Let's face it; going to the toilet when camping can be a very awkward experience. Or is it? If you speak to someone who goes camping very regularly, you will find that going to the toilet when you are camping does not have to be uncomfortable or awkward at all. Today, you can get little portable toilets which fold up, or that stay as one piece. Some use chemicals to start the break down process, whilst others just have biodegradable bags that fill up and are buried. Whatever it is, you can ensure that your toilet issues when you are camping are no longer a problem. To top it off, you can easily purchase a shower tent which can be used as a toilet tent too. If you have a toilet that can be moved around you simply keep it outside when you want to have a shower, and then move it back in when someone needs to use it. By having a shower tent you are ensuring that you have the most privacy possible, which is always nicer when you are doing your business! Of course, if you are hiking you might find it a bit harder to carry a heavy plastic portable toilet with you, so you have to put up with using a small trowel to dig a hole and then squat over. Please make sure you clean up properly. Dig a hole at least 30 cm deep, and at least 100 metres away from any water. Make sure that everything is buried properly and that you try to dig as little number of holes as possible. A number of places are now making it compulsory to bring your own chemical portable toilet, because of the mess that is left behind by those that are inconsiderate. By using a chemical toilet that has biodegradable chemicals we can ensure that the environment is kept in a pristine state, as well as being able to do 'the business' without it being too troublesome. By learning to go to the toilet properly when camping we can ensure that everyone can keep enjoying the massive number of spectacular camping locations throughout the world. It really is the small things that make all of the difference when you are camping. I've learnt that you are well worth purchasing a few of these things that make life handy if you want a more enjoyable camping trip!
Who isn't familiar with the Toto toilet? Most people have heard of them, particularly in the US and Canada. Toto have become one of the leading toilet manufacturers, and have been producing high quality toilets and bathroom accessories for many years. The experience they have, combined with amazing innovations and great design make the Toto toilet one of the best you can buy. The Toto Ultramax, Drake, Soiree, and Aquia are some of the most popular items in the Toto range. They also produce some revolutionary bidet toilet seats like the Washlet S200 and E200 models, providing an array of stunning functionality by converting the standard toilet into a bidet, plus more. When buying any toilet, pre-planning is a vital task, to make sure everything fits and that plumbing can be easily installed. This is especially important if you are adding a Toto toilet to an existing bathroom suite, where color and style need to match. If your existing suite is white, no real problem, but for colored units, it's really important to ensure perfect matches, or you'll fret about it for years. The great thing about the Toto toilet is that it is produced in a wide range of colors and styles to suit the home and the buyers tastes. Elongated and round bowl designs are available, as well as standard and 'tall' toilets. These tall models offer a couple of inches extra height for those who struggle to sit on a lower seat. This can include the elderly or people with back and leg problems. Be aware that the elongated bowl models protrude a little further into the room, generally about 32 inches, compared to 30" for a standard round bowl model. As mentioned, the Ultramax toilet is one of the top selling Toto models. It's one-piece design is modern but elegant, and the syphon jet flush system ensures rapid and powerful flushing action every time. Sedona beige and Sanagloss cotton white are two of the most popular colors, but there are other colors and shades available. This is a low water usage toilet, with a low 1.6 gallons per flush offering great water savings over the life of the toilet. Another one of Toto's flagship designs is the Drake toilet. It is also a low water consumption model, and offers an extremely quiet flush and refill system, ideal if you have family members who seem to get up every night to use the loo.The vitreous china bowl is treated with an ionized barrier finish to provide easy cleaning and less adhesion for dirt and bacteria. If you are looking for a toilet for a public premise, the Toto Drake is also ADA certified. ADA toilets are an essential requirement in many public places so this is a good way to comply with the law, and offer great facilities to ALL your customers. Toto are very good at providing the exact products that their customers need, and listening to feedback and making changes accordingly. The competitive pricing makes the Toto toilet range one of the best on offer.
