Generators are a handy piece of equipment to invest in. They provide backup power to keep your home a safe and secure place to ride out a storm or electrical outage, powering your fridge, furnace, and security system. Portable generators can provide power to your RV or electrical connections for a job site when you’re not close to an electrical hookup. Having a stand-alone power source is a luxury many homes, campers, and businesses could benefit from – but it doesn’t come cheap.
A generator is an appliance used to provide electricity in areas or times with no other electricity source. Using motors and cranks, they force electric charges into their internal components through external electric circuits. They don’t technically produce electricity but instead move electrical charges to output an electrical current. In theory, this is similar to how a water pump doesn’t create water but moves it from one place to another, creating a current.
Our experts start by analyzing the current marketplace to identify the toilets you’re most likely to find at home centers, bath showrooms, plumbing supply stores and online. They also keep up with the latest trends by attending trade shows and industry events, including the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS).
A toilet is a piece of sanitary hardware that collects human urine and feces, and sometimes toilet paper, usually for disposal. Flush toilets use water, while dry or non-flush toilets do not. They can be designed for a sitting position popular in Europe and North America with a toilet seat, with additional considerations for those with disabilities, or for a squatting posture more popular in Asia. In urban areas, flush toilets are usually connected to a sewer system that leads to septic tanks in isolated areas. The waste is known as blackwater and the combined effluent including other sources is sewage. Dry toilets are connected to a pit, removable container, composting chamber, or other storage and treatment device, including urine diversion with a urine-diverting toilet.
The humble commode has become more complicated in recent years, thanks to improvements in design, efficiency and technological innovations. To find the model that’s right for you, weigh these options:
Comfort height or traditional height? Many new toilets come in “comfort height,” usually between 17 and 19 inches, versus the 15 inches of traditional toilets. The extra few inches make them easier to get on and off, which older homeowners or those with knee issues may appreciate. Another important size consideration is the toilet’s rough opening, or the distance from the finished wall to the center of the toilet’s floor drain. Twelve inches is the standard, but some models come with 10-inch and 14-inch openings. It’s important to match the new toilet with the existing one, otherwise, you’ll have to make pricey modifications to the floor and plumbing.
Single flush or dual flush? Traditional toilets have one flushing option, typically a lever on the tank that you press down. They still exist, but the market has become crowded with dual-flush toilets. These usually have two buttons on the top of the tank that let you do a partial flush for liquid waste and a full flush for solid waste. In theory, dual-flush toilets save water, but sometimes their flushing power is a little weak, so you end up having to flush twice. Though that’s not the case with the dual-flush models that make our list here.
Round bowl or elongated bowl? It’s not a huge factor, but if you’re short on space (say in a powder room), you’re better off with a round bowl, since those toilets are a bit smaller than elongated models. If space is really tight, you might want to consider a wall-mounted toilet. With this option, the tank is hidden behind the wall, so you gain a good 6 inches. They tend to be more expensive and installation is more involved and pricey, but they’re a great fit for tight spaces.
