A tankless toilet is an ideal choice for a small bathroom. With their one-piece construction, these are also easy to use and maintain. However, choosing the right tankless toilet can sometimes be challenging. In this article, we share our top product choices and provide you with a buying guide to help you choose the right model for your needs. Let’s check it out!
Table of Contents
Benefits of Owning a Tankless Toilet
Compact Size
One of the most obvious benefits of tankless toilets is how compact they are. Because they don’t have a cistern, less bathroom space gets taken up by your commode. This makes buying a tankless toilet an ideal solution for cramped bathroom layouts.
Water Conservation
The fact is that most casual toilets use around 3 gallons of water per flush. Not only that, but some toilets use even more. However, tankless toilets usually have a dual-flush option. It allows you to use less water for liquid waste, which can lower your monthly bills by up to 35%. Also, tankless toilets are more effective since their flush provides more pressure.
Modern Style
You must have noticed that most tankless toilets look elegant and modern. Installing a tankless toilet improves both the bathroom look and the value of the house for several reasons. For those wanting to renovate their bathrooms, tankless units typically use pipes that enter from behind the toilet, allowing for more restyling options.
Check Our Comparison Table
6 Best Tankless Toilets – We Fully Reviewed
1. American Standard Madera Everclean
| Weight | 57 pounds |
| Flush Rate | 1.1 or 1.6 GPF |
| Material | Vitreous China |
| Seat Height | 15 inches |
Also, the toilet features an EverClean surface which prevents the growth of various bacteria and mildew. It directly prevents odor and even makes the surface easier to clean. We should also mention that the toilet has a very comfortable, elongated seat, with a 15-inch rim height. However, it is not ideal for taller individuals.
2. American Standard Madera 2857
| Weight | 74 pounds |
| Flush Rate | 1.28 GPF |
| Material | Vitreous China |
| Seat Height | 16.5 inches |
Unlike the previous toilet, this unit comes with some useful certifications, the first being that it’s ADA-compliant. This detail means that it’s perfectly designed for disabled family members to use, including the elderly and young children. Also, with its CALGreen compliance, you can safely use it in California without interfering with code requirements.
The toilet is manually operated, and you can install the valve on either left or right side. It is not dual flush, but it uses only 1.28 gallons per flush, making it powerful and efficient. The toilet also has a beautiful white finish, which makes it a perfect suit for any bathroom.
3. American Standard 2234 Madera
| Weight | 50 pounds |
| Flush Rate | 1.28 or 1.6 GPF |
| Material | Porcelain |
| Seat Height | 15 inches |
The toilet has a standard rim height of 15 inches, which is ideal for most people to use it. It has a fully-glazed trap and a rough-in of 10 to 12 inches. With its powerful direct-fed siphon, it will easily clean most waste and keep the surface clean.
4. American Standard 2858 Madera
| Weight | 75 pounds |
| Flush Rate | 1.6 GPF |
| Material | Vitreous China |
| Seat Height | 15 inches |
Several things made us consider this unit for testing. At first, it has a strong and durable chrome-plated construction, which makes it ideal for commercial use. Also, it is ADA-compliant and has an automatic flush.
We also noticed that due to its strong seal, the toilet provides a leak-proof performance of 25-80 PSI pressure, which is ideal for most homes. However, if your home pressure exceeds 80 PSI, you should buy a pressure regulator.
5. American Standard 3351
| Weight | 58 pounds |
| Flush Rate | 1.28 or 1.6 GPF |
| Material | Vitreous China |
| Seat Height | 17 inches |
Besides, the toilet has a permanent EverClean finish, which directly reduces the required maintenance.
The toilet comes only in white, but it looks beautiful. Due to its minimalist and clean design, it will fit both new and old bathrooms well. Also, the toilet has a MaP score of 1,000 grams at 1.28 GPF, which is decent.
6. American Standard 3461
| Weight | 53 pounds |
| Flush Rate | 1.1 or 1.6 GPF |
| Material | Porcelain |
| Seat Height | 16.5 inches |
Like most American Standard toilets, this model has an EverClean surface and a condensation channel. The flush is powerful and highly efficient, mostly due to its direct-fed jet.
With a 16.5-inch height, it’s a great size for most people of average and taller statures. However, it may be slightly too tall for young children.
The toilet also comes with two bolt caps, a 1.5-inch inlet spud, and a universal 10-12-inch rough-in.
Buying Guide: How to Find a Perfect Toilet
Buying a tankless toilet for the first time can be tricky. There are various things to consider, and without previous experience, you could easily make a purchasing mistake. Let’s see what details you need to pay to be aware of before buying a tankless model:
Physical Measurements
When buying a tankless toilet, there are two main dimensions to consider – length and height. The length of a toilet seat is usually around 16 inches, which most industry standards consider optimal. However, if the toilet is elongated, you should look for the model that has an 18-inch-long seat because these are typically more comfortable though slightly more expensive.
