Toiletology 101

There are two-piece toilets and one-piece toilets. As the name implies, a one-piece toilet is one complete unit.

• A one piece unit includes tank, lid, bowl, toilet seat, wax ring with sleeve, two flange bolts and two bolt caps. With a one-piece toilet, you won't get any leaking between the bowl and tank.
• A two-piece toilet has a tank and bowl, which are purchased separately. The two parts are usually less expensive than the one-piece design. Note that the toilet seat, (also known as the lid) is usually not included with the bowl, though all-in-one toilets do exist.

As for bowls, they come in two, count 'em, two shapes: Round and elongated.

• Round bowls are good if saving space is a priority.
• Elongated bowls are usually 2" longer than round bowls and offer greater comfort and increased water surface area.

Toilet seats also come in two shapes to match the bowls: Round and elongated. You can get all kinds of colors, and styles to match your bathroom's decor. The hardware used to attach the seat to the bowl comes in a variety of materials and finishes as well.

American Standard is a major manufacturer of both round and elongated, one and two-piece toilets.