Have you recently discovered that you need a toilet, but don’t know how to go about shopping for one?
Buying a toilet that’ll fit in with your budget, the size of your bathroom, and that flushes well can be tricky, especially if you’ve never shopped around for a toilet before.
Whatever you refer to it as, the toilet in your bathroom is one of the essential items in your house. While many people will select a toilet based on the cost and color, several other important factors go into purchasing the perfect toilet for your bathroom. Some of the other factors include how much water it uses and how well it flushes.
If shopping run for a new toilet is stressing you out, this article will help break down everything you need to know about choosing the perfect high-performing toilet to fit your budget, bathroom, and bathroom habits. Keep reading to learn more!
How much should you spend on a new toilet?
How much you spend on a new toilet will depend on what your personal preferences are. You can purchase some toilets for as cheap as $60 or less.
However, they will have low-quality working parts and will likely break in a few years. Also, you shouldn’t expect a powerful flush from a cheap toilet.
Keep in mind that you’re going to be using the toilet several times a day for at least the next few years. That’s why it’s important for you to spend your money wisely and invest in a quality toilet. Depending on if you want to purchase a pressure-assist model or a gravity toilet, you can pay anywhere from $100 to $600 for a brand new toilet.
What are the different types of toilets?
For you to get a better understanding of all of the different options available to you, let’s take a closer look at the most common types of toilets you’ll find on the market:
Flushing toilet
A flushing toilet has a push-button or a flusher that you use to cause water to run down the pipeline. Another essential part of a flushing toilet will be the shape of the trap way.
The majority of toilets that you’ll find on the market are flushing toilets. The opposite of a flushing toilet is a dry toilet, which operates without water.
There are many different types of flushing toilet types available. However, every kind of flushing toilet has its unique performance and power benefits that offer two users. Some options you can find in the market are a G-max flushing toilet, a cyclone flush, and a tornado flush toilet.
Best flushing toilet
If you want to invest in a flushing toilet, we’d recommend TOTO MS854114ELG#01 Eco Ultramax ADA Elongated One Piece Toilet. This toilet weighs 75 pounds and confused 1.28 gallons of water per flush. Not only is the appearance of the toilet elegant, but it’s also made with vitreous china, topped with a glazed surface.
Many people are familiar with TOTO toilets because of their high-quality toilets.
This was it comes with several features that make it unique. One of the features that it comes with that that many people off to talk about is the tornado flushing system. The system will deliver a complete cleaning of the bowl, while also cutting back on water consumption in comparison to other popular toilet options.
Plus, it comes with a knowledgeable cleansing system. This cleansing system Lawrence people completely.
Upflush toilets
An upflush toilet discharges waste out of the back of the toilet. Any waste that’s removed from the toilet is sent into a macerator. The macerator will shred the waste. After the shredding process is completed, it’ll pump it into a stack that you have installed in your home.
The macerator usually sits in the compact tank that comes with an up flush toilet. You can find the compact tank located on the floor, that’s right behind your toilet. By using a rapid cutting blade, the macerator will automatically turn on. It’ll cut up any waste that you’ve flushed into a fine paste.
After everything is cut up, the waste that you’ve flushed will run through the main stack in your home. Then, this will be discharged away from your home as it would be with any other type of toilet.
Best up flush toilets
The Jabsco Electric Marine Macerator Up Flush Toilet has a backflow valve. The purpose of this valve is to stop any slurry that the macerator chops from floating back into the toilet bowl. Also, it comes with a pumped waste that’s located three feet above where the toilet is.
Additionally, the motor for the Jabsco Electric Marine Macerator Up Flush Toilet is magnetic. This is so that the toilet is able to fully close, as this will help to corrode and to prevent friction.
One-piece toilet
A one-piece toilet is a type of toilet stall where the tank is connected to the bowl. As a result, this makes the toilet one complete unit. One of the most significant advantages to using a one-piece toilet is the size of the water tank is a lot smaller. This means that there’s often no crevice in the middle of the toilet, making it a lot easier to use.
Also, many one-piece toilets come with a toilet seat. This means that you won’t have to worry about going out of your way to purchase a toilet seat when you’re shopping around for your new toilet. Also, a one-piece toilet has a shorter distance away from the wall. You also won’t have to worry about putting the tank together with the toilet bowl or the seat.
Lastly, the only part of installing a one-piece toilet that you’ll have to worry about is making sure that the toilet is properly mounted with the water supply and the drain on the floor.
