New Toilet Consumer Information

New toilets are household appliances, where compromising performance for price does not assure the best value. Learn how to select the right one.

Assess the costs.

Traditional two-piece toilets are economically priced, starting at $100. Two-piece toilet is manageable for the do-it-yourselfer, who plans to install a new toilet without any help.

However, the single, standalone toilet, featuring a sleek, low profile, tank-less wall-mount is trickier and rigged with intricate mechanisms, necessitating professional assistance. Starting at $200 and up, Kohler and Toto manufacture several high-end toilet product lines. Be sure to add another $75 - $175 for the actual toilet installation.

Consider the hind's height in comfort.

With the members of your household in mind, adults, children and/or disabled, the seating requirements vary three to five inches. For instance, 14 to 15 inches is the appropriate toilet height for adults. A good target for the physically handicapped is 17-inches and 10 inches for children.

Save the water, eliminate the backups.

In the United States, all new toilets are mandated to use a maximum of 1.6 gallons of water or less to flush. Low flow toilets, which debuted in the 90s, earned a nasty reputation for unreliable performance, backing up and clogging. These days, efficient elimination comes in the form of the dual-flush toilet, requiring more water for solid wastes and less for liquid ones.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that by replacing a 3.5-gallon toilet tank, a family of four conserves at least 13,500 gallons in water annually.

Opt for function over visual appeal and overall cost. Rather than be sidetracked by a toilet's physical features, it's the plumbing that matters. Low-budget toilets are prone to breakdowns. Base your new toilet preferences on the following criteria:

• Size and design of the trap-way (a tube which transports waste to the drain)

• The number of water jets

• Flushing mechanism. (For an extra $100, a dual pressure flushing mechanism uses a turbo-like force, where air is used to expel waste and simultaneously propel water. Gravity fed toilets direct water via the tank into the bowl and are prone to random glitches).

Choose a new toilet wisely; after all, it's not the type of purchase one desires to replace on a regular basis. Click on consumer information for other shopping tips.