How to choose a good quality toilet
A toilet bowl is an essential attribute of plumbing in any modern bathroom. The first models of toilets were made in the troubled times of the Middle Ages, mainly to satisfy the natural needs of the then nobility and people with a very large income. Today, almost everyone can afford to buy a new toilet. However, most of us, going to a plumbing shop, as a rule, ask a logical question: how to choose a good quality toilet bowl, and even the price so that it is not too high, this will be discussed later
Content:
- Determine the purchase budget
- Determine the method of mounting the toilet
- Choose a toilet bowl
- Toilet flushing systems
- How to choose a toilet without splashes - anti-splash system, how to determine its presence when buying a toilet
- How to determine which sewer outlet is needed?
- Ways of fastening the drain tank
- Determined with the material of manufacture
- Know-how in the world of plumbing or a little about “smart” toilets
- Video: How to choose a toilet? Which is better to buy?
Determine the purchase budget
The cost of the toilet varies depending on its type, type of bowl, the material from which it is made, any specific parts in a particular design, but the trend is that the total cost of plumbing is determined depending on the country of manufacture. For example, a ceramic toilet in different countries will cost differently. Customs duties, technological and raw materials of a certain country, and, of course, product quality, influence pricing.
Conventionally, toilet bowls on sale can be divided into three price classes:
- A budget option;
- Plumbing mid-price segment;
- Expensive luxury plumbing.
A budget option
Almost 80% of domestic products manufactured on an industrial scale can be attributed to budget toilets. It cannot be said unequivocally that all the toilet bowls of Russian production are of poor quality. No, mainly low cost is determined by the absence of duties and transportation costs. In general, the quality of domestic products is quite tolerable, and if we are talking about a foreign company that has a production branch in our country, then in this case, it is sometimes possible to buy a very good quality toilet bowl at almost our Russian prices.
Also quite often, toilets made in China belong to budget plumbing. These guys like to make products of medium quality, but they don’t especially lift the price. If we are talking about installing a toilet in an office, medical or educational institution, then the purchase of budget plumbing will be the best option.
Plumbing mid-price segment
Plumbing in the middle price segment on the Russian market is represented mainly by manufacturers from countries such as Finland, the Czech Republic or Poland. A very small proportion of toilet bowls at average market prices are imported from Turkey and Spain. As a rule, the cost of toilets imported from these countries varies between 150-250 US dollars. However, among Spanish products, you can sometimes find models of toilets, the price of which can exceed 400 dollars.
Luxury luxury plumbing
Toilets, which can rightfully be called luxury luxury sanitary ware, are imported into our country mainly from Germany, Austria and Sweden. These countries have long established themselves as manufacturers of quality sanitary ware. On average, the price of a toilet, for example, from Germany ranges from 300-550 dollars. Of course, much still depends on which toilet to choose which company, because, as you know, the company is different.
Determine the method of mounting the toilet
Since we are mainly talking about how to choose a toilet for the house, then, in fact, the plumbing itself should be selected based on the planning possibilities and the area of the bathroom.
The most common toilet models:
- Floor standing;
- Outboard.
Floor toilets are a classic
The leg, fixed at a certain place, mounted on the base, smoothly passes into the expanded bowl. Installation of the base to the screed is carried out using anchor bolts and clamping nuts. Often you can find on sale models in which the kit includes a side skirt that can fully cover the lower base of the toilet. This skirt successfully protects the lower base of plumbing from premature contamination, that is, it is much easier to wet the outside of the toilet.
The floor-mounted toilet fits well with a separate bathroom or, if the toilet is combined with the bathroom, the total area of the room exceeds 6 square meters. m
Another option for a floor toilet is a device that can be installed in a corner.
Corner toilets have a special shape of the tank and the back of the bowl, which allows them to be installed in the corner of the room.
In all other cases, if the area of the bathroom is small, then in order to save space, it is optimal to choose a hanging toilet.
Wall hung toilets
In hanging toilets there is no leg at all - the base and, moreover, when installing them, the toilet can be mounted as close as possible to the wall.
