available in the market, and they are ideal for people with disabilities, and these toilets also comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
ADA-compliant toilets are also known as comfort-height toilets, and they have a height range of 17 to 19 inches.
Furthermore, it is more comfortable to sit on comfort-height toilets because your knees and back don’t have to put a lot of effort into sitting on the toilet seat.
In addition to that, a toilet seat adds ½ to 1-inch height to the toilet.
Take a look at our extensive reviews of ADA-compliant toilets.
4 – One-piece or Two-piece
One-piece toilets, as the name indicates, are in one piece, which means that you cannot separate the toilet bowl and the tank. These toilets provide a seamless look which adds to their style.
One-piece toilets are easier to clean because they don’t have as many gaps and crevices as two-piece toilets. However, one-piece toilets are heavier than two-piece toilets, which means that you will need an extra pair of hands during the installation.
Two-piece toilets are what we usually see in homes. These traditional toilets have separate toilet bowls and tanks, and the tank is bolted to the bowl. In addition to that, two-piece toilets are not as heavy as one-piece toilets, which makes their installation very quick and convenient.
5 – Flushing Systems
Another critical factor that you need to consider is the flushing system of a toilet.
Older toilet models easily consume about four gallons of water per flush, which is a lot. It is imperative these days to buy a toilet that has a water-efficient flushing system.
Standard flushing toilets have a single-lever flushing system, which only uses gravity to create the flushing pressure that boosts the flushing performance. However, you can also convert a standard toilet into a water-efficient toilet by swapping out the existing flushing system with a dual-flush conversion kit.
Dual-flush toilets are also known as water-conserving toilets. These toilets are ideal if you are looking for something water-efficient. These toilets feature two levels of flushing, which include a full flush and a partial flush. A full flush consumes about 1.6 gallons of water, whereas a partial flush only consumes about 0.8 gallons of water. You can choose between these levels depending on your preference and business.
Siphonic toilets consist of an S-shaped drain trap. When you activate the flush, the waterway fills up with water, and the tank quickly releases a large quantity of water into the bowl, generating a siphon action to increase the performance of the flush. This way, the flush empties rapidly. Furthermore, both standard and dual-flush toilets come with a siphonic flush feature to enhance the flushing performance.
Conclusion
In this toilet buying guide, we have mentioned everything that you are going to need before you purchase a toilet. Make sure that you consider all the factors discussed above to make the right choice for your bathroom. Furthermore, you can choose the color of the toilet according to your preference.