If your toilet clogs often, you’re probably wondering if a better toilet might fix the problem. It might. Toilets are surprisingly complicated machines. Like any machine there are better and worse designs. Here is some information to help you make an educated decision about whether a new toilet will solve your problem.
How does a toilet work?
When you flush your toilet it releases stored water in the tank above the toilet bowl. This water flows through small holes beneath the toilet seat as well as through a larger hole which pushes waste out of the bowl. Here’s a good video that shows how it works:
Better engineering means that water moves more effectively and more powerfully from the reservoir to the bowl. If your toilet is clogging frequently, it is possible that a better engineered toilet will deliver the efficiency to keep your toilet working.
You might also consider using a thinner toilet paper or flushing more often. Often kleenex or other non-toilet paper materials will cause a more difficult clog than toilet-paper. If your toilet is clogging frequently, you might consider avoiding any papers that are not toilet paper (e.g just use toilet paper).
Toilets That Use More or Less Water
Toilets use more water than anything else in your home (source: https://www.epa.gov/watersense/residential-toilets). The federal standard for regular home commodes is 1.6 gallons per flush. However, recent improvements in toilet design has enabled 1.28 gallons of water to do the same or better performance as conventional 1.6 gallon commodes.
The EPA has a “WaterSense” label for toilets that perform better with less water per flush. In some areas your utility company may even give you a discount for using a WaterSense toilet instead of a conventional 1.6 gallon commode.
Should You Buy a High Efficiency Toilet or a Regular Toilet?
According to Consumer Reports “more water flushed sometimes (but not always) mean more complete flushing” (read more here: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/toilets/buying-guide). It’s hard to make generalizations, and good performance really depends on which toilet you choose.
For help choosing a toilets that meet your family’s or business’s needs, call Henry Plumbing at 912-352-9827.