Choosing your toilet

Although choosing a toilet may seem to be an easy task, there are numerous decisions to be made. From tanks, to bowls to toilet seats, there are more options available than you may have previously imagined.

The first thing you have to consider is if you want a one-piece toilet or a two-piece toilet. While the one-piece toilets are more expensive, they certainly have their advantages.

• First of all, they allow for easier cleaning.
• Also,the one-piece design does not allow for leakage between the tank and the bowl.
• With the two-piece design, the tank and the bowl are purchased separately. You need to be sure that you purchase all necessary parts, as they are not included.
• Keep in mind that the seat does not normally come with the two-piece design.

When considering toilet bowls, you have two basic options; round and elongated.
Round bowls are space saving and have a wider variety of seats available to match your bathrooms décor. Elongated bowls are designed to optimize comfort. You can also watch out for a sanitary bar. This device assures that water does not accumulate beneath the tank toward the back of the bowl.
For the handicapped or the elderly, you will be able to purchase a disability compliant bowl. This is a taller bowl especially designed for easy access and increased comforf.

The u-bend is an important element of the toilet that is often overlooked. The u-bend is the curved tubing found at the sde of the toilet. Larger or glazed u-bends decrease the possibilities of clogging.

By law toilets are required to flush no more than 6 litres of water per flush. While that takes the decision making out of the tank capacity there are other things to consider such as flush valve size, flush levers and flushing systems. The flush valve is located in the centre of the tank. It releases the water with each flush; so the larger the valve the more water is pushed out of the tank. Flush levers are what activate the flush valve. You will need to decide if you want this positioned on the side, front or top of the tank.

There are two pressure systems available. The pressure-assisted flush system means that pressurized air is pushed into the bowl with each flush, thereby reducing the chance of clogging. However this system is expensive and requires higher maintenance not to mention its noise level. The gravity-flush system uses the weight of the water to create pressure when flushing. This system is the more common, the more economical and requires the least amount of maintenance.

Keep in mind that most toilets do not come with seats. Depending upon the shape of your toilet, round or elongated, you will choose a seat to match. There are also a variety of materials available; Oak, Wood composition, Vinyl, Plastic or polypropylene, to name a few.