Find the toilet that best suits your needs and your bathroom. Photo credit: Linda N.
Choosing a new throne for a bathroom is not as simple as taking the "white one." Most of the toilets you've seen and used are probably very similar in function, yet there are many idiosyncrasies that differentiate one toilet -- say, a Kohler -- from another -- a Briggs. Most of these differences exist only in design, and perhaps certain luxury functions like bidets or seat warmers. Still, there is more than one way to flush a toilet, and this should be your first stop on your way to choosing a new toilet.
How Does It Flush?
The vast majority of toilets flush gravity-style. That is, they utilize the force of gravity and a siphon to pull water into the bowl and subsequently push waste through the trap and into the sewer line. When you flush the toilet you are actually opening a valve, which lets tank water rush into the bowl. The pressure of that water trying to run down the drain creates a siphoning effect which enables gravity to pull wastewater up and over the trap. At the same time the tank is being refilled through the fill valve.
It is important to note that before 1994 most toilets used at least 3.5 gallons of water per flush. Now, due to water conservation laws, toilets may use only 1.6 gallons per flush. This has led to a lot of frustration for homeowners who were used to throwing more than a few balls of toilet paper down the toilet.
Read the full article in the CalFinder Remodeling and Home Solar Power Magazine
