Tips for choosing toilets
So, the time has come to choose a toilet, and you're looking for some tips on the best way of doing it. Whether you're choosing toilets for your new home, or just want to replace that old, stained, outdated, clanking, unpredictable, nauseating specimen squatting in your bathroom right now, it's a good idea to thoroughly research your different toilet options before making a commitment. Buying a toilet isn't like going on a blind date; you're really committing yourself to something that you'll have intimate contact with every day. Besides that, the function of toilets is to dispel sickening human waste in a clean, efficient manner, and not all toilets are built the same. Not all toilets dispel waste with the same high degree of cleanliness and efficiency. Finally, comfort is a factor when it comes time to choose a new toilet. You don't want your toilet to be some sort of torture device, as it were, that gives you leg cramps and back spasms whenever you sit on it! Let's look at some tips for choosing toilets.
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- Let's start with the obvious; let's begin with what's on everyone's mind when toilet shopping. It's true that low-flow toilets weren't a raging success the moment they were introduced. Low-flow toilets were invented to save water and energy, two vital national resources. Low-flow toilets use less water and less power per flush. What that meant in the old days was, usually it took you two flushes at least to dispose of waste matter, and sometimes more, and sometimes you had some pretty gruesome problems with backup, overflow, etc. However: times have changed, and low-flow technology has improved tremendously since way back when. So don't let that worry you going in; don't let it be a pressure, a constraint.
- Now, when you're choosing a new toilet, you'll become acquainted with terms such as "single flush," "gravity fed," "dual flush," and "pressure assist." These are all different technologies used to flush waste matter down the pipes. The key thing to remember, though, is performance. Performance, performance, performance-that's the key word. Remember, when choosing a new toilet, that all these technologies are in competition with one another; each will claim to be the best; each will have stats and tests and so forth to prove that they're the best; but stats and tests often conflict, and the last thing you want to get caught up in (when choosing a new toilet) is a war between toilet barons. What's the one thing to look for, then, when choosing a new toilet? What's the starting place for choosing a new toilet? That's easy-does the model you're looking at meet the new High Efficiency Toilet (HET) or not. That's one easy thing to remember; the first thing you'll want to ask the salesman.
- HET was arrived at after much time, effort, though, and labor. HET basically is the ideal combination of (1) you saving water and energy (and therefore money, along with the environment), and (2) you having a wonderful toilet experience. In other words, the purpose of HET is to combine the idea or ideal behind the low-flow experiment with the practical needs of consumers. HET doesn't put up with consumers having to flush repeatedly, deal with clogs, etc. HET is a great starting point when choosing your toilet, because you'll be getting the best of both worlds without having to navigate the high complications of the latest in toilet technology.
- That said, feel free to navigate! Some people love navigating the latest in all sorts of technologies.
- Also, when shopping for a new toilet, be sure to ask any questions that this brief essay might have raised in your mind, along with questions you've formed during other research adventures. It sounds silly to say, but treat choosing a new toilet almost the same way you'd treat choosing a new car. That is, be observant, wary, try different places, compare what salesman X says with the utterances of salesman Y.
- When choosing a toilet, remember that higher cost doesn't necessarily imply higher efficiency and performance. Some brands are simply swankier, trendier, have been around a longer time, etc., and therefore can inflate their prices, while their lowlier competitors are offering similar excellent products for less money. There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to find a first-rate toilet for $100 or less.
- Finally, as we mentioned above, when choosing a new toilet you'll want to keep comfort in mind. This means that you'll have to "try out" your toilet before you buy it. Now, common sense will define what we mean by "try out" here. At this stage, you're only experimenting for comfort's sake, not flush power and so forth. You'll want to sit down on the various toilets you're looking at, try different rim shapes, rim materials, toilet heights, etc. A tall person, for example, doesn't want to be crouched down like some sort of primeval forest beast over a little short toilet. A tall person wants a nice, tall toilet for his or her toilet needs. Be sure, then, to "test" your prospective toilet as you would your prospective mattress. Sit down; relax; don't be embarrassed. Remember, you'll be spending quite a bit of time here.