The toilet is mounted on the wall plane due to the metal frame integrated into the wall thickness, which is fixed using special anchors or welding.
In addition to floor and wall-mounted toilets, much less often on sale can be found attached toilets. A flush toilet, figuratively speaking, is a hybrid of a floor and hanging toilet. That is, the plumbing has a base mounted on the floor surface, but the toilet itself is installed close to the rear wall. In this case, the drain tank is located in the thickness of the wall. Why this type of toilet is less popular is difficult to explain. Most likely, it's just a matter of habit.
Choose a toilet bowl
Toilet bowls come in the following forms:
Funnel-shaped
Dish-shaped
Visors
Funnel bowl
In the funnel-shaped bowl, the drain hole is located almost in the center. As a rule, most of the sewage immediately goes to the drain, and when the water is drained in the drain tank, the remaining sewage on the surface is washed off completely. It is safe to advise to buy a toilet bowl with a funnel-shaped bowl to all those who are puzzled by the question of how to choose the right toilet bowl without spray, so that you do not regret it later. The spray will not be absolutely, yes, and besides, there is practically no need to use an additional brush.
Dish bowl
The dish-shaped bowl is characterized by the fact that the drain hole is slightly shifted forward, and there is a small depression in the path of water flowing from the drain valve to the drain. During operation, all human vital products initially do not fall into the drain, but into a plate-shaped depression, from where they are subsequently washed under the pressure of deflated water in the tank. When installing a toilet bowl with a dish bowl, it is often necessary to additionally adjust the operation of the drain tank and adjust the volume of water supplied for flushing. The thing is that in a dish bowl with excessive pressure, turbulences in the water stream can occur, which, in fact, can lead to splashes.
Visor bowl
In the visor toilet bowl, the drainage hole is also approximately forward. However, in the place where the recess is located in the dish-shaped bowl, on the contrary, in the visor-shaped bowl there is a small protruding radius bend.During operation, most of the sewage slides along the wall of the bowl directly into the drain, and the remaining residues are washed out by the pressure of water. Toilets with a visor bowl, as well as with a funnel-shaped, very rarely spray water.
Toilet flushing systems
In modern models of toilet bowls, sewage is flushed in two ways:
- Direct flush;
- Back circular flush.
Direct flush
The direct flush system is characterized by the fact that water moves almost in a straight path from the drain hole of the tank along the wall of the bowl to the drain. Due to the direct trajectory of the water stream, direct discharge is also called cascading or horizontal.
In principle, this flush system was implemented in almost all models of toilets manufactured during the Soviet era.
+ The advantage of a direct drain - in one go, having lowered a powerful stream of water, you can wash away all sewage located in the center of the bowl.
- The disadvantage of direct drainage - during the descent, the water flow does not grab or slightly wash the inner surfaces of the bowl, as a result, it is necessary to use a brush.
Circular flush
A reverse circular flush, or as it is also called a ring or shower system, is fundamentally different from the above flush. In the shower system, water does not flow in a straight trajectory, but when the tank is lowered, the head moves along a kind of annular groove and flows uniformly over the entire area of the bowl.
+ The advantage of the reverse circular system is that there is practically no noise and, during flushing, uniform washing of the entire surface of the bowl occurs.
- Disadvantages of the circular system - plumbing, which implements this system, is much more expensive than direct flush toilets.
There is also a great risk that, after several years, the drain holes located in the gutter under the rim may become clogged due to salt deposits.
When wondering how to choose a toilet so that it flushes well, as a rule, you have to choose from two evils. In the first case, plumbing will be cheaper, but sometimes it will be necessary to resort to the help of a brush. In the second case, plumbing will cost more, but the toilet will always be clean and tidy.
How to choose a toilet without splashes - anti-splash system, how to determine its presence when buying a toilet
The system is designed to compensate for splashes during operation of the toilet. It should be noted that the markings of many toilets indicate the presence of such an option, but in practice it is not worth trusting manufacturers' advertising tricks. You can make the right choice yourself, having studied how the system works and what it consists of.
