Like the tip of an iceberg, a wall hung toilet is only a small part of a much larger system. Typically, wall hung commercial toilets come with a room or (at the very least) a space behind the wall that holds all the water supply lines, valves and drainage pipes. However, one of the most important parts of this system is called the carrier which is what the toilet is physically attached to and is also part of the drainage system. Let’s take a look at what’s beneath the surface of a wall-hung toilet.
As I mentioned, the carrier is an integral component of the system and really drives a lot of the design decisions. Carriers are often made from cast iron and get bolted to the floor behind the wall. The toilet is then bolted to the carrier through the wall which then “carries” the weight of the toilet. The built in drain is connected to the toilet and then to the rest of the drainage and vent piping to form a complete system. Below are two diagrams, one showing a single carrier and another showing how a carrier can hold two toilets.
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As the image above shows, a building has to have a special space to accommodate the carriers. Whenever a building requires space like this, we call it a chase. The chase for a carrier can be as small as the minimum dimensions allow or large enough to do double duty as a closet. This configuration also allows for easy access to the plumbing in case something needs to be serviced.
But what if you can’t dedicate this much space and you don’t even want to give up the foot of space needed for only the carrier? Some fixture brands have come up with a carrier and tank combo that can fit in a 2×4 stud wall. As you can imagine, this type of system can’t take the same abuse as a full size carrier (some can support up to 1000 lbs!), but it could be a great solution for residential or light commercial if you really want the look of a wall hung toilet without losing any square footage.
At Forward Engineers, we seek to not only be a design and consulting firm but to also educate our clients about engineering technology. While doing so, we inevitably refresh our own knowledge and sometimes even learn something ourselves. If you are seeking to work with an engineering firm that is client-centered and strives to provides services that are on time, on budget and exceed expectations, please contact us. We would love to work with you on your next project!
