“Adult-sized toilets can be too high or large for children,” says Adriana Miller, product manager at Mansfield Plumbing. “They’re almost intimidating, and they can be unsafe due to their size.

“That’s why we created the Elementary toilet. It’s just 11-1/4 inches tall for easy access. We make the bowl smaller, so it’s a comfortable fit for a child.”

Available in two pieces, the round-front toilet includes a lid cover lock and a custom made SmartClose^TM toilet seat. “This seat closes very slowly, so there’s no banging down of the seat lid,” says Miller. “That’s also a good thing because the seat will not close suddenly and hurt any small fingers in the way.”

The post Child-sized Toilet Big Hit with Parents appeared first on Mansfield Plumbing.

If it’s time for improvements in your bathroom, you’ll need to decide if a professional plumber is needed or if you can handle upgrades on your own. For some homeowners with a working knowledge of plumbing, replacing a toilet may be an easy-to-tackle project.

“Replacing an older, inefficient toilet with a WaterSense high-efficiency toilet is such a smart investment,” says Adriana Miller, product manager at Mansfield Plumbing. “Homeowners can gain an efficient waste removal system while saving money on water bills by installing a new toilet. There are step-by-step instructions and videos at www.mansfieldplumbing.com that make this a fairly easy project for a DIYer.”

If a new toilet is on your “must do” list during Home Improvement Month, we encourage you to check out the water efficient PROTECTOR^® No-Overflow Toilet. This amazing toilet, which has a highly-engineered PuraClean^TM glaze for easy cleaning, features a unique concealed secondary drain that provides protection from messy overflow situations.

Made in the U.S.A., the PROTECTOR solves the problem of clogged toilets displacing overflowing water onto the floor by redirecting excess water into the concealed secondary drain. There are no unsightly holes and the overflow system is hidden within the bowl. A homeowner’s dream toilet!

The post May is Home Improvement Month appeared first on Mansfield Plumbing.

Tops on the list should be the room you use several times a day — the bathroom. And within the bathroom, take a good look at your toilet.

Oftentimes people “inherit” the toilets in their house when they move in. Over time though, the toilets may stop functioning as smoothly as they did originally. That’s a sure sign that it’s time for a toilet replacement. Other signs include leaking, rocking or sluggish flushes of the toilet. And, if your water bills seem too high, it’s a good bet that you don’t have a water efficient toilet in your home.

Replacing a toilet is a fairly easy DIY project. Start by selecting a low water usage toilet with lots of power. You’ll also want to look for the “cleanest” toilet you can find to make your household chores easier.

For peace-of-mind and easy cleaning, we recommend the PROTECTOR^® No-Overflow Toilet. It features a unique concealed secondary drain that provides protection from messy overflow situations. The PROTECTOR also stays clean longer than standard toilets. A highly-engineered PuraClean glaze on the toilet makes the bowl bacteria resistant and easier to clean.

Available as a SmartHeight toilet, the 1.6 Gpf PROTECTOR sits 16-1/2″ tall and meets ADA standards, making it easy to sit and stand from this easy-access toilet. For powerful flush action, the toilet also features a three-inch flush valve design and can easily move 800 grams MaP.

For installation instructions for the PROTECTOR, click HERE. And to calculate the water savings this toilet can have on your home bills, see our online Water Savings Calculator.

The post Spring Home Improvement Time appeared first on Mansfield Plumbing.

At Mansfield Plumbing, we understand that you need solutions to everyday problems. That’s why we make our toilets to withstand the daily rigors of life plus the unexpected challenges … like toy cars.

Click HERE to see how our SmartFlush system can handle your son’s toy car near-disaster … or the flushing of 10 golf balls … or 40 squares of toilet paper! And, if you think you need even more flushing support, ask for our MagnaFlush II high performance flushing technology … which can handle 25 golf balls or 8 toy cars!

Our toilets are made for real life … even when life throws you a curve ball or two.

The post Flushing Away the Mess appeared first on Mansfield Plumbing.

 

“My boyfriend and his father took out an old toilet and replaced it with a Summit Dual-Flush toilet in less than an hour,” says Misty Davis with Everything Changes blog site. “We selected this toilet specifically because of the dual flush option. We had problems getting toilet paper and waste down with our other toilet. This new toilet saves water by using just 1.1/1.6 Gpf and efficiently removes solid waste when the second flush button is chosen.”

 In Oregon, Laurie Adams reports that installing a Denali toilet was “super easy and quick.”  

“On a scale of 1 being difficult and 5 being super easy, I would give this project a 4,” says Adams, with Emily Reviews blog site. “I actually had to ask my husband to slow down so I could take pictures. The entire process took less than 30 minutes.”

 For Adams, who has two young daughters at home, selecting the Denali Power Flush toilet was important because of the powerful flushing capabilities. Providing single flush confidence, Denali features superior flushing performance that’s more than 20 percent greater than the highest MaP rating, moving 1,200 grams of waste with 1.6 Gpf. 

Both Davis and Adams have written reviews of their Mansfield toilet installation experiences. To see the step-by-step blog postings, go to http://mistymorgan.blogspot.com/2016/11/mansfield-plumbing-summit-dual-flush.html and http://www.emilyreviews.com/2016/10/mansfield-plumbing-denali-toilet-review-giveaway-us-canada-1103.html.

