If it’s time to buy a new toilet and turn that old one into a planter, but you don’t have a clue where to start… I’m here to help. Working in the plumbing industry for over 25 years and also being married to a plumber, I can be a little bit of a snob when it comes to my plumbing fixtures and where to purchase them; with that being said; If I needed to replace my toilet I would first measure from the wall to the first set of bolts at the base of the toilet, depending on how old your house is, the rough measurement is most likely 12”. Older houses may have a 10” or 14” rough. Once I have that information I would see how much space my current toilet takes up, take that information to the nearest bath showroom and pick out my new toilet. But what if you wanted to just pick a toilet online or go to your area home improvement center. I am going to assume here you have a 12” rough toilet. You need to figure out if you want a one piece or a two piece toilet, a round or elongated toilet, comfort height or standard height and last what kinda flush. What you ask does all that mean, let me try to help you
A one piece toilet integrates tank and bowl into a seamless design that is easy to clean.
A two piece toilet features the traditional design of a separate tank and bowl.
A standard height toilet bowl is about 14-1/2” and is also good for small children.
A comfort height toilet bowl is about 16-1/2”, which is about the height of a chair. Most people find it to be more comfortable and easier on the knees.
An Elongated bowl is about 2″ longer then a round front bowl and provides added room and comfort for adults. Some manufacturers offer a compact elongated bowl, which will enable you to fit an elongated bowl in a tight space.
A round front bowl requires less space, so if space is an issue this is your toilet and tends to be good for small children.
Once you have figured out the type of toilet you want you need to figure out the flush.
Gravity flush, assisted flush, how many flushing options do you want, do you want touchless or even a bidet feature. (Bidet Feature a whole another blog)
A gravity flush toilet is your standard toilet flush.
An assisted flush toilet moves water from the tank to the bowl and out of the trapway using electricity or pressure. I have a pressure assist toilet and it can be a bit loud, commercial toilet sounding and when we first moved into our house my girls where young and refused to flush the toilet because it scared them.
Some toilets offer a dual handle for your water gallons per flush option to save water and money.
Touchless technology allows you to flush your toilet by placing your hand over the senor, thus minimizing the spread of germs around the bathroom.