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There’s a lot to know (and love!) about the new breed of toilets. Here’s the lowdown on loos

Choosing a new toilet? First, be aware that toilets connect to the waste in different ways. “If you are renovating and putting a new toilet in the same position as the old one, you will need to know if your current toilet waste pipe goes out through the floor or through the wall,” says Regan Clare, business development manager for Stein. “If the plumbing goes out through the floor you need an S trap toilet pan, and if it goes out the wall you need a P trap toilet pan.” (See box over the page.) Then comes the next step: “You will need to measure the distance from the wall or floor to the centre of that outlet pipe,” says Regan. “You must also look at where the water inlet comes into the toilet cistern, so you know the measurements of where that is currently placed on the wall.”

Also consider how the toilet will fit in the space – make sure it doesn’t block access to doors or cupboards, and establish whether there is sufficient room around it (at least 600mm in front and 200mm of elbow room either side). 

Kitchens and bathrooms

There is a WC to suit every style of bathroom, from contemporary to traditional

Toilet types In-wall toilets (wall hung or wall faced) have hidden cisterns and a flush button panel in the wall. Wall-hung models have no base, making them painless to clean under, while a wall-faced type is connected to the floor but is still easy to clean around. “Having an in-wall cistern means you only see the toilet pan, which gives a modern, sleek look, plus you save about 150mm of space within the bathroom,” says Regan Clare. A back-to-wall toilet is similar to wall-faced, except the cistern sits at the back of the pan. The unit sits flush against the wall and connects to the floor, making it another relatively easy-clean option.

The close-coupled toilet has no gaps behind and no exposed pipes, but you’ll still have to scrub behind it. “Close-coupled toilets are the most popular type of toilet on the market as they are compact, and the cistern sits directly on the toilet pan for a clean look,” says Regan.

Water smart Because many New Zealand houses run off unequal water pressure, there isn’t a regulated minimum WELS (water efficiency labelling standard) rating in this country. However, a four-star WELS rating is normally considered excellent and all Bunnings toilet suites, in store and online, are WELS rated to this standard.

Take a seat One of the best WC innovations of recent years is the soft-closing lid – no more slamming and waking the rest of the household during night-time visits! Comfort is obviously an important factor, too, so don’t be embarrassed to actually sit on one in the showroom to make sure it’s what you want.

Clean machine The good news is modern models are designed to make cleaning easier. While traditional toilets have a rim under the edge that tends to accumulate nasties, a rimless toilet streams water all around the inside of the whole bowl, keeping the loo cleaner with less effort from you.

Beyond the pan For optimal personal hygiene, consider a bidet; these, in terms of high tech, have gone next level. The Evekare smart bidet toilet seat with wireless remote control, for instance, has four cleaning modes, an air-dryer function, soft-closing heated seat and more, while the wireless remote lets you control the water temperature and position of the spray head, plus switch between cleaning modes.

Professional help For public safety reasons, the plumbing trade is licensed by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (PGDB) and protected under Ministry of Health guidelines, says Greg Wallace, chief executive of Master Plumbers (master plumbers.org.nz). “A toilet install involves the connection of a sanitary pipe and therefore should be completed by a licensed individual, not a DIYer,” he says. ◆

Removable seat

Stein ‘Infinity’ WELS 4-star 4.5-3L/min wall-faced toilet suite, $499, I/N: 0251657†

Space saver

Caroma ‘Urbane Invisi Series II’ WELS 4-star 4.5-3L/min wall-hung toilet suite, $1,145, I/N: 4870373† (buttons sold separately)

Easy clean

Mondella ‘Concerto’ WELS 4-star 3.4L/min back to wall rimless toilet suite, $289, I/N: 0019819

Some products are not available at all Bunnings stores, but may be ordered.

Drains explained

The drain is the pipe through which waste is flushed away from the bowl and is designed to prevent smells coming back into your bathroom

 The ‘S’ trap, the most common style, connects the drain to the sewer through the floor.  The ‘P’ trap connects to the sewer through the wall and does not touch the floor.  The skew trap connects to the sewer through the wall from either the left or right side of the bowl. Great for small bathrooms.

‘P’ trap

‘S’ trap

Skew trap

“Anything involving sanitary plumbing or potable water supply must be completed by a licensed plumber”

Greg Wallace Master Plumbers

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Check out our comprehensive toilet buying guide: bunnings.co.nz/ how-to-choose-a-toilet