The post DIY Toilet Installation appeared first on Mansfield Plumbing.

The answer is easy if you have a cracked toilet bowl or your toilet has simply stopped functioning. But if you’re simply starting to wonder if it’s time to replace an older toilet, here are some tell-tale signs that your aging toilet needs to be replaced:

Sign #1 – Ongoing leaking problems. Hairline cracks in a tank or bowl, bad seals or broken flanges can all potentially cause leaking problems. This is an important issue, because if your floor becomes soft from water leaks it can attract mildew, rot or create structural damage.

   Sign #2 – Your water bills keep growing. If you have an older toilet, you may be using up to 6 gallons of water per flush. Newer, more water-efficient models are available that use just 1.6, 1.28 or even 1 gallon per flush.

Sign #3 – Increase in clogging. Sure, most toilets may clog up once in awhile if large amounts of waste are deposited. However, if you find the plunger is your new best friend and you’re using it often, then it’s time to get a more powerful toilet — like the DENALI^TM Power Flush toilet — that can move 1,200 grams of waste (20% greater than the highest MaP rating) with just 1.6 gallons per flush.

Sign #4 – Wobbly or rocking toilet. Your toilet should be firmly secured to the floor and not sway or move when you sit on it or get off of it. While a wobbly toilet could simply mean some bolts need adjusting, it can also be an indicator that the lifespan of your toilet has come to an end.

Sign #5 – Fix versus replace. If you have a plumber give you a quote for fixing your toilet that appears high, ask what the cost of a replacement toilet would be. Oftentimes it’s less expensive to replace an older toilet than have it fixed. The bonus is that a new toilet will most likely come with upgrades you don’t currently have — such as being more water efficient, sitting higher for comfort and/or having stronger flushing capabilities.

The post When is it Time to Replace Your Toilet? appeared first on Mansfield Plumbing.

            Placing a striking mirror in the bathroom … or several mirrors … can open up the feeling of the space and change a ho-hum bathroom into a gorgeous setting. To find the right color, shape, size and look for your bathroom, start by finding mirror ideas online, in stores and even in bathrooms you visit at the homes of friends and in restaurants!

Whether you decide to invest in one large mirror or a dozen smaller mirrors, you can transform your bathroom setting with your own reflection.

Here are some of our favorite bathroom mirrors we think make the most of bathroom space!

The post Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall appeared first on Mansfield Plumbing.

Not all bathrooms are massive, but space doesn’t matter. Transforming a small bathroom into a luxurious one can happen when you know the right products and design tips. Here are some of our favorite things to keep in mind for small bathroom renovations:

Tip #1 – Maximize storage space with floating shelves, container storage, wall-mounted storage or even a floor to ceiling cabinet (perhaps with a mirror on the outside!).

Tip #2 – Add mirrors to enhance the space.

Tip #3 – Swap out an old window for a decorative glass window that becomes a focal point of the room. Styles from Hy-Lite include operable versions to allow air flow into the bathroom.

Tip #4 – Create a fuller space feeling with well-placed lighting.

Tip #5 – Add a stylish toilet that makes a design statement in the bathroom and ties in with 2016 bathroom trends! Consider one of the toilets from the Affordable Style suite collections from Mansfield Plumbing.

Tip #6 – Create privacy areas by using obscure acrylic block walls to separate the toilet area from the sink.

Tip #7 – Keep it light.  Use brighter colors, like tones of whites, grays and beiges to create an open feeling.

Tip #8– Add texture with glass tiles, mosaics or grained wallpaper.

Tip #9 – Stagger towel racks on the walls and add a Clutterbuster Family Towel Bar from Hinge-It . The rack stores behind the door and has four parallel bars for drying and storing towels.

Tip #10 – Forget shower curtains and frosted glass showers. Use a glass door on the shower to help make the room look bigger.

The post Affordable Fixes For a Small Bathroom appeared first on Mansfield Plumbing.

If you’re experiencing slow water removal in the sink or a stopped-up toilet, here are some tips on how to tackle the problems yourself before calling a plumber.

            Tip #1 – Unclog a sink by relying on the power of a wet/dry shop vac to suction out hair and gunk clogs. Before running a drain snake, you can also try a Zip-It.

            Tip #2 – Leaky faucet driving you crazy? The seal could have broken down over time on a cartridge in your faucet. Head to your hardware store for a replacement. 

            Tip #3 – Slow moving water in your shower drain? Attack the problem with a toilet plunger! If that doesn’t work, remove the drain covering and insert a flexible shaft pick-up tool to grab the clogged hair.

            Tip #4 – To get a toilet to stop “running” and wasting water, stop jiggling the handle and replace the flapper.

            Tip #5 – For a grimy or smelly dishwasher, get out an old toothbrush and vinegar. Start by using a toothbrush to scrub your seals with hot, soapy water. Next, run the dishwasher with some vinegar inside on the hottest setting. The vinegar will help break down mineral deposits and bacteria.

Want more tips? Click HERE for plumbing tricks-of-the-trade from Family Handyman magazine!

The post Weekend Plumber? Tricks of the Trade for DIYers appeared first on Mansfield Plumbing.