When it comes to height, comfortable units usually have at least 17 inches from the floor to the rim. These are great for elders or those with back issues. Standard units are slightly shorter at 15-16 inches in height. You also should check if the given dimensions are with or without its seat. You don’t want to buy a toilet that seems tall and realize later that you need a seat riser, which could include additional cost and installation time.
Mounting Position
Tankless toilets usually come in two versions. They can either have a cistern behind the wall or a compressed tank. Depending on your bathroom, you can mount any version on either the wall or the floor. Wall-mounted units make the bathroom seem larger, but they require reinforcement with brackets.
Floor-mounted toilets can also create issues like collecting dirt between the commode and the wall that you can’t reach. Also, some toilets have exposed plumbing, which can ruin the overall bathroom aesthetic you are trying to achieve.
Disturbance Levels
A toilet flushing mechanism can affect you in many ways. It impacts water usage, how many times you need to flush, and noise levels. If it’s too loud, it can wake you up during the night or scare young children learning how to use it.
You can also search for a unit with a SoftClose seat. These prevent accidental slamming and directly improves the lifespan of the seat and rim of the toilet.
Flushing Power
Many tankless toilets have a tank but are slightly modified to appear without one. These are usually behind a wall, but some toilets also use macerator pumps. Depending on its tank style, your toilet may use more or less water for flushing, which means improved efficiency, but potentially lower flushing power.
If the inlet is wide, it will let more water pass through, which means flushing at a higher speed. You may want to consider toilets that also have pressurized rims for increased power. There are special marks on these types of commodes to let you know their GPF rating. For example, if it has Gmax, it means 1.6 GPF, no matter the model.
Advanced Features
In most cases, the more money you spend, the more additional features you will get. For example, toilets with auto-flush and remote control usually cost more. If you want a night light, heated seat, or an automatic open/close lid, you will have to pay even more. On the other hand, these features are essential if you have young kids or the elderly in your family.
Maintenance
Among all types of toilets, tankless units are usually the easiest to maintain. Depending on the shape, they are more accessible for cleaning. Some commodes also come with Sanagloss or EverClean surfaces, which prevent sticking and less cleaning overall.
Disadvantages of Owning a Tankless Toilet
Power
Tankless toilets need electric power to work, which means an outage could get a bit embarrassing, especially if it takes too long to resume.
Price
Tankless toilets are slightly pricier than standard units, but this isn’t that big of a deal in the long run. The biggest problem would be conducting maintenance or repairs, which can be tricky for this toilet style. Usually, you will need a plumber for these issues, especially if you need to install high-quality pipes that can handle the necessary pressure to flush.
Installation
If you are not a DIY professional, installing a tankless toilet will be tricky. Additionally, you will need to break the wall, which requires additional skills.
How do Tankless Toilets Work?
We all know that these toilets don’t have a tank, so how do they work? Instead of getting water from the tank, these toilets get water directly from the supply line. However, the water needs to come through at a higher pressure to flush waste properly, which is why you need high-quality supply lines.
Are Wall-Mounted Toilets Good?
Most households nowadays have a standard, floor-mounted toilet. Wall-mounted units are something relatively new and modern, but are they any good? Let’s take a look at some pros and cons of wall-mounted toilets.
Pros
At first, wall-hung toilets look minimalistic and beautiful. They also allow more floor space and are easy to clean. Another great thing is that with wall-hung toilets, you can choose what height the seat needs to be installed to provide optimal comfort. This feature makes them ideal for those with disabilities.
Cons
The first thing you should know about wall-mounted toilets is that they are pricier, and installation is a bit complex. This means they may not be suitable for every bathroom, especially since they are more prone to leaking than standard units.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Pressure a Tankless Toilet Needs to Work?
Most tankless toilets require at least 20 PSI of pressure to work. Also, the maximum pressure for most units is around 80-85 PSI.
Is It Easy to Install a Wall-Hung Toilet?
Installing a wall-mounted tankless toilet is more complicated than other toilets. Additionally, it requires getting into the wall and having some basic plumbing skills. If you are not a DIY person, we strongly advise calling a professional plumber to handle installing it.
Why Won’t My Toilet Stop Running?
If your toilet won’t stop running, don’t worry. It’s usually not a serious issue, and there are three possible causes for this problem. It could be that the flapper is broken, the length of the chain between the lever and the flapper is not correct, or maybe its float is positioned wrong.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, buying a tankless toilet can be an excellent long-term investment. These are beautiful, easy to use, and very simple to clean but do cost a bit more. If you can invest a bit more cash for your bathroom, buying a tankless toilet will make an excellent choice.
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