We know it’s not something that you think about everyday, but when the time comes, purchasing a toilet for your home can feel a bit daunting. While colour and style are always a consideration, there are a number of key comfort and functional factors that you should keep in mind:
- Water sense toilets – to save water, homeowners placed bricks in the tanks of older toilets, as they used up to 13 liters of water per flush (LpF). Newer toilets now use a standard and more economical 6 LpF, and High Efficiency toilets use no more than 4.8 LpF.
- Location, location, location – the vast majority of toilets today have a “rough in” dimension of 12 inches (the distance from the center of the trap to the wall behind the toilet tank). In older or renovated homes, the dimension may be smaller – which may require a special order.
- Bowl height and shape - toilets generally come in one of two heights: standard and “comfort” heights, with the latter being slightly higher from the floor to the top of the seat. Recent design trends have favored the more elegant “elongated” or oval-shaped bowls to the standard round or doughnut-shaped bowls. While it mostly is up to personal comfort and aesthetic, be aware of the space this will take up in smaller spaces.
- One-piece or two? – generally, toilets are sold in two pieces: the tank and the corresponding bowl (two-piece toilets). Customers find it more difficult to keep two-piece toilet sets clean due to the seam between the tank and bowl. One-piece toilets, in which the tank and bowl are attached, are easier to clean but can also be more expensive, heavier and harder to install.
- Lined or unlined? – certain models of toilets are equipped with an inner lining in the water tanks. In areas of high heat and humidity, this will reduce the occurrence of “sweat” or condensation forming on the exterior of the tank.
- Flushing performance – in 2003, housing and municipal offices across Canada and the USA joined together to create the MaP (Maximum Performance) Testing Program. All toilets are now tested and scored on this program. Models with the highest MaP scores can flush between 800 – 1,000 g of waste (that’s up to 1 Kg of waste). For most consumer needs, models with a score of 250g or more will likely meet or exceed a home’s usage.
- Flushing power – most residential toilets work by means of simple gravity. Consumers have the choice of gravity or pressure-assisted toilets; both of which offer relatively equal flushing power, however, pressure assist is noisier than gravity. The choice between them now is more one of personal preference than performance.
- Stop slamming the seat – think about it: toilet bowls are round, hollow, ceramic vessels and toilet seats are generally made of durable, stain resistant plastic. Make the operation of the seat safer for children and quieter for everyone by considering installing a “slow-close” toilet seat and lid on your new or current toilet.
- What happens if a part fails? – regardless of price, due to everyday wear and tear, accidents or otherwise, sometimes, parts inside the toilet tank break. Avoid major headaches locating the repair parts by ensuring that the replacement parts for the toilet you are considering are easily found in store or on-line. When repair parts have not easily been sourced, some consumers have opted to replace complete toilets to solve their issues.
- Sooner or later, you’ll face a clog – it’s a fact of life, somehow or someway, all flushing toilets can sometimes reach their “limit” and the trap will clog. Know what to do before this happens, by locating the water shut-off valve, and having a plunger and drain cleaner product available. To save on the ensuing clean up costs and potential damages incurred by the overflowing water, you might want to consider the newly patented “no-overflow” Penguin Brand Toilet. Just like your bath tub, this toilet’s bowl is equipped with a secondary (and tertiary) drain to allow running water trapped due to a clog to escape out of the bowl via a secondary drainage line; thus reducing the amount of mess outside the bowl.
