Toilets

Bet you heard that a fellow by the name of Thomas Crapper (1837 – 1910) invented the flush toilet. This piece of historical lore has been making the rounds for the last few decades and has come to be accepted as incontrovertible fact. Unfortunately it may not be entirely true. According to no less an authority than the Encyclopaedia Britannica, the true inventor and a knight of the realm, was Eton educated Sir John Harrington (1561-1612). Others trace the beginning of the flush toilet back to the Minoans 4000 years ago, the Egyptians 3000 years ago, the Romans 2000 years ago - you get the picture.

But whatever the origins, the flush toilet is a masterpiece of simplicity and efficiency. Another item in our day-to-day that’s so common and ubiquitous, we would be shocked to arrive at a friend’s home, a restaurant or an office building and not find one.

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Types
Characteristics
Installation
Accessories
Maintenance
Glossary

Types

There are three types of toilets: conventional, chemical and composting. Since chemical toilets are very restricted in terms of their general use (cottages, RV’s, etc.), this expose will be devoted chiefly to the discussion of conventional water flush toilets. As to composting toilets, they have been available for a while, but have as yet to receive wide acceptance by the public despite design features that make them easy and safe to use.

Chemical toilets

Briefly, chemical toilets are usually made of moulded plastic and can be sold as a simple seat and bucket arrangement, to more sophisticated compartmentalized designs for cottage or RV use, to the familiar Port-a-Potty models that we often see at construction sites or outdoor activities. They’re ideal for temporary set-ups or for use in areas where water is limited and they’re made to be easy to empty and clean. There are chemicals on the market to get rid of odours.

Composting toilets

Of course the ecological movement has not restricted itself only to water conservation. Since the 1970’s, waterless, composting toilets have emigrated from Scandinavia and appeared the on North American market. These toilets are designed to produce compost for use on non-comestible plants and are gaining acceptance for use in areas where septic tanks and weeping beds are impractical.

Conventional toilets

Conventional flush toilets work as follows. A pre-set amount of water is stored in the upper tank. When needed, the user presses a handle that raises a stopper at the tank bottom that opens and allows the water to run by gravity from the upper tank to the bowl that fills and, through siphon action, flows down and out carrying the contents into the drain.
Conventional toilets can be installed almost anywhere you can find running water. They come in one-piece and two-piece models and are made of vitreous or glazed china. They’re made up of a bowl and a tank that contains most of the operational components.

Although most toilets are gravity fed, there are more and more pressure assisted flush toilets that operate using compressed air on the market. This is particularly true in the United States where those 1.6-gallon toilets need the extra boost to operate efficiently. However, the main drawback with this type of flushing system is increased noise levels and it needs a power source to operate.
The bidet, a type of toilet more popular in Europe than in North America, resembles a regular toilet with the added feature of a vertical water jet for personal hygiene. Bidets do not have tanks and water flow and flushing are controlled with faucets.
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