How Often Should You Replace Your Toilet? Toilets are undoubtedly one of the most important home fixtures. Even more so in this era where everyone could fiddle with their smartphones while doing their businesses.
Although toilets are almost used all throughout the day, every single day of the year, they seldomly need any repairs. However, even though toilets are quite durable, it is still subject to the rules of time.
As the years go by, toilets would experience the formation of tiny cracks that cannot be seen from the outside. From then onwards, your toilets would start to become a ticking bomb just waiting for its unlucky victim.
If you are reading this article, chances are you suddenly had a passing thought while sitting on your toilet. You could also just be curious about this certain topic. Nonetheless, we have compiled all the relevant information you should know about toilet replacement.
The lifespan of a toilet
We already know that toilets are extremely durable and sturdy. Some might even argue that toilets could last a lifetime. But the real question to be pondered on is to what extent. Generally speaking, a typical porcelain toilet could last up to 25 years on average.
However, since everyone does not necessarily use the toilet the same way, this number could be higher or lower. For example, the toilet in a household with 2 members would surely last longer than those with 3 or more.
Hence, your toilet’s age should not only be your basis in deciding whether you should replace it or not. Instead, what you should look out for are obvious signs of damage such as cracks that could affect its overall durability.
Although you might choose to repair your broken toilet, such a decision might cost you a lot instead. This is why you should first discuss it with your plumber if a replacement is really necessary.
Signs that your toilet needs to be replaced
Completely replacing your toilet could cost a lot and could also cause inconveniences. That’s why repairing it would most likely be your first choice. However, if your toilet is frequently experiencing the following problems, it might be time to consider replacement as an option.
You’re experiencing frequent clogging
It’s safe to say that everyone probably already experienced a tough battle involving their plunger and their toilet. Just to get this out of the way, it’s a completely normal occurrence for toilets to clogged up.
However, if you are experiencing it every week, then there’s something really wrong with it. The most common reason for a clogged toilet flushing a foreign object too big to fit in the pipes. Once you rule that out, the pipes themselves might be the problem.
Over time, mineral deposits will form all over your toilet’s drain pipes which would make the passage narrower. If it gets too narrow, clogging would occur regularly. Hence, instead of wasting your time and effort in plunging your waste, just replace your toilet and the drain pipes.
Not only do newer toilets have better ergonomics, but they are also significantly more water-efficient.
The surface of your toilet has plenty of scratches
Porcelain toilets are inherently shiny. As long as you regularly clean them with the correct agent, they will stay that way for a very long time. It is also due to this shininess that toilets are easily cleaned.
Hence, once your toilet is scratched, it would lose that shininess and will make cleaning harder for you. Once the scratches accumulate to a certain extent, you might not even be able to clean it anymore.
Let’s face it, virtually no one would want to use a dirty toilet if they have a choice. This is excluding those people who might be into those sorts of things. Those uncleaned areas could also be the breeding grounds for germs and other harmful organisms.
If you have guests coming over, your dirty toilet would surely affect their impression of you. Hence, you won’t have any choice but to replace it in this case.
Cracks are starting to appear
Unfortunately, your toilet is not made up of indestructible materials even if they look like it. When you sit on it, it experiences stress from carrying you.
Over time, this stress would accumulate and produce these almost invisible cracks that you won’t notice at a simple glance. However, just because you can’t see them, it does not mean that they’re not there.
If these cracks get big enough that you can finally notice them, then it is already a red flag.
How Often Should You Replace Your Toilet? – Conclusion
Sooner or later, your toilet will collapse and might even injure your sensitive parts. That’s why you should not play with your luck and immediately have your toilet replaced. As they say, prevention is always better than cure.