Shopping for a New Toilet? Use Our Tips

Head down to your local home improvement store and you'll find loads of different toilets to choose from. The question is: Which is best for you and your family? It can be a tough choice, so allow us to give you a few quick tips to help you decide:

Save Water with Dual-Flush

We all know that not every use of a toilet is the same. That's why dual-flush models are perfect for those who want to save water by providing separate handles — a full flush for solids and a half-flush for liquids.

Save Money with Low-Flow

Although some homeowners have avoided low-flow in the past because of the need for multiple flushes from time to time, newer models aren't plagued by this problem. Pick up a low-flow model and your water usage bills will drop.

Consider a Taller Model

Toilets may not be constructed to the most comfortable seats in the world, but taller models provide an extra amount of comfort to their users. This is especially true for tall men and women, in addition to the elderly, who may have trouble getting up and down from a traditional model.

Check the Reviews

Selecting the right toilet for your home shouldn't be taken lightly. To ensure that you make the best purchase possible, it's important to check out reviews. This isn't a choice you'll make through a site like Yelp. Instead, head over to Consumer Reports for the low-down on the low-flow (and others, of course).

Defy Gravity

Were you aware that certain toilets can be attached to your wall instead of sitting on the floor? These models are extremely sturdy and are amazingly simple to clean, because they lack all the nooks and crannies found in many traditional models. Just be aware that, as you might expect, a wall-hung toilet will be more expensive.

If you're looking for a new toilet, these tips will serve as a great starting point. For even more information, feel free to reach out to the professionals at Air Assurance. We currently service the HVAC needs of Broken Arrow and the surrounding area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about toilets and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Name/Shutterstock”

Toilet Flapper Troubleshooting

A malfunctioning toilet flapper can prevent your toilet from working correctly. If your toilet is running or won't flush like it should, check for some common signs that will help you pinpoint the problem.

The Toilet Won't Stop Running

Your toilet flapper's job is to rise up from the flush valve and let water into the bowl when you flush, then drop down and stop the flow of water when the flush ends. As the flapper wears out, it can warp, harden or deteriorate and no longer form a tight seal. When this happens, it can't completely stop the flow of water. This leaves you with a toilet that runs constantly and wastes water.

First, make sure the toilet flapper chain isn't so long it's getting tangled and stopping the flapper from closing or so short that it's holding the flapper up off the flush valve. If this isn't the issue, adding a few drops of food coloring to the toilet tank will help you detect a leak. After you add the coloring, wait 10 minutes and if you find the color has seeped into the bowl, you have a leaky flapper you'll need to replace.

The Toilet Won't Flush Correctly

Your toilet flapper chain should have just a slight amount of slack. A chain that's too short will cause the flush to cut off too soon, leaving too little water in the bowl or even fail to fully clean the bowl. A short flush can also happen when the chain is too long. In this case, the rushing water pulls the flapper closed before the flush is complete.To check for this toilet problem, remove the tank lid and watch the toilet flapper as you flush. The flapper should start to drop when around 80 percent of the water has left the tank. If it doesn't, readjust the chain by unhooking it from the flush lever and shortening or lengthening it as needed by two links.

For help with your toilet or any other plumbing fixture, contact us at Air Assurance anywhere around Broken Arrow.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “gmstockstudio/Shutterstock”