Before the existence of plumbing and toilets, people often disposed of their bodily waste anywhere downstream or covered it in dirt. However, this comes at the expense of quickly spreading water-borne diseases, which has been one of the biggest health problems of all time.
These days, the existence of sewage and plumbing systems are an important part of every building and is included in every building code all over the world, especially in Singapore. Most homes, offices, or buildings will often have this system installed.
The toilet is perhaps one of the most important items in any home or office building. In Singapore, certain policies are enacted to make sure they remove and transport waste to the nearest waste treatment plant in the most efficient and environmentally-safe way possible.
How Toilets Work
A pipe from the water supply extends into the tank, and its flow is controlled by a valve that automatically shuts it off once the water reaches a certain amount. By pulling a lever, another valve is partially opened that empties the water stored in the tank into the bowl, which carries over the waste down the S-shaped pipe and into the sewer system.
The S-shaped pipe underneath is called the “S-trap”, which is designed and placed in that specific area beneath the toilet bowl to trap the bad-smelling air and keep it from rising to the top of the bowl.
Parts of the Toilet
Before calling a plumber or a professional plumbing services in Singapore to fix toilet bowl choke or any toilet issue, you must first know the parts that make up your toilet. Here they are for your consideration:
• Bowl, seat and tank – These are the main parts of the toilet, with the bowl taking up the base of the toilet’s size. The seat is comprised of the bowl, the pedestal attached to it, and the cisterns and pipes that drain from the bowl into the sewer system.
The tank is where the water is temporarily stored before it is drained into the bowl.
• Wax ring – Even though you don’t see this part of your toilet often (or at all, in some cases), this part is extremely crucial – this seal prevents drain water from leaking and sewer gases from escaping into your home.
• Water supply line – The water supply line is directly connected to your main water supply, and is the pipe that connects to your fill valve to bring water to your unit’s tank.
• Valves – There are two types of valves you will find in your toilet – the fill valve and the flush valve – and they are responsible for bringing and moving the water in and out of your toilet bowl.
The fill valve is what brings water to the tank after the level is pulled, which is regulated using a float adjustment screw. These types of valves either comes as fill cups or ballcocks, and both work essentially by shutting off the valve flow once the water lifts the valve arm to a certain height.
Meanwhile, flush valves are what release the water held in the tank and into the bowl. When the handle is pulled to flush, the valve is lifted by a chain, which empties the water into the bowl.
• Flappers – Also called the flush valve seal, flappers are one of the biggest causes of why people often go into the hardware store or hire the services of a plumber.
Types of Toilets
The standard toilet that you see in most offices, homes, and buildings has a tank and a bowl. However, there are more different types of toilets than you believe exist, such as the following for your consideration:
1. Wall-Hung – Toilets that are elevated without the need for a pedestal can be installed at any height. Because their frames are quite sturdy, they can easily support a significant amount of weight and force without buckling or falling off the wall.
2. Close Coupled – Close-coupled toilets are a type of toilet where the cistern and the pan are connected as one unit. Most modern toilets fall under this category.
3. Back-to-Wall – Similar to wall-hung toilets, back-to-wall units are not reliant on a pedestal. However, back-to-wall toilets are directly fixed on the floor, with the pipes and cistern concealed beneath the wall.
On Toilet and Plumbing Repair
Most standard toilets are actually quite easy to fix, and won’t need you to call a plumber in many situations where your toilet isn’t working. In fact, the biggest problem you may encounter with your toilet is when it clogs, and there are many ways to remove the debris obstructing the pipes.
You can even avoid clogging the pipes to make sure it works as smoothly as possible for a long time. As long as you don’t flush things down the bowl that you’re not supposed to (e.g. anything that doesn’t dissolve in water or is too large to fit in the pipes), your toilet should be fine.
However, there are also problems that can arise with your plumbing works that you need to call a reliable plumber or plumbing services agency. In some instances, you might even need to call a 24 hours plumber services to get your plumbing works repaired.
Be sure to ask a professional plumbing contractor or plumbing services agency in Singapore to install your toilet based on the specific requirements that will make the most of your bathroom space.