Believe it or not, there are many choices for toilets these days. So how do you choose?

HEIGHT

The ‘standard’ height for toilets has changed over the years. Not long ago, 15” was considered the standard. Nowadays we have more options. At the MIDLAND DESIGN CENTRE we offer toilets from 15 inches up to 18 inches (from floor to brim of bowl).  The new standard, or what is called the “right height” toilet is 16.5”.  That extra inch and a half can make quite a difference when sitting down or getting up again. Seniors, or those with hip or knee conditions, tend to go for these higher toilets, but the 16.5” size is definitely the new normal. Our best selling toilet is actually the 18” Chelini Cabot toilet (#3274-095).

SHAPE

There’s two shapes to choose from, Elongated or Round. Sometimes it’s a little hard to tell the difference without them being side-by-side, but the Elongated is definitely longer from front to back. The Round option may be more oval than round, but shorter. Elongated is definitely the better selling toilet, especially for new installations, but for those into a renovation, or a smaller bathroom or powder room, the round may be the better option. 

FLUSH

You’ll often see the flush capacity of the toilet measured in litres, i.e. 4.8 litres per flush. This is also called the efficiency of the toilet. The lower the litres,

the more water is saved in the flush.  A high-efficiency toilet saves more water.  Typically, you can find 6.0L, 4.8L or even 3.8L flushes. 

Some toilets offer DUAL-FLUSH. You’ll notice that these have the two buttons on the top of the tank. These offer both the efficient flush and standard flush. This American Standard, for example, offers a 4.1L and 6L flush. Think of it as a Number 1 flush and Number 2 flush!

Although these were very popular when they came out, the trend seems to be going back to single flush toilets with the usual complaint of extra cleaning of the buttons with the dual flush.

TRAP-WAY

The Trap-way, or that twisted area you see under the tank and behind the toilet bowl, can be either exposed, or concealed. The first photo above visibly shows the exposed trap-way, and the second photo has a concealed trap-way. Many find the concealed trap-way easier to clean, but you will pay extra for this feature.

LINED OR UNLINED

Depending on the humidity in your home, you may elect to choose a lined tank on your toilet. An unlined toilet may produce condensation, or “sweat”, on the outside of the toilet tank which can accumulate and drop onto the floor.  You can see if the tank is lined or not by lifting the tank lid and looking for what looks like styrofoam on the inside wall of the tank. Most modern toilets are lined, but there are some that are not. Worth checking if your current toilet sweats!

MaP

Another important spec to watch out for is the MaP rating. This is basically the power of the flush, measured in grams (g). The higher the grams, the more powerful the flush. Typical ratings are 600, 800 and 1000, with 1000 being the most powerful.  Like height, the standard has moved up with 1000 being the most common today.

These are the most common factors to look for when choosing a toilet. We’re happy to show you the various options and help you decide which toilet best suits your needs.

With over 100 toilets in stock, we likely have the right one for you! Visit the Midland Home Hardware Design Centre today!

#toilets #rightheight #maprating