Best one-piece toilet
The TOTO MS604114CEFG#01 Ultra Max II is a one-piece high-efficiency toilet. With this toilet, you’ll only be used 1.28 gallons of water per flush. This Toto toilet also comes with the TOTO
tornado flush system, which the best flushing toilet also comes with.
This means that when you purchase this toilet, you’ll get an elongated toilet that’s finished off with a SanaGloss. This means that not only is this toilet extremely functional, but it’ll also look great in your bathroom.
Compact toilets
Compact toilets are designed to fit in smaller bathrooms. If you are struggling to find a toilet small enough to fit into a tiny bathroom, you may want to consider a compact toilet.
Sometimes with compact toilets, there won’t be any tanks. Other types of compact toilets will have small tanks or mounted tanks on the wall. Using a compact toilet will give you space to put additional cabinets or a larger vanity into your bathroom.
Best compact toilet
The best compact toilet is the Galba Small Toilet. Not only is this toilet very compact, but it has a shallow profile. The Galba Small Toilet comes with a highly efficient dual flush. The dual flush will make it a lot easier for you to work towards saving water with your bathroom habits.
Two-piece toilet
Another common type of toilet is a two-piece toilet. With a two-piece toilet, the bowl and the water tank are separate. This allows the water tank just or more water.
While many modern times are opting for a one-piece toilet, a two-piece toilet has its own unique advantages. This type of toilet can last a lot longer than a one-piece toilet because it’s often made of ceramic.
Also, it’s easy to find replacement parts for a two-piece toilet. You should just do research into the brand you’re considering buying from to make sure they’re a reputable company.
Best two-piece toilet
The TOTO Drake II is the best two-piece toilet on the market for your money. Not only is this toilet east to install, but it also has an elongated bowl. You’ll find a powerful flush that’ll make sure everything gets down the drain. But, the TOTO Drake II only uses 1.28 gallons of water per flush.
Wall-mounted toilet
A wall-mounted toilet is a type of toilet that’s mounted to the wall. However, in most situations, the bowl of the toilet is attached to the wall. This means that it won’t be touching the floor. Also, wall-mounted toilets don’t have any tanks.
Instead of not being a tank for the toilet, the tank is actually hidden inside the wall. This makes the cleaning process for your toilet a lot easier. You won’t have to worry about your tank leaking either.
Keep in mind that a wall-mounted toilet it’s a lot easier to clean than any other available model. This is because there are fewer divots for dirt to fall into, than with a two-piece toilet.
Best wall-mounted toilet
The best wall-mounted toilet is the TOTO CT418FG No.01 Aquia Wall-Hung Dual-Flush Toilet. This toilet has a dual-flushing system, but also consumes a low amount of water. With the SanaGloss ceramic glaze on this toilet, you’ll have an easy time preventing any mold or debris from collecting on this wall-mounted toilet.
This means that you’ll get to spend less time cleaning your toilet- and less water too! Plus, this toilet has the universal height and can be paired with the TOTO in-wall tank system.
Corner toilet
A corner toilet is often referred to as a triangle toilet. This because the shape of the water tank is triangular. This makes it easy for the toilet to fit into the corner of a room.
One of the biggest advantages of using a corner toilet is that you can fit this toilet into a tight space. While these types of toilets have an odd-shaped appearance, they’re a great choice to use if you have design restrictions.
Best corner toilet
The best corner toilet is the American Standard 216 AD. Not only does this toilet look nice, but it has all of the functional features that you need out of a high-quality toilet. The flush valve is three inches, which means that you’ll see an increase in the flushing power, speed, and pressure out of this toilet. As an end result, larger amounts of waste can be pushed through this toilet, while still using less water.
Plus, the toilet was designed to decrease the need for power scrubbing. This is thanks to the glaze on the bowl. You’ll also have fewer toilet stains with the American Standard 216 AD.
Gravity feed toilets vs pressure-assisted toilets
When you’re shopping around for a new toilet, you’ll also run into toilets described as pressure-assisted toilets or gravity-feed toilets.
Gravity feed toilets work by using a flush valve that’s dependent upon gravity. Using water that drops into the bowl, the water moves to push any waste down a drain via the tank. Depending on the type of toilet you get, some toilets can use up to 10 pounds per square inch of water pressure.
Gravity feed toilets have a lot of quieter flushing than pressure-assisted toilets. However, cheap gravity feed models may have difficulty properly flushing waste.
On the other hand, pressure-assisted toilets use water compressed air located in a sealed tank. The sealed tank creates pressure that causes the water to be forcefully flushed, dumb the waste line.
