Wall-mounted Toilet Buying Guide

What Is a Wall-mounted Toilet?

For planned renovations or new builds, wall-mounted toilets are a stylish and low-maintenance alternative to the standard bathroom design. Also called a floating toilet, a wall-mounted toilet is a standard toilet that has been anchored and plumbed into the wall rather than to the floor. The water supply inlet and waste outlet pipe are hidden behind the wall.

Floating toilets can be a pricey installation for a bathroom remodel as they require moving the plumbing from the floor to the wall and installing the tank within the wall. Some styles of wall-mounted toilets may rest on or near the floor but the plumbing goes through the wall. They offer an updated, less traditional look to the bathroom and simplify cleaning.

How Does a Wall-mounted Toilet Work?

A floating toilet utilizes multiple different design changes in order to install the toilet to the wall. The bowl shape is the most obvious change, without a pedestal connecting the bowl to the floor. There is no tank behind the bowl, and it is installed against the wall to “float” over the bathroom floor. 

The operation of the wall-mounted toilet is quite familiar to most users: push a button to flush the waste from the bowl. The toilet actuator is mounted to the wall above the toilet and is available in a variety of styles. It will usually offer a full flush and partial flush button, rather than the flapper lever on the front of the tank.

Behind the wall, a more compact water tank is mounted into a steel frame. That frame, called a carrier frame, is installed securely to the floor and bracketed between the studs that form the wall. The toilet bowl mounts to the carrier frame, so it needs to be very solidly anchored. 

Drywall is installed around the plumbing and the exposed toilet mounting points to finish the wall. The wall-mounted toilet is secured to the hidden framework in the same way a standard toilet is mounted to the floor. It is bolted into place on the carrier over the wall tile, so it is important to use the carrier that matches the toilet design to line up the bolts exactly.

The water-tight tank, or cistern, is molded plastic and all one piece, with no weak spots or welded seams. Many models will include an extra insulation layer around the outside of the tank to prevent condensation problems after installation. 

The flush mechanism inside the tank, above the cistern, works similar in concept to a standard toilet, but the pieces are mostly self-contained, with no separate rod or chain to malfunction. Call in a professional to be certain everything is installed and operating efficiently to prevent future problems. In the event something does need replaced inside the tank, there is enough room in the front of the tank for an adult hand to reach in and make the necessary adjustments.

How Much Weight Can a Wall-mounted Toilet Support?

While there is no standard for the weight capacity of a floor mounted toilet, it averages around 1000 pounds. It has a pedestal beneath the bowl to use the support of the ground to maintain a solid foundation. Without that reliable base, how much weight can a wall-mounted toilet hold?

Floating toilets are closely monitored for obvious safety concerns. The national standard for the minimum weight capacity of wall-mounted toilets is 500 pounds. Without the built-in support of the base, the weight limit depends on a combination of factors.

The Bowl Construction

The bowl itself must be made of a quality, durable design and material. The molded shape of the bowl should fit the mounting system chosen to install it to the wall. 

The Weight Limit of the Carrier Frame

The steel frame that the toilet is installed to will have a weight limit based on the design. It depends on the quality of the metal and the strength of the brackets and bolts.

The Strength of the Wall

The frame that holds the toilet is supported, in part, by the studs of the wall behind it. If the wood studs are weakened or damaged by age and wear, the weight capacity will be less than that of sturdy, newer studs.

The final and most important influence on the weight limit of wall-mounted toilets is the proper and complete installation of the floating toilet. Even loose washers or overtightened bolts can increase the amount of wear and decrease the weight capacity over time. It is a potentially expensive and dangerous problem if not caught early. 

The steel framework itself can weigh between 50 and 80 pounds, which will also lower the toilet’s surface weight capacity. It is important to install wall-mounted toilets to the framework correctly and securely the first time, which means hiring an experienced plumber or installer for the task. Installing a floating toilet is not a weekend do-it-yourself project for a home improvement rookie.

With all of these factors considered, quality carrier frames can hold between 500 and 880 pounds. That puts a solidly installed wall-mounted toilet within two hundred pounds of the weight capacity of a floor mounted toilet. Floating toilets are quite popular world-wide and reliably built with the proper installation.

Features of Floating Toilets

Residential wall-mounted toilets share many of the same features as standard floor mounted toilets, though they have a different design. They incorporate streamlined style with reliable function. 

