How to choose a toilet?

How to navigate the variety of sanitary products and choose the toilet that fits perfectly into the interior of your bathroom.

By the choice of the toilet all are different. Some people see in it only a utilitarian item for everyday use, others want the functionality and aesthetic appearance to be combined in the chosen product. The choice of toilet bowls in plumbing stores is very extensive. They differ in color, shape, arrangement of drain mechanisms and, most importantly, in price. For the average buyer, the domestic toilet for about $ 100 is no different from the European sample at the price of 300-400 euros. How to choose the toilet, what to look for in order to purchase the best appliance in its price category?

 

Design features

Sewerage connection. The first thing you need to pay attention to when choosing a toilet bowl is a way to connect to the sewer riser. In the back of the device there is an outlet-nozzle, which can be positioned vertically (the output hole “looks” into the floor), horizontally or at an angle of 45 degrees. For most apartment buildings suitable oblique toilet bowl (or with horizontal). Devices with vertical release are suitable only for private homes and for some apartment buildings of Stalin-built.

Water connection to the tank. In the majority of cheap domestic models lateral water connection is provided. The armature is located at the top of the tank, so as long as toilet bowl do not fill, we hear the sound of pouring water. It is preferable to choose models with the so-called "silent" filling tank, in which water is supplied from the bottom. Here are possible options.

In some imported toilet bowls, an opening for fittings is located at the collection, but a set is supplied with a nozzle through which water is drained to the bottom of the tank. The second option - the hole for the water supply is located below. There are also models for a universal connection with two holes - the side and bottom. In this case, after installing the toilet, the unused hole is closed with a special plug.

Method of draining water. Most modern models of toilet bowls are equipped with push buttons for draining water. And only among cheap domestic devices can sometimes be found exhaust mechanisms with a handle-rod, which you need to pull up. Practically all imported toilets are equipped with a dual-mode drain mechanism. In economy mode, half of the water volume is discharged; in the full drain mode, the entire tank is emptied. With today's constantly growing prices for water supply, a double-flush toilet bowl is the best choice.

Bowl shape and flushing flow. At hit of a stream of water in a water lock of a toilet bowl in some cases there is a splash of water. In this case, splashes of not very clear water can get on the buttocks of a person sitting on the toilet. How to choose a toilet without splashing? To prevent a splash effect, some manufacturers make a ceramic ledge with a notch in the bowl that redistributes the water flow. This design is not very successful. First, water is retained in the recess and an untidy rim of rust and lime is constantly forming around it. In addition, on the "shelf" lingers the entire amount of feces. And in order to wash them will need a large amount of water under strong pressure. So what about the economical discharge and speech can not be.

Toilets without the "shelf" with an inclined inner surface of the bowl is much more convenient to use. In this case, most of the feces immediately falls into the water.This prevents the spread of unpleasant odors, and a small amount of water is needed to wash the bowl. Manufacturers solve a problem of splash in such toilet bowls differently. For example, design a bowl shape so that the spray of water just does not reach the seated person.

To sort out what toilet bowls wash off well, you need to take into account such factors as the organization of the flushing flow. According to this feature, toilet bowls can be divided into two types - with cascade and circular (vortex) discharge of water. In the first case, a continuous stream of water is directed at the center of the bowl, in the second - distributed around the rim of the toilet bowl. With a circular discharge of water, a suction funnel is created, so the impurities are removed more efficiently. Now many leading manufacturers of sanitary ware are focused on the production of toilet bowls with a circular drain.

Installation method

According to the installation method, three groups of toilet bowls can be distinguished - floor, console and auxiliary. Devices for floor installation are the most common in our market. The toilet bowl is floor is attached to the base of the floor with dowels, which are usually supplied complete with the device itself.

The console toilet is mounted on a special metal structure - installation. The installation is installed hidden - it is sewn up with mounting material (plasterboard) and laid with tiles. The installation has a built-in drain tank, so it also turns out to be behind the backplate. On the front surface of the wall displays only a button to drain the water.