Another thing that is certain in this life besides death and taxes is the fact that someday you will need to unclog a toilet. Many items can clog your toilet or the plumbing in your bathroom including hair, toilet paper, and yes, even razors, jewelry, or if you live in my house, toys. You do not need to call a plumber every time your toilet clogs up. In fact, there are some very simple tricks you can use to unclog the toilet yourself. A rule to follow here is never flush the toilet more than once when you see that it is clogged. This can easily cause the toilet to overflow, and if you are not prepared, you will have a huge mess in your bathroom! HOT WATER AND DISH SOAP One of the most common and easiest ways to loosen a clog in your toilet is by squirting some dish soap into the toilet drain, followed by a large bucket of hot water. This works by raising the temperature of the water surrounding the clog, and may loosen whatever is clogging your pipes enough to let it go free. The dish soap also gives a bit of lubrication during this process. Once you have done this, and the clog is gone, dump another bucket of hot water down the toilet to remove any excess gunk that might have built up in your pipes. PLUNGING Plunging is probably the most common way of unclogging a toilet. I can honestly say that I use this method at least once a day in my household. Unfortunately this does not work if the clog is caused by something hard like a toy, but if you know that the clog is either caused by toilet paper , hair, or something else, reach for the plunger! Make sure there is water covering the ball end of the plunger. If there isn't enough water in the toilet to do this, you will need to add more water. This will create a better seal and allows for more pressure. Use the plunger firmly and once the water leaves the toilet bowl, you can safely flush the toilet again to make sure the clog is fully removed. After you have plunged the clog away, dump a bucket of hot water down the toilet to release any excess debris that may clog the toilet in the future. SEWER SNAKE Another option you can try if neither of the above worked for you is to use a sewer snake. Sewer snakes are coiled wires that can easily move through the pipes of your household plumbing, loosening anything that may be clogging it up. What you need to do is insert one end of the snake into the toilet and work it through until you have reached the clog. When you cannot go any further, twist and push the sewer snake until you break through whatever is clogging the pipe. Once the water begins to drain out you can simply flush the toilet again to remove any excess debris.
Most people don't realize it, but it is not washing dishes or taking a shower that uses the most water during the day. It is actually the act of flushing a toilet. Older, less efficient toilets operate by passing over three gallons of water through the plumbing system with each flush. As water resources become more scarce, ways to cut down on some of the water that is literally being "flushed away" are being sought. One method gradually becoming more popular is the use of a waterless, or composting, toilet. These toilets are rare in cities and suburbs because of the difficulty in securing appropriate building permits, but they are more common in rural areas. Composting toilets convert human waste into compost, which can be utilized as fertilizer once it has been treated. Waterless composting toilets (also known as biological toilets) are waterless systems which rely on the principles of composting by mirco-organisms to decompose human waste, paper and other materials. In this type of system, chambers or bins are installed below floor level. Extra organic matter such as wood shaving, paper or lawn clippings, are added to create an ideal composting environment. Micro-organisms decompose the collected material, with about three-quarters being converted to carbon dioxide and water vapor. Air drawn through the pile removes these gases and assists the micro-organisms with the decomposition. Waterless composting toilets do not treat waste water from showers, sinks and washing machines, an additional system is required for their treatment. A waterless toilet can range in price from as low as $400 to nearly $3,000, depending on the type and features. Many models look like regular toilets and are available in a wide array of colors. Until the use of waterless toilets becomes more common place, removing and replacing an older toilet with a more efficient one can save the average homeowner 4,000 gallons of water per year. If every older, inefficient toilet was replaced with a WaterSense-labeled toilet, nearly 640 billion gallons of water could be saved each year. What is a WaterSense toilet? It is a toilet given a label by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifying that it uses 20 percent less water per flush than current federal standards. Typically, a WaterSense toilet uses 50 to 60 percent less water per flush than older models. The water efficiency of a toilet depends on its age and type. Most toilets installed prior to 1992 are considered inefficient by today's standards, and typically use more than three gallons of water per flush. This means that a leaky, constantly running or simply inefficient toilet is the largest water-waster in a home, since toilets are by far the main source of water use in a home. In fact, flushing toilets accounts for as much as 40 percent of residential indoor water consumption.
