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Toilets - Know Before You Buy
(also known as: Water Closet, Loo, John)

A toilet is a plumbing fixture that collects human waste and removes it through pipes into a sewer system or septic tank.
A typical toilet consists of a bowl and tank, both of which are filled with water.
The bowl serves as a receptacle for waste, and the tank holds the water used to flush the waste out of the bowl.
In addition, the water in the bowl helps to keep dangerous sewer gases from entering the house through the trap.

Water should be in the bottom of the toilet bowl at all times.


Toilets like all plumbing fixtures and fixture fittings, require water supplied in sufficient volume and at pressures adequate to enable them to function properly.
Most codes establish the minimum size of the water supply system and require a minimum of 15- to 20-psi flowing pressure at the toilet water supply inlet.

In areas where the water pressure is low, it may be necessary to increase water supply sizes and/or incorporate a pressure booster system. Be sure to consult with a plumbing contractor to determine if the toilet you select will operate properly with the available pressure.

The standard distance from the finished wall to the center line (point where the bowl connects to the floor) for most toilets today is 12 inches.

However, depending on your plans, this distance may vary from 10 to 14 inches (which is the same rough-in measurements for older toilets). You should know this dimension before you shop.

Most home centers carry toilets with 12-inch rough in; if you need something else you’ll have to specify. If you bring in your plans, our sales personnel can determine this for you.



Choosing a Toilet
Until recently, the decision on which toilet to purchase was based primarily on style, and with good reason. There wasn’t much difference from one toilet to the next.

Toilets not only looked pretty much alike, but they all worked with the same functionality and quality, and the mechanical design had not changed much since the 1800’s.

That is still true of the basic builder-grade models, but technology has brought about vast improvements in the design of upgrade units.

Water Conservation
According to a recent Water Conservation Study, the average person flushes the toilet 5 times a day.

Those 5 flushes per person may not seem like much until you realize that each person flushing an older 3.5 - 7 gallons per flush (gpf) toilet, uses 6,400-12,800 gallons/year.

As a water-conservation measure, the U.S. National Energy Policy Act of 1992 eliminated the standard 3.5 gallon flush and mandated a new standard of 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf)/6 liters per flush (lpf) maximum in all new toilets.

Since 1994, all toilets sold in the U.S. use 1.6 gallons per flush, or less. Replacing old toilets with newer models in your home will save up to $50 to $125 and up to 10,500 gallons each year, depending on utility rates and usage habits.