If you have a large family, you may want to consider investing in a pressure-assisted toilet. This is because they use up to 25 pounds per square inch of water pressure. This means that’s great for larger families to use. However, they to do tend to have a noisier flush than gravity-feed toilets.
Other flushing power
There are other types of flushing methods available that you may find on the market. These include:
Power-assisted toilets
A power-assisted toilet uses a sealed internal tank. The tank will fill up with water, which will result in a buildup of air pressure. The air pressure is released with the flush, causing the forced to use a blast of water to remove waste from the bowl.
The biggest downside to using this type of toilet is the noise that the flush creates.
Dual flush toilets
A dual flush toilet will allow you to choose between a full-fledged flush or a low water flush. This helps to encourage conscious flushing. This is a great type of toilet invest in if you are worried about and being environmentally friendly with your bathroom habits.
What are the different types of toilet seats you can choose from?
The toilet seat you choose will ensure that you’re comfortable while sitting on the porcelain throne. When you’re shopping around for a new toilet, you’re going to want to choose a toilet seat that’s comfortable for you to sit on. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to spend several hundred dollars on investing and a toilet seat.
Here are the most common options that you can look into when you’re investing in a toilet seat:
Heated toilet seats
A heated toilet seat uses a low voltage heating element to warm the seed of a little bit. This is great if you live in a colder climate and find it uncomfortable to sit on a cold toilet seat first thing in the morning. You can also control how warm the toilet seat gets.
Antimicrobial toilet seats
Antimicrobial toilet seats will inhibit the growth of fungus and bacteria. As a result, this will reduce the likelihood of odor, mildew, and mold developing in your bathroom. By using a silver compound, the active ingredients in a toilet seat are completely harmless. However, they’ll help keep your bathroom a lot cleaner.
Slamless toilet seat
If you’re looking for a toilet seat that doesn’t slam, you can invest in a slam the toilet seat. These toilet seats work by closing gently and Quietly. This means that you won’t have to worry about crashing at noise waking anybody up in the middle of the night.
Bidet toilet seat
A bidet style toilet seat has a bidet attached to it. Some bidet style toilet seats offer features such as dual water jets, motion-activated lighting, preheated water, and air drying. Obviously, the more features you purchase with your birthday so toilet seat, the more expensive the toilet seats will be.
How will you know if the toilet is good for flushing?
The most important function of a toilet is Flushing capabilities. If you’re looking for a top-performing toilet, you should take a look around your local hardware stores to read up on the different flushing capabilities toilets in your area.
If you don’t have any local hardware stores that are open near you, here’s how to look around online for a high-quality flushing toilet:
Look at flushing ratings
It’s important that you do adequate research into making sure that the toilet that you’re investing in Willa last you more than a few years. When you’re looking around for a toilet online, make sure that you compare the different flushing ratings.
More likely than not, there will be independent test results across several manufacturers of each toilet’s flushing performance. Also, manufacturers will have toilet testing results for each specific model they have.
Take a look at high-efficiency models
A toilet uses around one-third of your entire household water use. If you are looking for a high-efficiency toilet that doesn’t use a lot of water but has a strong flushing Power, you should look into a high-efficiency model. According to the EPA water sense recommendations, a high-efficiency toilet 1.28 gallons of water or less per each flush.
Investing in an EPA water sense toilet will help to save more than 4000 gallons of water per person each year. However, if you want to make sure that you’re using a toilet that will helps her to buy you water utility rebates, make sure that you check independent test results.
It’s also important that you know that many people complain of increased clogging problems and staining for high-efficiency toilets.
Consider pressure-assisted toilets
If you’re looking for a toilet model that’ll provide you with a clean bowl, but also uses a lot less water, you should consider a pressure-assisted toilet.
This is because a pressure-assisted toilet is a separate tank that is responsible for holding water under a certain amount of pressure. When you go to flush, this will cause a greater velocity to remove any waste in the bowl.
However, It’s important that you know that pressure-assisted toilets are a lot more expensive than other available models. Plus, you’ll find that they’re a lot noisier with their flesh than other models. Also, you’ll also find that parts and replacements for a pressure-assisted toilet are a lot more difficult to find.
Take a look at dual flush toilets
A dual flush toilet will use a certain amount of liquid for liquids and solids. You can find a dual flush toilet in both pressure-assisted toilet models and gravity assisted models.
A dual-flush toilet is a lot more expensive than any other type of model on the market. Also, there aren’t as many style options and color options available if you’re looking for a very specific appearance for your toilet. However, this is another great option to consider if you’re looking to save water with your flushing habits.