WC can be supplied in the form of a compact (a device that combines the bowl and tank), and with a separate tank. In the second case, flush-mounted cisterns are used (as for console toilet bowls).

It cannot be said that one of the presented types of toilet bowls has an advantage over other structures. When choosing here it is necessary to focus on the design decisions of a particular bathroom, especially the configuration of the room and personal preferences.

Quality casting

In everyday life, we call the material from which the bowl and toilet cistern is made, "faience". In fact, the toilet can be made from earthenware and porcelain. Which toilet is better to buy - porcelain or earthenware? Theoretically, sanitary porcelain is denser and less porous material than faience. But in practice, this feature does not greatly affect the performance of the device. After all, outside the casting is covered with a thick layer of enamel, and the material itself is not in contact with the aqueous medium. So "porcelain toilet" - rather, the marketing ploy of some companies. After all, we traditionally perceive porcelain as a material of higher quality and elite.

 

When choosing a toilet bowl, it is better to focus your attention not on the material from which the casting is made, but on its quality. First of all, it is necessary to estimate the geometry of the part that will be adjacent to the construction base. In the toilet toilets is the lower part of the "legs" in the console devices - the side plane, which is adjacent to the wall. The surface of these parts should be perfectly flat, without sagging and “humps”. Otherwise, after installing the device, an ugly, uneven gap will appear between it and the base, and the device itself may be unsteady under load.

The second indicator of quality - the appearance of enamel. It should be smooth, shiny, without scuffs, scratches, dark patches and other defects. Some manufacturers produce sanitary ware (including toilet bowls) with a special anti-drip coating. Water drops instantly roll off such a coating and after a short time after use, the inside surface of the device becomes almost dry. This type of coating is preferable from the point of view of hygiene, and in terms of care for the toilet. Harmful microorganisms do not breed on dry surfaces.And since water does not stay on the coating for a long time, there is practically no rust and sediment of lime salts on it.

Accessories and technical improvements

Most manufacturers equip toilets with accessories such as seats. The seats can vary in price, depending on the quality of the plastic from which they are made. The so-called "hard" seats are made of durable low-porous plastic. As a rule, hinges and fasteners made of special steel alloys are installed on such seats, and the cover is provided with mechanisms that ensure its smooth lowering. In advertisements on sites you can sometimes find such a position as toilet with microlift. This is not quite the correct definition, which denotes the mechanism of the smooth lowering of the cover.

Cheap toilet seats are equipped with semi-rigid seats made of softer plastic. The fasteners and hinges on these seats are also plastic. Accordingly, the life of the semi-rigid seats is not too long, the plastic quickly wears out and scratches.

A toilet that displays urine analysis data on an electronic scoreboard can hardly be called a novelty. This model was developed in Japan more than twenty years ago. But, all the same, such a “miracle of technology” can be found only at specialized exhibitions. More affordable for the average consumer is bidet toilet. Warm water is fed into a special retractable faucet, which is placed in the toilet bowl. The temperature of the water can be set in advance using a thermostat. After water procedures, the drying function is activated. There are also models of toilet bowls with a self-cleaning function, which, after each visit, process the bowl with a disinfectant or detergent. Of course, such toilets are not always found in the free market. They need to be ordered from the supplier in advance, taking into account the fact that, depending on the manufacturer, the delivery time may be from 1 to 2 months.

 

Unusual toilet bowls

 

Some public institutions still use built-in toilet floor type "Persian bowl". But the fact that for our country is an exotic or "relic of the Soviet past," the absolute norm for Muslim countries. Due to religious traditions, Muslims are prohibited from using paper for hygienic procedures (so as not to defile their hands by touching “unclean places”). And on the Persian bowl, you can easily use a hygienic shower (although now many people install a hygienic shower and next to the usual toilet).

Ordinary white ceramic toilet bowls for the uninitiated viewer are all “on one person”. But designer models can’t be called monotonous. Here you can find equipment with a metallic coating, toilets, completely made of stainless steel, porcelain bowls, covered with hand-painted, gilding and embossed decorations. Of course, toilet bowl selection From the elite categories it is better to entrust the professional designer.