How-To

-Ideas for Great Bathrooms, Sunset

New styling, new colors, and new efficiency have all but replaced the tried-and-true water closet. In addition to standard and antique models, vitreous china toilets now come in sleek-looking European designs, standard or low-profile heights, and rounded or elongated bowls. Do you want classic white, shiny black, or a soft pastel? Ultra-low-flush or pressure-assisted mechanics?

The bidet is a European standby that's gaining popularity on this side of the Atlantic. It's used primarily for personal hygiene. Like toilets, bidets are made of vitreous china, in a number of styles, colors, and finishes to match toilets and other fixtures.

Toilets
As water shortages drive home the fact that water is a finite resource, the new word in toilets is ultra-low-flush (ULF). Why change? Older toilets use 5 to 7 gallons or more per flush. In 1994, codes were changed to require 1.6-gallon-per-flush toilets for new construction. Some water districts even offer a rebate if you install a ULF fixture in your present home.

Some homeowners complain that ultra-low-flush toilets don't really save water in the long run because they may require several flushings. One reply to this problem is the pressure-assisted design, which uses a strong air vacuum to power a quick, intensive flush. Pressure-assisted models are noisier than other low-flush toilets, but the disturbance is very brief.

The basic choice in toilets is between traditional two-piece and European-style one-piece designs. Two-piece toilets have a separate tank that's either bolted directly to the bowl or, in the case of some period reproductions, mounted on the wall above. One-piece toilets are also known as "low-boy" or "low-profile" models. Some toilets come with seats, some don't. If you're splurging, you might consider an electronic seat that's heated and/or programmed with a bidet-like spray jet.

Before installing a new toilet in an older house, check the offset -- the distance between the back wall and the center of the drain hub (measured to the hold-down nuts). Most newer models are designed for a 12-inch offset.

How about retrofits? Variable-buoyancy flappers, flap actuators that ride on the overflow tube, and dual-handle mechanisms will greatly increase the efficiency of your existing water-guzzler. Some water districts will send you parts free. With the new devices, you still have the pressure of the original volume, but the flap will close while several gallons still remain in the tank.

Bidets
A bidet, best installed next to the toilet, is floor-mounted and plumbed with hot and cold water. Available in styles and finishes to match new toilets, it comes with either a horizontal spray mount or a vertical spray in the center of the bowl. Some models include rim jets to maintain bowl cleanliness. Most versions have a pop-up stopper that allows the unit to serve also as a foot-bath or laundry basin.