Best tips for buying a toilet
When you’re going to replace a toilet, make sure that you are not investing in a cheap model, but you’ll need to replace it again in a few years. That’s why it’s important for you to consider a few factors before purchasing a brand new model. Below, we’ve got a collection of the best tips before buying a new toilet:
Look at the drain location
The first thing you need to do before you go out to purchase a new toilet is locating the drain. You’ll also need to take a measurement in the wall, to the center of where the bolts are at the base of your current toilet. Doing this will give you a rough idea of the measurement for your drain location.
For the majority of toilets, your measurement should be around 12 in. This is because this is the standard rough-in distance. The majority of people as they can purchase at a home improvement store will fit the drain but will have an estimated 1-inch difference for the standard rough-in.
This means that if you find that your measurements are between 11 and 2:13 in, you’ll be okay with purchasing a standard toilet.
However, if the distance from the wall to your both are 10 inches or 14 in, you’ll have to purchase a toilet that has a specified rough-in distance. You should be able to find this type of toilet at a plumbing supply store or a specialty order through your local hardware store.
Consider pricing
Before you contemplate any specific features that you want out of the toilet, make sure you understand your budget. There’s a huge difference in pricing for toilet models. The more features a toilet has to offer, such as heated seats or bidet, the more expensive the toilet model will get.
Shape of bowl
There are two main types of bowl shapes that you’ll find in the market. This is a round front bowl and an elongated bowl.
An elongated bowl has a larger seat and comes with more available options. Keep in mind that an elongated bowl will take up more space, so you should only choose if you have plenty of room in your bathroom for this toilet type. As a good rule of measurement, and an elongated toilet will take up to 2 inches or more in the front than a round toilet. This is why it’s important for you to properly measure before you go out and purchase a brand new toilet.
Look at the design
There are three main designs that you’ll find a toilet to be made out of. This is a two-piece, a wall mount, or a one piece.
The one-piece toilet is a lot more expensive than other models, but they’re a lot easier to clean than offering a more modernized appearance in a bathroom. On the other hand, two-piece toilets are most commonly found and offer the most competitive pricing. Also, two-piece toilets will offer you the most options available when you’re looking to purchase a toilet.
Also, wall mount toilets aren’t widespread. However, they’ll be used to replace other toilet models available because of a differing rough-in. Keep in mind that they’re a lot more expensive than all other model options available. However, they’re easy to keep clean.
Height of toilet
When shopping around for a new toilet, you also need to consider the toilet height. Many brands are taking to marketing the toilets at a comfortable height, which is misleading. This is because a comfortable height is the same height required for the American Disabilities Act handicap height. Basically, the American Disabilities Act requires public toilets to be 17in from the top of the seat to the floor.
The standard height of the toilet is 15 inches from the top of the seat to the ground. However, increasing the distance and height from the seat to the floor makes it a lot easier for people to get on and off the toilet. While the standard 15 in is still good for most people, the height difference really boils down to a personal preference.
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FAQs
Question: How do I know what size toilet to buy?
Answer: For you to choose the right sized toilet, you’ll need to start by measuring the bolts. You’ll need to measure to the center of the bolts located at the back of a toilet. This number is what’s referred to as a rough-in measurement.
Keep in mind that your average toilet will only measure between 11 inches or 13 inches. Also, make sure to write this number down when you go shopping for your toilet. This number will let you know what size toilet you need to purchase.
Question: Is installing a toilet difficult?
Answer: Installing a toilet is a large project, but it isn’t as difficult as many people may believe it to be. One of the hardest parts of installing a new toilet is the removal of the old toilet. However, many online tutorials easily break down how to remove an old toilet and install a new one.
But, even without plumbing experience, it’s possible for you to install a new toilet by yourself!
Question: What is the lifespan of a toilet?
Answer: The average lifespan of a toilet is between ten to fifteen years. However, if you don’t properly care for your toilet, it won’t last as long. Ensuring that you stay on top of proper toilet maintenance will help ensure that your toilet lasts for as many years as possible.
Learning how to find the best toilet
By understanding how to choose the right toilet for your personal preferences, budget, and bathroom style, you can find the best toilet for you. However, it would help if you did some of your own research before finalizing any purchase. This is important because doing a little bit of research may help you discover the same model you want but at a cheaper rate.
Do you have any more questions about finding the right toilet for your needs? We’re here to help you! Leave your questions in the comment section below.