We’ve come a long way in toilet technology since the first invention of the flushing toilet in 1596. If you are living in a home with a toilet that you feel might date back to then and are considering an upgrade, you are in for some nice options.
Water Conservation & Flushing
While saving water is important, you still want a toilet that efficiently flushes. With growing concerns over water usage, toilets are being designed to use much less water. The older toilets(pre-1992) can use up to seven gallons per flush (GPF). The federal standard is now 1.6 GPF, but recent technology has reduced that by 20%. To earn the Water Sense stamp of approval, a toilet can’t use more than 1.28 GPF and properly do the job. There are also new dual flush toilets that can lower your water usage even more.
Comfort Counts
You will want to find a comfortable seat that sits just right for the use, some sit low, some high. Nobody wants to feel like they are doing squats while using the toilet. Ease of installation, and the dimension of the toilet should be considered too; you don’t need to wrestle with trying to get the toilet in just to find it doesn’t quite fit.
One-piece & Two-piece Toilets
One-piece toilets and two-piece toilets come with the same technology. One-piece toilets are easier to clean, without a lot of nooks and crannies for dirt to hide in, and one-piece toilets usually sit lower to the ground, which are great for homes with small children. Let’s not make potty training harder.
Two-piece toilets sit higher and are better for taller or elderly people. Two and one-piece toilets can easily be found at most home improvement stores. American Standard Champion Collection has some great two and one-piece toilets with dual flush at different heights. Kohler has this great one-piece toilet, Santa Rosa Comfort Height Toilet. It also has a seat height of 16.5.” Using AquaPiston technology, the water consumption of this toilet drops to even lower than the Water Sense standard but still brilliantly performs.
Save space with a wall-mounted toilet
If you are looking for a less cluttered look that takes up less floor space, a wall hung toilet is an option. The in-wall tank design hides all the technology from view and gives you 12″ more space. Kohler offers the very sleek and modern Veil with a dual flush (light or heavy) and a bidet combo. No more cleaning around the toilet and the bolt covers of a floor mounted toilet; nobody likes that job.
A toilet like no other
If you are in the mood for something with even more bells and whistles, check out Kohler’s Numi. This is the supreme toilet that you never thought you wanted. It is very modern, and full of amazing features. Dual flush technology that allows you to save water. The hands-free models will raise the cover, warm the seat, wash and dry you, warm your feet, and play music for you through Bluetooth technology. This is top of the line with a price tag to match, around $6400.
Aside from the home improvement stores in town, there are also local showrooms where you can check out the latest toilets, and see custom features and options. Here is a list of Kitchen & Bathroom Showrooms in Albuquerque & Santa Fe:
No matter what your toilets desires and budget are for your upgrade, there is a toilet out there for you.