Some consultants in plumbing stores are trying to tell the client that the anti-splash is an inclined wall on the inside of the device, on which water flows slowly, thereby not forming splashes. Such an explanation cannot be real and suggests that either the seller is illiterate or trying to sell a product that does not have an anti-splash system.
The anti-splash in the toilet is a drain hole made in a special geometric shape, which is narrowed and recessed to the bottom of the toilet. In addition, the hole is offset relative to the axis of symmetry to one of the sides, and the water column level in the hole is significantly reduced. In addition, a circular rim is designed along its contour, performing additional compensation functions.
The photo shows the anti-splash system in all its “glory”.
Having looked closely and corrected for optical distortions caused by water in the photo, you can determine that the drain hole is very narrow, and the water level is unusually low.
How to calculate the height of the water column in the drain hole while in the store
Considering the option to buy, you need to determine the level of water in the unconnected product, which, as you know, should be the lowest. This skill is useful for choosing a high-quality toilet with an anti-splash system.
From the course of physics it is known that according to the law of communicating vessels, the level in the toilet will be determined by the lower point of the outlet located on the back side.
To determine the water level, it is enough to mentally draw a line parallel to the floor through the lower point of the toilet outlet and determine the column of water in the drain hole by the level of this line.
Anti-splash criteria for any shape, size, color of the toilet bowl are the same. Taking them as a basis, you can be sure that the selected toilet will meet the desires and bring only pleasure.
How to determine which sewer outlet is needed?
It must be said right away that any of the indicated types of sewer outlet does not have any disadvantages or advantages. Plumbing manufacturers are specially developing models with different releases in order to facilitate the installation and connection of the toilet to the sewer system. That is, going to the store to buy a new toilet, it is imperative to visually inspect the location of the sewer pipe and its socket in the bathroom. Based on how the socket is located - the entrance to the sewer pipe, a toilet with a certain type of discharge is selected.
Toilet models come with three types of sewer discharge:
Oblique release
Models with an oblique outlet - set if the bell is either sloped or very close to the floor surface. For example, after dismantling the old toilet, a screed was made, possibly even with a warm floor or insulation, as a result, the entrance to the sewer began to be located only a few centimeters above the genital base.
Horizontal release
Models with a horizontal outlet - they are bought if the socket located on the riser is raised 5-10 cm above the floor in the bathroom. Or in those cases when the sewer pipe is located in the thickness of the screed and the L-shaped tower rises above the floor input bell.
Vertical release
Models with vertical release. Since it is necessary to choose a toilet in a specific room with existing communications, there are times when the sewage system runs horizontally under the screed, and the socket itself is not located near the wall itself, but advanced forward, for example, 40-60 cm. In this case, you can install a toilet with a vertical outlet in the place where the entrance to the sewer is located, and connect the horizontal outlet and socket with a short corrugated cuff.
Ways of fastening the drain tank
A flush tank connected to the toilet can be joint — mounted on the rear shelf of the sanitary ware, or separate — located separately from the toilet on the wall plane or installed directly in the wall thickness.
A joint way to mount a tank is a classic option when all the plumbing is a single unit. Installing such a tank is simpler, easier, and cheaper. The tank is mounted on the rear shelf of the toilet using two bronze or stainless bolts using rubber gaskets.
This mounting method is good in that, if necessary, the drain tank can be replaced quickly enough with a new one due to simple installation.
A separate drain tank is a good solution for bathrooms with a small area. If you buy a toilet without a rear shelf, for example, hanging or attached, then the toilet itself, located close to the wall, will occupy less usable space. The tank itself can be placed on the wall surface under the ceiling itself or additional concrete cutting can be made and the tank installed in the rear load-bearing wall (or a false wall can be built). I must say that if you install a drain tank on the wall, you can get another advantage - a more powerful pressure of water in the bowl. This can contribute to both saving water and improving the hygiene of the toilet.
To mount such a toilet bowl and its tank, an installation is used, which is fixed in the wall.
Determined with the material of manufacture
On the windows of plumbing shops you can find toilets from the following materials:
- Faience;
- China;
- Steel;
- Cast iron;
- Decorative rock;
- Plastic.
