You may not realize it but one of the most important areas in your living space is the toilet. A bath that comes with a strong flushing toilet is essential for hygiene since it is where you, of course, are supposed to get rid of your waste. It’s really never a pleasant experience to see leftover waste in a toilet bowl. Rather, you would definitely want to see everything gone after one flush.
Flushes aren’t that simple though. Choosing a flushing toilet that’s meant for you involves some planning and a bit of knowledge in order for you to come up with the right choice.
There are different kinds of flushing systems that you need to know about. They operate in different ways and how strong they flush really depends on what type of mechanism they have.
Type of flushing systems
There are basically four different kinds of flushing systems that can be easily found in the market.
1. Gravity flushes
Gravity flushes are the most common types of flushing systems. These are also the most widely used flushing systems in households. In order for these to work, pressure created by water stored in a water tank is needed. The stored water makes use of gravity to produce the needed pressure which, in turn, empties the bowl of waste products that are led straight into a trap way.
Gravity flushes, despite being one of the oldest types of flushing technology available, are quite efficient. They also are one of the easiest to maintain.
2. Pressure-assisted flushes
Pressure-assisted flushes are basically gravity flushes but with extra flushing power. Pressure also comes from inside a water tank, just like the gravity flush. Air, however, is added into the tank as well resulting in stronger pressure and flushing power.
Earlier versions of these kinds of toilets used to be quite hard to maintain. Advancements in technology though have paved the way for much better designs and easier maintenance.
There is a downside to pressure-assisted toilets though. Flushing these toilets create a lot of noise due to the great amount of pressure that is used at every flush. This, however, shows how much power goes into every flush! With more improvements to come, it won’t be surprising if this kind of toilet gains popularity in the future.
3. The double cyclone by Toto
The Toto brand is a trusted one in the industry. It is a brand known for delivering quality and new technology when it comes to toilets.
The double cyclone technology, which Toto developed, delivers flushing power while keeping water usage at a minimum.
A toilet usually uses around 1.6 gallons of water for flushing. With the double cyclone technology, water usage goes down to around1.28 gallons per flush. That means a lot of savings in terms of water usage. Besides using a combination of both gravity and pressure to produce a powerful flush, this technology makes use of nozzles instead of the usual rim holes in ordinary toilet bowls. A propulsion system directs water into a siphon which results in a better flush.
4. Dual flush
Dual flushes are great when it comes to decreased water usage. Dual flushes give you the option of using either a partial or full flush depending on the type of waste that needs to be disposed. “The partial flush uses as little as a gallon of water, while the full flush uses the usual 1.6 gallons of water like any common flushing system.
Because of environmental concerns, dual flushes have slowly gained popularity.
Flushing toilets may offer some variations, but their mechanism is basically the same since they all rely on gravity. Gravity is what forces the water from a tank into the bowl. It is the amount of pressure created that pushes the waste from the bowl into the drains.
Modification to this basic mechanism, such as added air pressure, improve and increase the flushing system.
Flushing toilets are installed with a lever that is attached to a valve called a “flapper”. The flapper opens up to an outlet pipe whenever the lever is pulled down. When the outlet pipe opens, water that is stored in the tank starts to enter the toilet bowl. Water goes into the bowl through holes – or in the case of Toto’s Double Cyclone Flush, nozzles – located along the rim of the bowl thus empties the contents of the bowl down the main drain.
A plastic float in the tank moves downward every time the tank gets emptied. This opens the ball valve to allow water to enter the tank in order to fill it up. The float starts to move upward again. Once it reaches a certain level, the ball valve gets shut and water stops flowing into the tank.
What are the things to consider when choosing a flushing toilet?
Before purchasing a new toilet bowl, it is important that you take into consideration certain points in order for you to come up with the right decision.
1. Water Consumption
Normal toilets usually consume 1.6 gallons every single flush. While this may not seem much, if you consider how many times you flush in a single day, this among may end up being a lot, especially if your home is one with many occupants in it. In this case, you may want to consider other options such as high-efficiency toilets (HET) and ultra-high efficiency toilets (UHET). These kinds of toilets use as little as one gallon per flush. You may also want to consider using dual flush toilets so you have the option of using partial or full flushes.
2. Check the configuration needed for your bathroom
There are several kinds of configurations available for toilets these days. Toilets may come as on-piece toilets or they may come in one unit but with the tank separate from the bowl.
Toilet seats may also come in different shapes. There are the round-front seats and there are the elongated kinds as well.
One more thing to consider when it comes to configuration is rim height. Think about who will be using the toilet. Consider the age of the users since elderly people may need toilets with lowered rim heights. The same can be said for children as well. For taller people, you may want to consider a toilet with a higher rim height.
3. Consider your bathroom size and rough-in area
Taking measurements of the bathroom size is one of the first things you should be doing before making a final choice. Even more important is the rough-in area. This is actually the space that you should leave which is found between the wall and the actual unit. For bolted toilets, make sure that you have at least 12” of rough-in area, unless the toilet you plan to buy recommends anything less than 12”.
4. Choose the correct type of flushing mechanism
When you’re done figuring out the type of toilet you plan to buy, then you can start considering the flushing mechanism that you feel will work out for you.
If you’re working on a budget, gravity toilets turn out to be the best alternative. These are easily affordable but still quite functional.
If you want something that is a bit more sophisticated, go for the double cyclone flush by TOTO.
If you plan to contribute to efforts which aim to save the environment, go for a doal flush.
5. Bathroom design
Although this may seem like a minor matter, do not forget to consider the theme and color of your bathroom, make sure that the toilet you plan to buy matches your bathroom’s design and color scheme so that it blends well with the overall theme.
So maybe you’re not into changing your toilet just yet?
Just in case you don’t have the budget to buy a new toilet, there are ways by which you can actually improve the strength of your toilet’s flush. A drain snake is a reliable tool that you can use to unclog your toilet’s drain. Sometimes, objects may clog your toilet’s drainage without you realizing it. A snake drain can help you clear your toilet of those unwanted clogs in order to improve its flushing power.
There are also times when the problem isn’t with the toilet but rather with the float assembly. Wear and tear may cause minor damage to this assembly so replacing this can also improve your toilet’s flush. The holes located around the rim may also have some minor clogs which may affect the flushing system of the toilet. These clogs may decrease the pressure needed to produce a good flush resulting in weaker flushing power. Clean and unclog these holes in order to improve your toilet’s flush.
Choosing a toilet with a good flush really depends on your personal preference. There are many factors which you’ll have to consider in order to have a toilet which can efficiently flush. Make sure that you consider all of these so you won’t end up with a major disappointment.
