Toilets & Bidets

Rough in distance

The rough in is the distance from the wall to the center of the waste outlet, and it is fixed by the plumbing rather than by the toilet. Twelve inches is the common figure in new building; ten inches turns up in older houses and in bathrooms where the wall was built out. Both are represented here, which is why the figure comes before any filtering.

A toilet made for a twelve inch rough in will not sit against the wall in a ten inch bathroom, and the gap it leaves is not something that can be tidied away. Taking that measurement before shopping is what stops a bathroom from being redesigned around a delivery.

One piece and two piece toilets

A two piece toilet has a separate tank bolted to the bowl, which is the traditional arrangement and the easier one to carry and to handle. A one piece is molded as a single unit with no join between tank and bowl.

The visible difference is that seam and the ledge it creates. A one piece has nothing there to collect anything, which is most of why it is chosen, and it arrives as a single heavier object. Both do exactly the same job.

Smart toilet features

Part of this range is described as smart, which covers a spread of features rather than one thing: a heated seat, a warm water wash with adjustable position and pressure, a warm air dryer, a lid that opens as you approach and closes afterwards, and a night light.

What they all have in common is that they need power at the toilet. A socket behind or beside it is the practical requirement, and in a bathroom that was not built with one it is the first question, not an afterthought.

Bidets and bidet seats

A separate bidet is a second fixture beside the toilet, which needs its own space, its own supply and its own waste. It is a plumbing decision made when the bathroom is laid out.

The alternative is a toilet with the washing function built in, which is what the smart range here offers. That needs no extra floor space and no second set of plumbing, which is why it suits a bathroom that is not being enlarged.

Tankless toilets

A tankless toilet takes water straight from the supply, rather than storing it, which removes the tank and everything behind it. The result is a much smaller object and a cleaner line against the wall.

What it asks in return is a supply that can deliver enough water quickly enough, which is a property of the building, not of the toilet. It is the question to settle with a plumber before choosing one.

Bowl shape and height

Bowls come round or elongated, with elongated giving more room and round taking up less floor, which matters in a small bathroom or a cloakroom where the door has to clear it.

Height varies too, with taller bowls easier to get on and off and standard heights easier for children. The bathroom faucets and bath accessories ranges carry the finish through the rest of the room. Where those figures are given, read them alongside the rough in rather than after it.