Stanton Homes - Building Green in the Triangle

Guest Author Michelle Silvis from Wilkinson Supply Company in Raleigh, NC.  

 Why Do You Want to Put a Toilet in My Wall?

Or a better question: "Are you aware of the advantages of owning a concealed carrier, wall-hung toilet system?"

Wall Mount Toilets Have European History

While floor-mounted toilets have been the norm in the United States since the outhouse, Europe has employed wall-mounted and wash-down toilets since 1960.

Currently enjoying roughly 70% market share, wall-mounted toilets have a lot to offer those who choose to do their research and plan their bathrooms in advance.

Wall Mount Toilets are Cleaner and Easier to Care For 

Anyone who has ever swept or mopped around a toilet knows that grime and filth congeal around the area where the toilet touches the floor.

Completely sanitizing the area is no less than an intensive, hands-and-knees affair. With a wall-hung toilet however, there is no wax-ring or surface area to worry about. A mop or broom glides easily underneath. You also get a cleaner bowl-per-flush.

Wash Down System Keeps Wall Mount Toilets Cleaner with Less Water 

The cleaner bowl is achieved through a washdown system.

Traditional siphonic toilets swirl the water around the bowl in order to create a vacuum in the trapway. By this method, water leaves the bowl first, followed by the waste. This is an adequate system until you attempt to conserve water. Lowering the gallon-per-flush results in clogging or a complete loss of siphonic action.

Washdown systems, by contrast, do not need to create a siphon in the trapway to be effective.

The trapway is typically 1" to 2" larger in diameter (allowing more waste to pass through) and a steeper pitch to the bowl, coupled with a wider rim design, "pushes" the water through the trapway, forcing waste out first, with the water on its heels.

There are several advantages to this method: enhanced longevity, less debris left behind, and less water required to initiate the flushing action, to name a few.

Adjustable Rim Height is Another Advantage for Wall Mount Toilets 

Another great feature of concealed carrier units is having an adjustable rim-height.

These systems can easily accommodate a rim height of 15" to 19", typically in the same unit. For those who are unhappy about the height of their toilet, or those who are planning a child's bathroom, this is a unique, yet comfortable, customization.

And with a weight limit of 880 lbs (Gerberit wall-hung carriers), there's never a worry about the bowl separating from the wall, regardless of the user's weight.

Wall Mount Toilets Conceal the Goods, Create More Space 

Concealed carrier units are also known for their space savings and aesthetics.

Since the water tank and all major bells & whistles are hidden-from-view in the wall, around 9" of additional space gets freed up, which is perfect for small powder rooms or master bathrooms where minimalism is the design goal. And with zero refill noise, your spouse's late-night trips to the bathroom are only distracting in how they exit the bed.

Dual Flush Valve Options Are Another Green Feature for Wall Mount Toilets 

Now if the tank is in the wall, how do I flush?

Most wall-mounted units (like the Duravit Duraflush wall-mount) have the flush valve as a single button built into the wall, so there is never the hold-down-the-lever-an-extra-two-seconds moment that can occur with standard toilets. Simply press once and no more worries. There is also a dual-flush option available, which can be a great, green feature. Being able to choose between 0.8 or 1.6 gallons per flush easily cuts your water bill and curbs your water use significantly.

Thinking Clean and Green? 

So if you are in the planning stages of your new bathroom, and are looking for a cleaner-looking and greener alternative to the standard, floor-mounted toilet, a concealed carrier solution might be for you.

Special thanks to Michelle Silvis and Wilkinson Supply Company for this information on wall mount toilets.  For energy efficient appliances and fixtures, contact Wilkinson Supply - they'll be able to compare and contrast many different models and features, to ensure you have the best product for your needs.

Wilkinson Supply Company - Raleigh
3300 Bush Street Raleigh, NC 27609
PHONE - 919-834-0395

Read about more green home building topics at http://www.greenhomestriangle.com/.

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If you're trying to do your part to save water, here's something you might not have known: 30% of the typical water consumption in a home comes just from pulling down the little handle on the side of the toilet tank. 

National standards now require commodes to use not more than 1.6 gallons per flush.  But the EPA has identified manufacturers and models that can do even better.   

Through their WaterSense program, the US Environmental Protection Agency identifies products that are 20% more efficient than a typical product in that category.  They've just released the first list of toilets that fall in this category, with a maximum water usage of 1.3 gallons per flush.

According to the EPA, using a specially labeled WaterSense toilet can save up to 4,000 gallons of water per year.    That's 77 gallons per week - probably enough to fill the shelves of your local grocery store.

Unlike previous low flow toilets, these are all high efficiency and high performance, with testing and certification performed by a third party agency. 

Here's some information on the on the approximate pricing and availability of the top choices in the Raleigh, NC area.

American Standard FloWise                       $359 retail price, Home Depot or Lowe's

Gerber Ultra Flush 21-312                            $360 list price - no distributors in NC - special order

Caroma Adelaide 270 Standard                 $709 list price - no distributors in NC - special order

Kohler Wellworth Pressure Lite               $431 retail price, Home Depot or Lowe's

Mansfield Quantum One                             Special Order Only - call for pricing

Niagara EcoLogic Flapperless Round       $280 - Special order online from AquaPro solutions, add shipping.

AquaPro Solutions is a North Carolina company, based near Asheville.  They offer shipping at cost, and also sell other water-saving products like showerheads and grey water reclamation systems.   Find out more about their "flapperless" model at http://www.aquaprosolutions.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=94.

When shopping, look for the WaterSense label or ask if you can special order an approved item from the manufacturer.   If the toilet comes in two parts as many do (a tank and a separate bowl), make sure both parts are approved. 

As standard toilets cost somewhere around $60, opting to save water can be a little costly.   The EPA anticipates that more and more manufacturers will be creating products that fit the requirements for HET (High Efficiency Toilet) certification, which means prices will likely be driven down in the near future.   Some cities, such as Austin TX and Santa Cruz CA, are offering homeowners rebates to replace their current bathroom fixture with a new, approved HET.  The City of Raleigh Water Conservation Task Force recommended that Raleigh offer rebates to residents who purchased low water toilets, but an official mandate doesn't appear to have passed yet.   As more citizens become aware of these options, enough requests to the city council could bring this up for a vote sooner. 

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