Talking Toilets: When Should You Replace and What Do You Choose?

A functioning toilet is an essential piece of any home. However, we rarely think twice about it until something catastrophic happens. The team here at Best Plumbing is available to help when that happens. Not just with fixing the issue, but also with providing an upgrade that can last you years to come. Let’s take a look at common signs that your toilet needs replacing and the popular options to consider.

You may need a new toilet if…

1. Your Toilet Uses Too Much Water: Many toilets installed before 1994 use 3.4 gallons per flush, while low-flow models use only 1.6 gallons. These newer toilets are more efficient and use less water, so it’s really a win-win solution.
2. Your Toilet is Chipped or Cracked: If your toilet is showing chips or cracks, it could be leaking water. Even a small leak can lower your toilet’s efficiency and cause moisture damage in your bathroom. You can always call a professional plumber to check for leaks, but if you suspect that your toilet is permanently damaged, it’s probably time for a replacement.
3. Your Toilet is Constantly Clogged: Frequent clogging could be a problem with the toilet itself. Installing a newer and more efficient model will likely resolve the issue and spare you any additional headaches.
4. Your Toilet Keeps Needing Repairs: Many toilet problems can be fixed with a simple trip to the hardware store. However, if you are constantly calling a professional plumber to fix your toilet, then it’s probably time to replace it.

Top-Tier Toilets to Consider

1. Gravity-Feed: The gravity-feed toilet is a very common fixture in modern bathrooms, and perhaps the oldest modern toilet unit around. Water from the toilet tank is released into the bowl at the press of the flush valve, and the water pushes waste downward through the trap-way. With gravity-feed toilets, the circular motion of the flushing water is used to simultaneously clean the bowl.
2. Pressure-Assisted: Pressurized air compels water from the tank into the bowl with great force, creating a loud, abrupt flushing sound. While far more efficient than your standard gravity-feed unit, a pressure-assisted toilet is best suited to large family homes or public restrooms that see a lot of use.
3. Dual-Flush: Dual-flush toilets are a mixture of the above options for an effective, yet environmentally friendly method of waste disposal. With this unit, you have the option of a half-strength flush and a full flush. The half-strength is equivalent to a gravity-feed toilet and is used for liquid waste disposals. The full-strength will dispose waste with the force of a pressure-assisted toilet and is used for solid waste.
4. Waterless: This is an option of increasing popularity on worksites or campsites. These totally dry units collect waste in a receptacle beneath the seat. Waterless toilets range in quality, with the latest and best unit featuring an electric-powered, odorless disposal system with double-bagging technology for easy switch-outs.

For all questions or concerns regarding plumbing problems and system installations, give Best Plumbing a call at (206) 633-1700.

Photo Credit: © Graham and Sheila