At some point or another, pretty much everything in your home will have to be replaced with a newer, updated version of itself, and your toilet is no exception. Not many homeowners think of toilets as something that needs to be replaced, the way they would think of a refrigerator, washing machine, or even another plumbing fixture such as a shower head. But your toilet won’t last forever, and you might even find that newer models of toilets serve you much better than the outdated toilet that you’ve had for way too long.
To give you a better idea of how to decide to replace your toilet, we’ll take a look at common signs of wear and tear you might see on your toilet, as well as improvements and enhancements today’s toilets have that you might want to have in your bathroom.
When your refrigerator breaks, you’ll know, right? It will no longer be producing cold air, and the temperature on the inside will feel the same as it does on the outside. When it comes to your toilet, the signs might be just as obvious or they might be more subtle. As with aging appliances, it likely won’t be because of anything you as a homeowner did wrong—it’s just the usual wear and tear that happens.
First, start to pay attention if you have to make frequent repairs to your toilet (or more specifically, hire someone else to make frequent repairs). If you’ve replaced the flush valve or fill valve several times, this could be a sign that your toilet is reaching the end of its life.
Similarly, your toilet could have cracks. These cracks might even be so small that you don’t notice them at first. A hairline crack is hard to see, but it will worsen over time, eventually getting to the point that water could leak out and damage your bathroom floor.
Finally, pay attention to the flushing mechanism. Older toilets might not flush efficiently, and although this isn’t a pressing concern, it will still end up wasting water (and money) over time.
A lot of things get better with each new version, and you might be impressed to hear that modern toilets are a lot more water-efficient than older models. That’s great news to hear, right? After all, using less water is not only better for the environment but also better for your wallet, as your water bill ends up going down. Even if your current toilet works just fine right now, you might be interested in replacing it simply because you like the prospect of being able to use less water.
While these low-flow toilets save you potentially gallons of water every day, reducing the strain on natural resources, there’s another incentive to this that you will likely find appealing. Government programs and rebates are available in some areas as a way of encouraging homeowners to replace old toilets with eco-friendly models. Check with your local municipality or public works department to see what options exist to reward people who replace their older toilets with water-efficient ones.
It’s also worth thinking about the fact that newer toilets just have a better design. They have enhanced features you won’t find in an older model, and they tend to be (dare we say it) more comfortable. Modern toilets have ergonomic designs and more comfortable seat heights, plus they’ll likely have features like slow-close lids, so you don’t need to worry about the lid slamming closer.
Then there’s the way your new toilet flushes. Modern toilets are designed to have dual-flush options or even pressure-assisted flushes. If these sound fancy, don’t worry—it just means the toilets have more powerful flush capability, so they are less likely to clog and they are generally more efficient at removing waste.
Plus, modern toilet designs have better surface coatings, which are less likely to stain or foster breeding grounds for bacteria, both of which were common concerns with older toilets. These modern toilets need less frequent cleaning and will take a lot less effort to clean.
There’s a lot to consider here, and you might’ve thought that picking out a new toilet was never going to be such a big decision! To make the choice easier, look at the features that are available with each toilet, and decide which one is most likely to fit your personal needs.
So, now you have to ask yourself:
