Although they are rarely found in homes, Rear Discharge Toilets are often preferred by users over a normal toilet. Since you don’t have to tear up your floor to install it, rear discharge toilets are powerful, fast, and also save on water use. A rear discharge toilet has a drain pipe in a different location freeing up a lot of space, which is pretty handy if you have a small bathroom. Here are a few tips and reviews to help you find the best rear discharge toilet for your home.
What is Rear Discharge Toilet?
A rear discharge toilet has a drain pipe that is found in the back of the bowl. The trapway comes in an “S” shaped path that is large enough for solid waste to travel through before reaching the main drain pipe. In a normal toilet, this same trapway is able to suck the waste from the bowl and take it to the floor drain, but in a rear discharge toilet, it takes from the bowl to the main drain that is now in the wall.
Considerations When Choosing a Rear Discharge Toilet
Size
Before you buy a rear discharge toilet, make sure you measure the size of your bathroom, particularly the distance between the wall and the middle of the drain pipe. This will allow you to buy a compatible rear discharge toilet based on the measurements you take.
Mounting
Since they require different plumbing, it’s important to know if you are buying a floor-mount or wall-mount rear discharge toilet. You want to make sure you are buying a rear discharge toilet that is based on the plumbing that you have available in your bathroom.
Seat Height
Typically, you will find that a rear discharge toilet comes with regular comfort and normal height options. This means the height is above 14-inches and a comfort height somewhere between 17 and 19-inches. If you have joint pain, are older or taller, or are disabled, this comfortable height will be more convenient.
Bowl Shape: Elongated and round bowl shapes are the most popular toilet bowl shapes. Depending on your preferences, you may either like the round or elongated bowl better than the other. Typically though, you should be the bowl shape that was used by your last toilet.
Included Tank
You will find that some rear discharge toilets only come with a toilet bowl and not the toilet flush tank. Always verify with the seller whether or not you are getting the tank. If you aren’t, you may have to purchase the compatible tank separately, which can add to your cost.
Flush Type and Mechanism: You will find either dual or single flush rear discharge toilets. Gravity Flush Back Flush Toilets are not as popular as Pressure Assisted Toilets, but either flushing system will give you great performance as well as consume less water.
Water Usage per Flush
Typically, you will get either a 1.28 or 1.6 GPF water consumption from a rear discharge toilet. If you purchase a dual flush rear flush toilet, then you will get either a 1.6 or 0.8/0.9 GPF for full and half flush respectively. This is actually a toilet you want to buy until it uses up to 1.6 gallons of water for each flush.
Price and Warranty
Usually reasonably priced, rear discharge toilets are also pretty easy to purchase and find either in stores or online. Make sure you check the warranty prior to buying the toilet, so you know what is covered and for how long.
Installation of a Rear Outlet Toilet
After you purchase your rear outlet toilet, the next step is installation. Keep in mind that there is a different process for installation when it comes to installing a back-flush toilet versus a regular toilet. Here is the step by step process for installing a rear outlet toilet.
Fitting and Plumbing
First, make sure your bathroom comes with the right plumbing to install a rear outlet toilet. You can always get help from a professional if you aren’t sure about the plumbing fitting. Keep in mind though that you can only start the next step if you have the right plumbing that exists in the bathroom.
Toilet Bowl
You will either have a one or two-piece rear discharge toilet. With a toilet that comes in one-piece, you must install the entire toilet at the same time. If you have a two-piece toilet, the tank can be installed after you install the toilet bowl. Just attach the bowl before attaching the sewage pipe, so that it goes to the main pipe for draining waste. You can place the tank on the bowl later if necessary.
Expert or Self-Install
You can either get a professional or you can install your rear discharge toilet yourself. It is recommended that you only install it by yourself when you have experience with fitting a toilet and have good plumbing skills. Since making a mistake during the installation process can damage your toilet and create leaks or other issues, professional installation may be worth the money since it can prevent your plumbing and toilet from getting damaged.
Can You Install A Rear Outlet Toilet in place of Regular Toilet?
It is not possible to install a rear outlet toilet directly where a regular toilet was installed. Most older toilets come with a side flush, so you may need to change out the fittings and plumbing if you want to install a rear flush toilet.
To do this, you will need to take out the floor drain pipe before fixing the toilet into the fitting in the wall that is directly in back of the toilet bowl. Usually, it is recommended that you make the change to a rear discharge toilet from a typical toilet at the same time you are renovating your bathroom.
Benefits of Rear Discharge Toilets
More attractive than a regular flush toilet, a rear discharge toilet does not have the pipes and plumbing visible that a typical toilet bowl does. It also gives you clean lines in the bathroom that gives a smoother overall appearance.
With a rear discharge toilet, you also save the tiles on your bathroom floor since the drainpipe is placed into the bathroom wall. Typically, a regular toilet will have a floor flush where the drain pipe is placed into the floor, which requires pulling up the floor tiles to install it.
You get a more powerful flush with a rear discharge toilet than a regular toilet. This is due to the pressure aided device found in the rear discharge toilet that helps to improve how well the rear discharge toilet is able to flush.
If you cannot install a regular toilet, a rear discharge toilet is your best option. If your floor drain doesn’t work, gets jammed, or is broken, it’s a good solution. They are also good for places where a ground flushing model just won’t work. Sometimes you just can’t get everything right to install a floor flushing model. This is when a rear flushing discharge toilet will be easier and faster to install. Not only will you not have to tear up the floor to get everything installed, but it will also be cheaper. Even repairs will be easier and cheaper since you just have to turn off the water, undo the connections, and take out the toilet to either replace or fix it.
Thanks to its compact size and appearance, the rear discharge toilet has a slimmer profile that can improve the attractiveness of the bathroom. It is also a great way to change up the look of your bathroom since the cleaner lines give you more of a modern look while it hides all the connections and pipes that you usually see with a toilet. Using a rear discharge toilet is a definite way to ensure a cleaner and more modern looking bathroom.
A rear discharge toilet can also help you when creating a floor plan for your home. Since they tend to have a narrow design, they can help you save on space for really tiny bathrooms. It is also easier to customize a wall-mounted toilet to your preferred height.
Wall-mounted rear discharge toilets don’t have the typical support under the bowl making your bathroom easier to clean overall, since you can simply mop the tiles underneath the bowl and not have to worry about getting around or behind it. While they are harder to find, they are a great way to save space in your home and add a streamlined profile and contemporary look to a bathroom.
A wall-mounted rear discharge toilet will refill faster than a typical toilet thanks to its use of an electric pump. It also saves on water, which reduces the impact of your toilet on the environment and your wallet.
Disadvantages of Rear Output Toilet
Without a lot of range or variety, rear output toilets won’t have a lot of design or color options when you start to shop. The lack of variety has a lot to do with their lack of popularity in comparison to regular toilets.
Since it doesn’t attach to the floor but to the wall, a rear output toilet can become loose over time. It takes a while for it to happy, but it can be a disadvantage.
Using more connection and pipeline than a floor flush toilet, a rear discharge toilet can become troublesome when they leak. It is a little more complicated to repair a rear outlet toilet than a regular toilet.
A little more expensive than a regular toilet, a rear discharge toilet also cost more due to the face that you may need to make a new drain in the wall when you change from a typical toilet to a rear outlet toilet. This is particularly true when installing a wall-mounted toilet, the process of installation and maintenance of a tankless toilet can be a little more complex.
There is a little more energy and time spent when replacing and installing a rear discharge toilet in comparison to a typical toilet. Since the parts and connection are not typical like a floor flushing model this can mean that will take more time to get a rear discharge toilet installed. If you aren’t very mechanically inclined but don’t want to pay a professional to install it, then you will need to do a lot of research since the process can be tricky.
The connections won’t be obvious, and the parts can seem a little odd. If you like a good challenge on a real project, this could be perfect for you. Otherwise, you may want to stick with a regular toilet.
After you have installed the rear discharge toilet, it can still be possible that you will have to retighten Even after you have installed the rear discharge toilet, you may have to go back in and retighten the bolts holding the toilet in place. Since it connected to the wall and not the floor, these bolts may loosen over time, which can cause some serious problems. It may be necessary to regularly tighten the connection on a rear discharge toilet to guarantee that nothing becomes a problem.
The biggest problem that can occur is that the connections can become loose and water can start to leak. This can be a big problem over time, so you need to be aware of the maintenance and possible issues if you do choose to buy a rear discharge toilet.
Best Rear Discharge Toilet Reviews
Toto Aquia Wall-Hung Toilet
Sleek and contemporary, the Toto Aquia Wall-Hung Toilet is a great choice for any type of bathroom thanks to its minimal consumption of water. This floating toilet style uses a dual-flush system that reduces your environmental impact. Featuring a SanaGloss ceramic finish, the Toto Aquia also lessens how much harmful bacteria is able to attach to the toilet’s surface.
With several installation options to choose from, you get a level of variety that lets you cater exactly to your preferences. Easily attaching to an already existing ToTo in-wall tank system, there are several advantages to a wall-mounted toilet. These increasingly popular toilets save you a lot of space, which is great for those with a tiny bathroom. Since it has a stripped-down design, it basically saves you about a foot of space, and that is a lot of space in a really compact bathroom.
Wall-mounted toilets are also very easy to clean since it is not connected to the floor of the bathroom. Since you no longer have to deal with that awful space behind your toilet and around the base, you can easily just mop up the entire area just like any other flat surface in your bathroom. And, it also comes with the ability to adjust the height of the toilet to your preferences, instead of having to resign yourself to using the standard toilet height.
Besides the practical application, this wall-mounted toilet will give your bathroom a sleek and elegant look with its modern design that you wouldn’t be able to get from a standard toilet. It also saves you a lot of money on water use, since almost half of the water use in your home comes from the bathroom. And of that amount of water, your toilet uses a quarter. Depending on the age of a toilet, it can use an insane amount of water with some using as much as five gallons with each flush.
Adhering to new Federal standards, the ToTo Aquia only uses 1.6 gallons with each flush. And, if you consider that a toilet is flushed between five and six times a day, you can easily see how much the low-flow ToTo Aquia will save you financially as well as help the environment.
The Sanagloss ceramic glaze prevents mold and debris from sticking to its surface, so you can use less water and chemicals when you clean it. Not only are you saving the environment by using the Toto Aquia, but you can pair it with other in-wall tank systems including some SoftClose products, which are sold separately.
Pros
- It saves a lot of space, which is great for tiny bathrooms
- It can get stopped up, and it’s easy to mop under
- This is a nice-looking toilet that doesn’t have anything touching the floor
Cons - It is on the expensive side
- The low water level can throw you off at first
Signature Hardware 398506 Ebler Rear Discharge Toilet
The Ebler Rear-Discharge Toilet has a contoured and sleek design that is a beautiful addition to any bathroom. It is ADA-compliant and comes with a 17-inch seat height as well as gorgeous tiered accents. Made of porcelain, this two-piece toilet has an elongated seat design that will save you space, which is perfect for a small bathroom.
With the dual-flush function, you save on water, which is great for the environment and your wallet. Easily connecting to the plumbing in your wall instead of the floor, the Ebler also gives you better access to all the areas surrounding your toilet. Using a European style rear discharge, this dual-flush toilet also comes with an elongated bowl that gives you an extra foot and a half of comfort in comparison to a round bowl.
Constructed of porcelain, you are ensured reliability and dependability. The Ebler gives you a 1.6-gallon flow rate for each flush, which is great for anyone concerned about the environment. And, it also comes with a P-trap connector, a bowl, tank, and toilet seat, and a flush button found on top of the tank.
Pros
- This is a good quality toilet that works well
- Great price for this European style toilet that you can’t get at a local store
- Easy to install toilet that is great for an extra bathroom
Cons
- Doesn’t come with directions
Signature Hardware 393188 Kennard Rear Discharge Toilet
Using a two-piece configuration, the Signature Hardware Kennard gives you easy access to the areas around your toilet. Featuring an elongated bowl design, you get an extra foot and a half of comfort in comparison to standard toilets. This floor-mounted installation also comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
With an overall height of 31 and ¾-inches and a wide of 16 and ½-inches, the Kennard has a comfortable design with an elongated bowl that is pretty tall. Ideal for older users, taller toilets are super easy to get on and off. The height is actually the same as a common chair height while the elongated bowl is an inch and a half longer than a regular toilet bowl making it more comfortable.
With a two-piece design, you are ensured extra space around the toilet making it super easy to clean. It also comes with a dual-flush that saves you both water and money. Even when you use the heavy flow flush feature, it will only use 1.6 gallons of water with each flush in comparison to the five gallons a typical toilet uses.
The white finish is perfect for any bathroom décor making it both stylish and efficient. Just make sure that you have the existing plumbing that will allow this rear discharge toilet to fit in your bathroom.
Pros
- It works great and looks great once it is installed
- It comes with a lifetime warranty
- The elongated bowl is a nice size making it more comfortable to sit on
Cons
- The toilet seat is smaller than the toilet bowl
It requires modifications during installation
The Best Rear Discharge Toilet is
The winner of the best rear discharge toilet roundup is the Toto Aquia Wall-Hung Toilet. With a sleek and contemporary appearance, this rear discharge toilet uses a dual-flush system reducing your environmental impact. Featuring a SanaGloss ceramic finish, the Toto Aquia you will have less harmful bacteria attach itself to the toilet’s surface.
This toilet easily attaches to an already existing ToTo in-wall tank system. With its stripped-down design, it can save you a lot of space and is very easy to clean since it is not connected to the floor of the bathroom. It eliminates the need to clean the area behind your toilet and around the base allowing you to easily mop up the entire area just like any other flat surface in your bathroom.
The height on the Toto Aquia Wall-Hung Toilet is also adjustable to your preferences. And, it saves you a lot of money on water use using only 1.6 gallons of water with each flush. The definite winner of the best rear discharge toilet roundup is the Toto Aquia Wall-Hung Toilet hands down.