The homeowner's guide to toilet-buying

If you're thinking about renovating your bathroom, chances are the toilet is the last thing that comes to mind as an object of interest. Toilets - and everything that they're used for - are subjects that few people want to deal with, but choosing the right one can make bathroom time more pleasant for everyone in the home.

Before you take the plunge into installing a new toilet in your home, it's wise to take a minute and read up about what kind of toilet would suit you best.

Choose your throne

There is actually a wide variety of styles to choose from when installing a toilet in your home. As an immediate consideration, it's important to invest some money into your toilet, no matter what style you choose.

While you can find cheap toilets, they'll always cost you more in plumbing in the long run than a good quality toilet and professional installation will cost you in the short-term.

• Size and shape. The first things to be aware of are heights and bowl sizes. While most toilet seats are about 17 inches tall, you can get a 19-inch tall seat for a bit of added comfort (or if you have long legs). Toilet bowls are typically either round or elongated - generally, elongated bowls provide a more comfortable experience, but they do take up more space.

• Style. Once you've decided on a height and bowl shape, it's time to choose the style. The most common styles are two-piece toilets - your standard toilet where the tank and seat are separate from one another - and one-piece toilets, in which both the tank and seat are part of the same piece of furniture. While one-piece toilets are sleeker and more modern, they're also more expensive and difficult to transport.

• Type. Other than these options, there are a variety of more niche toilets styles available. These include in-wall toilets, in which the tank is built into the wall behind the toilet. While this is probably the most aesthetically pleasing toilet style, it also tends to be more expensive than others and requires the help of professionals to install.

Understand flushing systems and pressure options

Any good toilet should be capable of flushing down (almost) whatever goes into it. Fortunately, modifications to low-pressure toilet designs over the years have resulted in even the eco-friendliest low-pressure toilets being able to get rid of almost anything that enters the bowl.

Additionally, many eco-friendly low-pressure toilets come with federal rebates, which allows homeowners to save some money on low-impact ones. Two-pressure toilets - which provide options for how much pressure should be allocated to a flush - are also a great way for homeowners to be a little eco-friendlier.o:p>

There are two basic types of flushing systems: gravity-feed and pressure-assisted models. Gravity-feed toilets use gravity to flush and are typically fairly quiet. On the other hand, pressure-assisted models are more capable of flushing down debris and keeping the bowl clean, but they're also oftentimes much louder than gravity-feed models. Choose whichever fits your home and lifestyle best.

AAt the end of the day, it's worth taking some time and researching what type of toilet you want in your home. Resources like Consumer Reports offer comprehensive pressure testing, allowing homeowners to see what toilets will give them the best bang for their buck.

If you're interested in installing a new toilet but don't quite know where to start, why not give our team here at Delta Mechanical a call? For over 30 years, we've been providing high-quality plumbing services to our customers. To learn more about what Delta Mechanical can do for you, click here.