Are you feeling fed up with the same old look in your bathroom or powder room? One way to give it a facelift would be to redecorate -- maybe even undertake a full remodel. While that solution might have the potential to give you a truly stunning effect, it's likely to be expensive and require time as well as money for all the planning and professional work that a complete makeover would probably involve. So how can you quickly achieve a fresh and vibrant effect in your bathroom without all the hassle of replacing fixtures and fittings, installing new light fixtures, repainting or putting up new wallpaper? One answer may be to spruce up your existing decor with one of the many novelty toilet seats available, combined with other new accessories and bathroom linens. Let's start with the toilet: it's a vital fixture, of course, and in some respects it forms the focal point of the bathroom or powder room. And yet, all too often, people play safe with their bathroom design by choosing all white plumbing fixtures and losing the opportunity to put the stamp of their own personality and taste on this central item. But many homeowners feel that they should keep fittings such as the toilet, the sink, and the bathtub a neutral color in order that they can blend in with a wide variety of decorative choices in the rest of the room. This may well be a sensible decision, but it doesn't stop you personalizing the loo with a novelty item such as a decorative toilet seat. Most toilet seats are relatively inexpensive to replace, can be attached to the bowl in just a few minutes without needing any hard-to-find tools, and can always be swapped out with a basic white alternative -- for example, when the time comes to show the home to prospective buyers. You can even choose a unifying theme to link a decorative seat with other items in the bathroom -- for example, using a common motif on the toilet, on the shower curtain, on the bathroom rug, and so on. When you start to look at the unusual toilet seat designs available -- particularly through online suppliers -- you begin to realize that there is practically no limit to the creativity and inventiveness that you can bring with this approach, as well as the opportunity to indulge a quirky sense of humor if you have one! Here are some examples of some of the decorative toilet seat styles on the market, ranging from the weird and wonderful to the tastefully discreet: Extreme and unusual toilet seats: who would want to sit on barbed wire? And yet, there are some models that have it embedded in acrylic, or printed as an image on the seat! It's similar to the effect that's achieved with some of the razor blade toilet seat designs also on the market. Artistic toilet seats: when you're talking about painting or printing an image, there's no limit to what the imagination can conceive. Designs range from abstract shapes and patterns to animal prints, the enlarged image of an eye, birds, butterflies, even nude images. You can find craftsmen who specialize in decorating toilet seats, producing not only a unique accessory but also a true work of bathroom art. Toilet Tattoos: this clever idea allows you to customize the look of your toilet without even having to replace the seat itself. These tattoos are actually pieces of electrostatic vinyl that you can remove from the backing paper and stick to the lid without needing any adhesive. In this way, they can even be peeled off and reused. Due to the applique method, they work best on plastic toilet seats. There's a whole range of different styles and patterns, and it's an inexpensive way to achieve an unusual effect in a short space of time.
Toilets come in a variety of styles and models. Some of which are one-piece models and others two-piece units. There is even the composting model for the eco-friendly touch. Models of toilets tend to be categorized, however, by the design of the flush, most of which tend to be reverse trap flush cisterns. A more expensive design is the siphon jet which also has the advantage of being more efficient. There is also the half-flush system which seems to be more popular in some countries than in others. The cistern isn't the end of the story, of course. When choosing a toilet you can decide between a wall-hung design or a low level cistern toilet; one of the traditional high-level cistern toilets; a low-level cistern toilet that has its back attached to the wall; closed coupled cistern toilet; an increasingly popular option is the composting toilet; and then, of course, you can always take a visit to Japan to view their fabulous Toto toilet which can only be purchased in Japan at present. The Traditional Toilet The traditional toilet often tends to take up too much wall space. Not just with the toilet bowl and cistern, but with water inlets being on the side of the cistern while the overflow may also be on the side. Of the various different models, each has its advantages and disadvantages. Perhaps one of the better choices for a toilet for small spaces would be the wall hung toilet which can be set at varying heights and due to its absence of appendages, can create a remarkable feeling of space in a room that is smaller than average. Corner Cistern Unit In a confined space, there is nothing to stop you fitting a corner toilet. These toilets are not as unusual as they sound - and it's the cistern that fits into the corner, rather than the toilet bowl. Ideal Standard is one of the companies that produce a corner toilet for small spaces: the model is one of the space ranges which, although only available in white, conform to Ideal Standard E7172, E7091, and E7204. It is only sold as a complete set, comprising bowl, corner cistern and toilet seat. The actual height of the toilet bowl is 395mm and, because the cistern is recessed into an available corner, this model makes the ideal design for a toilet for small spaces. Innovative Designs While solving the problem of providing a toilet for small spaces calls for innovative thinking, I think the Toto is probably a little too innovative - apart from taking up a bit too much space either side of the toilet bowl with its 'all-singing-all-dancing' routines of taking your blood pressure and analyzing your urine then relaying the resultant information on to your doctor! However, manufacturers of toilet porcelain do, in fact, make smaller toilets - some far too petite to be a great deal of use. For a toilet for small spaces you need to be looking for plumbing that enters the cistern from below instead of the side, with the cistern being no wider than 16 inches. However, when you do need a toilet for small spaces, you might consider a round front bowl, rather than one of the elongated ones. The round toilet bowls are shorter in length by a full 2 inches, making this choice a particularly useful toilet for small spaces - just perfect for when space is at a premium.
