Table Of Contents
Quick Things To Consider
- Make sure your new toilet is around the same size as your old toilet. It would be incredibly awkward if you bought a fancy new toilet and the piping crowds your bathroom.
- Make sure to get a toilet that features the same plumbing as your old toilet. Doing so saves you a lot of time doing toilet plumbing installation and reduces the cost of installing toilet plumbing.
- Think of how comfy you’re going to be sitting on the toilet. Picking a toilet that best suits your height is a great idea. If you’re tall, getting a taller toilet is essential. A short toilet for a tall person is not only comical, but it’s also potentially uncomfortable.
Toilet Traps
S-Trap Or P-Trap?
If you live in an older house and just got the toilet as part of the package, it’s more than likely going to be an S-trap. For starters, it’s highly recommended that you replace an S-trap with a P-trap if you’re able. Why? Well, first, we have to talk about what a trap even is in the context of toilets.
Trap systems are bends in the piping that prevent the odours and gases from your sewage system from reaching your living space. The reason gases such as carbon monoxide, methane, and nitrogen don’t reach your house is thanks to these traps. Without these traps, the gases would diffuse from your toilet and into the rest of the house. It’s not just your indoors smelling bad that you have to worry about when that happens. Sewer gas can be a significant health hazard if left unchecked.
Why P-Trap Is Superior To S-Trap
S-trap toilets are so named because the pipes form an s-shape. The pipes lead directly to the floor, so s-traps are commonly found on ground floors of old buildings. Its structure inherently leaves it flawed. When an S-trap is left unmaintained, it’s more likely to water siphon.
Water siphoning means that the trap evaporates the water that’s supposed to be blocking sewer gases. When a trap gets dry, that means there’s no water to block gases from the sewer from reaching your bathroom. Therefore, S-traps aren’t ideal in new installations, according to most plumbing publications.
With all that said, make sure you replace your S-trap with a P-trap when you can. Hire a professional plumber to do this part for you, as replacing piping is incredibly complicated. Australian law dictates that anything dealing in sewage is supposed to be handled by a licensed plumber. Plus, legality aside, this is way safer than trying to do it yourself.
When you’re thinking of doing a DIY P-trap or S-trap toilet installation, you should call a professional plumber instead. A professional has years of experience that can’t be imitated by googling the knowledge yourself. Instead of figuring out how to fit a toilet, focus your attention on what kind of toilet you already own. Then, decide what your new toilet installation will be.
WELS Rating
Toilets in Australia are ranked under the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards system, or WELS for short. In essence, the rating is there to measure how water-efficient a toilet is. It’s best to consider a toilet’s WELS rating for those looking to be eco-friendlier or want to save some money on utilities. The WELS rating is based on a star system, with six stars being the highest. The more stars a toilet has, the more water-efficient it is. For new homes, a toilet that’s at least four stars is desirable. For existing homes, three stars are okay.
Toilet Types
Close Coupled
Close-coupled toilets are probably the type you’re most familiar with. Thanks to their affordable price and general simplicity of design, close-coupled toilets are a mainstay in many people’s homes. Installation for these will not take up most of your day. Their most distinctive and remarkable feature is that they’re a single unit. The cistern and pan are sold together, which makes it a breeze to install a toilet. Plus, since it is all one “shell”, there are no ugly pipes to worry about.
Back-To-Wall
Back-to-wall toilets are basically close-coupled toilets that are designed to sit flat against the wall. Compact and sleek, they’re great for those who hate empty spaces and cleaning the back of toilets. As it’s a single unit, it keeps the convenience of the close-coupled toilet while retaining the easily accessible cistern.
Wall Faced
Wall-faced pans are where we start getting fancy. Instead of having the cistern attached to the pan, it’s installed within walls or cabinets, making for an incredibly sleek and minimalist toilet design. It’s perfect for contemporary homes.
Wall Hung
Wall-hung pans are the final evolution of the modern toilet. Raised from the floor, they are the ultimate minimalist choice. They make cleaning much easier and your bathroom look more aerodynamic. For a modern home, this is the statement piece you need. Of course, the practical aspect that makes this a perfect choice is that you now have control over the height of your toilet. Instead of looking for a fixed-height toilet, you can adjust the toilet’s height in the installation stage for maximum comfort.
Extra Options
Bidets
For those who have the budget for it, a bidet toilet is a nice thing to consider. Hand-held bidets are suitable for those who like to retain “manual” controls. A built-in bidet is an excellent component for those who have to deal with medical issues such as disabilities or pregnancy.
Seats
Picking a softer seat can be a choice for those who like being comfy in the bathroom. Though this leads to several potential sanitary issues after extended use, replacing toilet seats is pretty easy. So, it’s no big deal.
Rimless
This advanced toilet technology removes the rim altogether in favour of a more efficient flushing mechanism. It sprays water all around the bowl as opposed to shooting down from the rim. That means no more cleaning under that gross rim to get rid of trapped grime. Additionally, the rotatory nature of the flushing ensures the entire bowl is spotlessly clean after every flush.
