The Modern And Space-Saving Magic Of Wall-Hung Toilets

As most of my readers know I am an advocate for living smaller. That may also mean having a smaller bathroom. But this doesn’t mean that the bathroom has to feel small and unstylish. There are many ways to make that small bathroom feel bigger.

With its tank hidden away inside the wall, a wall-hung toilet adds up to 12 inches of floor space, making it especially practical in small bathrooms. They use about 20 percent less water than standard toilets and are more hygienic, because the toilet doesn’t rest on the floor (the drain is inside the wall), it’s easier to clean beneath it. For maintenance, the wall panel opens to access the workings. 

The concept was first introduced in Europe in the 1980s, but its popularity in the United States has vastly increased, particularly because of the current emphasis on smaller spaces, sustainability and the increased interest in modern design. (These toilets also look excellent in more traditional houses.) The three parts of the toilet are the tank (or in-wall carrier), the bowl/seat, and the flush panel (which comes in many styles). Some companies provide all of the parts and some require purchasing the tank from another supplier such as Geberit.

Mounting a wall-hung toilet is obviously easier in new construction before drywall goes up. Retrofitting one of these fixtures requires that the wall and the floor be opened to accommodate the in-wall tank and drain. The tank can be installed in walls built with 2 by 4 or 2 by 6 studs. 

If the interior components need to be repaired or replaced they can easily be accessed through the actuator plate. The tanks are actually quite durable. Many are made from the same material that the gas tank in the car is made from, so they’re very robust and typically come with an excellent warranty.

Many of these units come with special features such as personal cleansing, LED nightlight, and hands-free opening, closing and flushing. All of the features on the Kohler Veil® Intelligent wall-hung toilet are easy to control on a touchscreen LCD remote control. In addition to the remote, full and eco flush can be controlled using the touchless, honed white actuator plate included with the toilet.

Duravit has Rimless technology; the design enables a powerful flush and minimizing water use. They also have metal buttons positioned on the sides of the toilet allowing for easy removal of the seat cover to simplify cleaning, SensoWash, which offers a gentle bidet type wash, a heated seat or seat with nightlight; with several of their functions controlled by remote control. After 24 hours, HygieneGlaze, another technology of Duravit, reaches a level of 99.999% bacteria elimination tackling areas high in bacteria accumulation in the toilet.

TOTO offers their new most luxurious toilet with their Neorest AC wall-hung dual-flush toilet with Actilight_™ (UV light activates a special glaze in the bowl) This toilet has a personal cleansing system with warm, aerated water, warm air dryer, adjustable heated seat, auto open/close and auto flush (with back-up manual flush option), multifunctional remote control, automatic air purifying system, in-bowl catalytic deodorizer, and energy- and water-saving features and is also ADA compliant.

The advantages of using wall-hung toilets are the savings in space along with their clean, modern appearance. They are also easier to clean and leave more room in the bathroom for storage. The disadvantage is that they are generally more costly than traditional toilets and the installation is also more expensive. However those homeowners that opt to install these units, do so because the look, efficiency and minimal size are priorities.

This post first appeared on Forbes.com. To see the original, click here.