If you can install your own toilet then you can choose what toilet best suits your needs, as there is a very big variety in style, price, and quality of toilets. installing your own toilet is not as big a question as you might think it is. Learn how you can install a toilet yourself. You can have your new model toilet in place in just a few hours. Probably even much less time than that. The first thing you need to do is pick out the toilet that you prefer to have. If you are older or have health problems, consider a handicap height toilet. They are a couple of inches taller than a standard toilet and make it much easier to get up from. If you have a lot of usage than a pressure assisted toilet might also be a good fit for you. The extra water pressure will help to keep the toilet from clogging. Toilets usually come without a seat, so don't forget to buy a new one or you can save the one from your previous toilet if it will fit the bowl of the new one. The floor does not have to be spotless before installing the new toilet, but it should be fairly clean. You will next need to install the tank onto the bowl. Set the bolts with the rubber washers on them in the holes on the tank and then set the tank on the back of the toilet bowl. Tighten the bolts gently, just expanding the washers a bit. Next, turn the toilet bowl upside down and place an new wax ring and sleeve onto the toilet horn. The toilet bowl wax gasket works best if it is at room temperature. This will ensure the proper forming of seal. Now stand directly over the toilet and lift it turning it over and setting it down over the bolts in the flange. By doing this you will place the toilet on top of the wax ring. The bolts will come up through the holes on the side of the toilet. Install the washers over the bolts and slowly tighten the nuts until snug, while slowly pressing down until the toilet is seated flush with the floor. Make certain that the bolts are tight enough to prevent the toilet from rocking, however do not over-tighten them. Tightening the bolts too much will cause the toilet which is porcelain, to crack. Now, reconnect the water line from the floor to the tank. To give it a nice finished look a bead of silicone caulk can be run around the base of the toilet. Remember that he caulk will be visible, so choose a color that looks good with your toilet for a professional look. Installing your own toilet can be just that easy. In an afternoon your can pick out your new toilet, remove your old one, install your new one and have it up and flushing in no time at all! Then last of all, check for leaks!! Don't be embarrassed if you find a leak, retighten and check again. Even a pro will have a leak sometimes. Leaks happen! Good Luck!
Among the eco-conscious crowd, composting toilets are a very commonplace product. Not only do they provide a natural form of waste disposal by recycling waste back to the earth, but they also save an enormous amount of water and money. There are many different types of composting toilets, but generally they fall into one of two categories: professionally manufactured systems and homemade units. In spite of the fact that doing it yourself has become a major movement in the United States and around the world, building a composting toilet is not something you should add to your DIY to-do list. In this article, we'll explain the top 5 important reasons why you shouldn't attempt to build your own composting toilet: 1. Homemade composting toilets may smell bad. Professionally manufactured units are designed with special venting systems and fans to make them 100% odorless. If you build your own toilet, it would be very difficult to replicate the same type of venting system that makes professional units odorless. 2. Homemade composting toilets are slow to produce finished compost. Many homemade composting toilets are nothing more than a toilet seat fitted over a 5 gallon bucket. In these instances, when the bucket gets full, it's transported to another location (usually outdoors, for obvious reasons), and then may take 2 to 3 years before the bucket can be opened and the material inside has turned into finished compost. A professional composting toilet is designed to hold all the material in one place, and it finishes the product much more quickly, usually within several months, depending on how often it's used. 3. Homemade compost toilets don't have a system for separating fresh waste from partially finished or completely finished compost. Most people have some feelings of hesitation about composting toilets in the first place. However, this is usually pretty easy to overcome, because modern, high tech systems are designed so that you never have to come into contact with the waste inside. homemade systems aren't usually as sophisticated, meaning that you may end up having to manually check the contents yourself to see if your compost is finished yet. 4. Homemade units present a potential biohazard. Because professional systems are regulated and most of them meet certain standards, they are tested and certified to produce a clean and sanitary end compost (to be on the safe side, though, always check out a manufacturer's certifications before making a purchase). With a homemade toilet, you don't have any of those safeguards to guarantee that the finished compost is pathogen-free. 5. For all of the reasons mentioned above, homemade composting toilets probably won't pass muster with your local building department. Whenever you engage in a home remodeling project or install a new fixture like a toilet, it's important to check your local building code to see what permits or approvals are needed for the work. If composting toilets aren't an approved waste treatment method in your city yet, it's usually pretty easy to get a building department to approve a professionally manufactured system. Just print out the product specifications and certifications and take them to your local officials. With a homemade system, it's not quite that easy, and most home made toilets aren't going to pass code. The bottom line is, a composting toilet system is a sophisticated piece of equipment, designed to operate in an odorless and sanitary manner. When you try to build your own composting toilet, you're really taking a roll of the dice, and who knows what you may come out with. In almost every case, it is always better to spend the money buying a professionally manufactured system. After all, composting toilets are just like many other things in life: you get what you pay for.Tag : toilet,composting toilet,composting