• Floating toilets are partially hidden behind a wall, but the bowls can be purchased to match your bathroom, in multiple shades of white, tan, and modern black ceramic finishes. 
• Because of the prominent placement on the wall, different brands offer a variety of design styles and finishes for the face of the two-button actuator panel. 
• Unique to the wall-mounted toilet is the hidden water tank, which can remove up to 12” from the toilet’s footprint and save space in the bathroom. 
• The concealed tank makes it easier to clean the floor, and offers fewer surfaces in need of dusting and desanitizing.
• With the one-piece cistern and the insulation layer around the tank tucked into the wall, a floating toilet provides a quieter flush. 
• The height of the toilet is also adjustable to fit ADA requirements or for personal preference of the household before installation, by setting the steel frame inside the wall to between 15” and 19” from the ground.
• Wall-mounted toilets help conserve water, with dual-button actuator flush controls. It varies between models, but a full flush can use up to 1.6 gallons per flush, and a partial flush can use as little as .8 gallons per flush.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Floating Toilets

The most obvious advantage of the wall-mounted toilet is the improved aesthetics, but there are other considerations to the choice than just the look. Make sure you consider the pros and cons of wall-mounted toilets before you make the decision to invest in converting to a floating toilet.

Advantages

While the modern look of the floating toilet complements a stylish washroom, there are plenty of benefits to the update.

Wall-mounted Toilets Save Space.

The slim water tank in the wall replaces a ceramic tank that can take up to an additional 10” to 12” of floor space behind the toilet bowl. Many building codes require a minimum 21” floor area in front of the toilet and the tank removal would allow even more comfortable space.

Wall-mounted Toilets Are Easily Maintained.

The water tank is one solid piece, with no weak spots, seams, or moving parts. The actuator panel connects to the front of the tank, and when removed, allows access to the self-contained mechanisms that control the flush. The inner workings within the tank are designed to be replaced with minimal difficulty, because there is only enough room to fit an average adult hand through the actuator panel in the wall.

Floating Toilets Operate the Same as Floor Mounted Toilets.

The flush mechanism is a lever on traditional toilets, or a button on the top of the tank. Wall-mounted toilets use the same basic principle, with a dual button actuator installed into the wall above the toilet and connected to the water and inlet controls on the tank.

Wall-mounted Toilets Are ADA Compliant.

The lower seat height recommended by ADA standards makes it more accessible to those with mobility limitations. For commercial installations or for home use, floating toilets can be installed between 15” and 19” above the floor. It must be done at the time of installation and cannot be changed without removing the wall. 

Wall-mounted Toilets Are WaterSense Certified.

Many models of wall-mounted toilets are built to meet the water-saving standards of the EPA’s WaterSense specifications. Each flush uses under 2 gallons of water per flush. Some also qualify for the California Green Building standards.

Floating Toilets Make Cleaning the Bathroom a Breeze.

Wall-mounted toilets offer the same quality connections and installation features, in a different, cleaner location by hiding the connections against the wall. 

• With the toilet up off the ground, mopping or sweeping the floor becomes much easier. There are no obstacles to clean up around, and no bolts in the floor to collect grime. 
• Many bowl styles are trim and streamlined with fewer nooks and crannies from the waste outlet shape. 
• The mounting bolts are protected, depending on the design of the bowl, with minimal surface to collect dust and moisture compared to floor mounts.

Disadvantages

The many advantages of wall-mounted toilets come with serious considerations when determining if a residential floating toilet is a good fit for your home. There are added costs and installation requirements that do not apply to floor mounted toilets and should be a factor in your choice.

Floating Toilets Have Additional Parts.

Unlike a floor mounted toilet, there is more to buy than the ceramic commode. A floating toilet requires the individual purchase of the toilet, the frame, the tank, and the carrier. Some models of wall-mounted toilets will include all required pieces in the purchase price, others will not. Clarify the product contents before closing out the shopping cart. 

Floating Toilets Are More Expensive.

Installing a wall-mounted toilet requires tearing apart an existing wall and exposing or even moving the support studs. This work, and the toilet installation, should be completed by a professional contractor or plumber, which means hiring someone else to do the work. 

A wall-mounted toilet installation can require paying the costs for:

• The toilet
• The tank
• The toilet carrier
• The contractors’ or installers time and labor
• The materials to reroute the plumbing
• The materials to rebuild the wall
• The materials to repair the floor

For a bathroom remodel, everything is a separate price. For a new home build, planning for the wall-mounted toilet ahead of time includes just the additional price of the toilet and frame, as everything else may absorb into the general construction costs.