Consider the main nuances of each specified material.
Earthenware toilets
Toilet bowls made of earthenware are the cheapest and most popular. Faience is a type of white ceramic with a finely porous structure. To reduce the hygroscopicity of the material, that is, so that the porous material does not slightly absorb moisture, the surface of the faience is coated with special enamel. Enamel color can be white, beige, turquoise, yellowish - this does not affect the technical indicators. The lack of earthenware toilets boils down to the fact that in the course of many years of operation, protective glazed enamel can wear out under certain mechanical influences. When enamel is abraded, moisture begins to be absorbed abundantly into the finely porous faience structure, which leads to a general decrease in the strength of plumbing. Simply put, the toilet may burst under the weight of an obese person. However, do not be afraid right away, the toilet from earthenware is able to honestly serve its 10-15 years.
Porcelain toilets
Porcelain used for the manufacture of plumbing, as well as faience, is made from white grades of clay. However, in the production process, quartz and feldspar are additionally added to the varieties of white clay, which, under the influence of a certain temperature, allows one to obtain a material less porous and more durable than faience. Porcelain toilets are also coated with enamel, but its abrasion is much slower. If, over the course of many years of operation, the enamel was slightly erased, as a rule, due to the high strength and low hygroscopicity of porcelain, this does not lead to the destruction of plumbing. The price of porcelain toilets is on average 30-50% higher than the cost of sanitary ware from faience. The approximate life of 20-25 years.
Steel toilets
As a material for the manufacture of this plumbing, stainless steel is used, which a priori is not able to absorb moisture and various impurities practically do not stick to a smooth surface. Another advantage of steel toilets is their high strength. You can even say - anti-vandal strength, which makes the use of steel toilets very popular in public crowded places. The warranty period is almost unlimited, but the price of this hygiene item is usually higher than the cost of even porcelain toilets.
Cast iron toilets
Cast iron toilets in the assortment of plumbing shops are relatively rare. This is due to their low popularity. They have a lot of weight, bulkiness and a relatively short life. Although cast iron is protected from rust and corrosion by the enamel applied to its surface, cast iron is non-ferrous metal. Typically, these toilets are used in public places with a small number of people.
Marble and Artificial Stone
Toilet bowls made from decorative varieties of marble or artificial stone - this is the perfect solution for true connoisseurs of such styles in the interior as baroque, empire or classicism. Of course, this piece of plumbing is more expensive than all the above types, but in addition to the unique design and decoration, marble toilets have such a positive quality as - increased hygiene. The bottom line is that the surface of the marble in the factory is polished to such an extent that its smoothness can only be compared with glass. It is enough to let even the weakest pressure of water flow to drain to wash off all sewage to almost the smallest particles.
Plastic toilets
Plastic toilets are mainly made from acrylic. There are models in which there is a multilayer structure reinforced with fiberglass. They are distinguished by low dead weight, simple installation and low cost.Among the shortcomings can be identified low product strength, susceptibility to temperature extremes and a relatively short life. They often prefer to buy a toilet bowl made of plastic for installing it in the country.
Know-how in the world of plumbing or a little about “smart” toilets
Progress does not stand still and its leaps and bounds did not go around even such a hygiene item as a toilet. By the concept of “smart toilet” - they understand the integration and introduction of various technical solutions into the general toilet system, which mainly contribute to the comfortable management of natural needs or the maintenance of an adequate sanitary level.
Widely used toilets - bidets. At first, the bidet was greatly appreciated by representatives of Islamic culture. By virtue of religious canons, they do not use paper, but are washed away. However, many enterprising Europeans quickly adopted this method of going to the toilet, due to the fact that it is more hygienic than using paper. In our country, bidets began to be operated relatively recently, but the demand for this type of toilet is constantly growing.
Another popular upgrade is auto wash. A very useful invention, especially for forgetful “citizens” or just for those who are used to being clean.
The heated seat is a useful innovation for the female half of humanity, especially in the winter season. Naturally, heating can be carried out, both in automatic mode - continuously, and to be triggered when you start using the toilet.
