Talk to me about toilets

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
14
61
I want to upgrade my toilet. I'll be doing this by myself. What do I need to know?

I remember a thread about a toilet with power assisted flush, I want that. Don't care much at all about water usage. Color isn't important.

Inform me please!
 

nickbits

Diamond Member
Mar 10, 2008
4,122
1
81
Get the larger wax ring for extra protection. There are mixed thoughts on caulking around the base. Pro--water won't leak underneath. Con-leaking toilet seal will rot out subfloor and you'll never know it's leaking.
As for selecting a toilet, I don't know but I'd go with a decent brand-American Standard, Kohler, etc.
 

KillerCharlie

Diamond Member
Aug 21, 2005
3,691
68
91
Even cheap toilets clog less than older toilets.

Installation is about as simple as you can get. I prefer the foam rings over the wax ones, they just cost $5 more but let you reposition (if you press down a wax seal then pull up, it won't expand back). Plus the foam rings work on both 3" and 4" drains.

I also pay a few bucks for extra long floor bolts.
 

mizzou

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2008
9,734
54
91
+1 on buying the nicest wax ring you can get

Also, might want to take some time and make sure your shut-off valve at the toilet actually works before you start taking stuff apart

Mine had a leak so I had to shut off water to the whole house.
 

Cerpin Taxt

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
11,940
542
126
I want to upgrade my toilet. I'll be doing this by myself. What do I need to know?

I remember a thread about a toilet with power assisted flush, I want that. Don't care much at all about water usage. Color isn't important.

Inform me please!

What is it, specifically, that you feel lacking in your current toilet? Do you find yourself clearing it with a plunger often?

If clogging isn't really your problem, probably the best toilet upgrade a person can do is a Toto S300E.
 

linthat22

Senior member
Dec 2, 2011
207
2
76
+1 on buying the nicest wax ring you can get

Also, might want to take some time and make sure your shut-off valve at the toilet actually works before you start taking stuff apart

Mine had a leak so I had to shut off water to the whole house.

+1. Been there and done that!
 

Sho'Nuff

Diamond Member
Jul 12, 2007
6,211
121
106

No way. If it ain't a ferguson. It ain't a toilet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL2YRDzpTL4

OP - if you are replacing the toilet yourself - be prepared for some disgusting stuff. Old wax rings are awful. Make sure you have long rubber gloves and a big zip lock bag. Remove the old toilet, stuff a rag in the opening of the exposed closet flange (more than shit can fall in there now), grab the inside of the wax ring and try to pull it off in one piece. If successful, stuff it into the plastic bag, seal and throw away. If you compromise the integrity of the old ring (or if its nearly disintegrated anyway), best bet is to use an old putty knife to scrape it up and put it in the bag.

Old closet flanges are notorious for rotting out. If the metal ring on your flange is trashed, your local big box hardware or plumbing store will have a plethora of options to fix it without having to replace the entire closet flange. Only issue that I haven't been able to fix in the 10 or so toilets I've replaced was when the closet flange for one was recessed below the floor board. No idea how that happened, but there was no simple fix for it and I ultimately resorted to cutting out the old closet flange and replacing it with a new one. Turned a 1-2 hour job into a 2 day nightmare.

Once you have the flange all set up, remove the rag from the flange, put a new wax ring on the flange, and set the base of the toilet LIGHTLY on the new ring. Make sure the opening on the bottom of the toilet is 100% aligned with the closet flange. If its not realign the toilet and the ring, as you don't want shit leaking into the space under your toilet. Once you are convinced the toilet is lined up right, sit on it to apply even pressure and squash the wax ring into place. Assemble the resit of the toilet and connect the water lines. Once the lines are connected, flush the toilet many times (at least 10 or so) and check for leaks after each flush. You want to detect any issues with the wax ring BEFORE you use the toilet for its intended purpose. Trust me.

Good luck. As for selecting the toilet - I suggest you sit on some comfort height, round bowl toilets and see what you think, particularly if you are tall. Kohler has some nice options, and I've never had one clog. They even handle my 5 year old's epic logs without problems (I seriously have no idea how my son produces those, they are literally half as long as he is tall).
 
Last edited:

NetWareHead

THAT guy
Aug 10, 2002
5,847
154
106
Only issue that I haven't been able to fix in the 10 or so toilets I've replaced was when the closet flange for one was recessed below the floor board. No idea how that happened, but there was no simple fix for it and I ultimately resorted to cutting out the old closet flange and replacing it with a new one. Turned a 1-2 hour job into a 2 day nightmare.

how the hell did that happen and how was the toilet secured to the flange? If recessed like you say, that would mean a gap between the toilet and the flange... Were there like 4 wax rings stacked on top of one another to seal this?
 

Imp

Lifer
Feb 8, 2000
18,828
184
106
We have TOTO toilets at work. They are effing amazing despite being low flow, possibly very low flow.
 

twinrider1

Diamond Member
Sep 28, 2003
4,096
64
91
+1 on buying the nicest wax ring you can get

...

Forget the wax ring. Go to a candle/craft store and get a slab of candle wax. 19"x12"x2", it's 11 pounds of piece of mind.
Cut a 3" hole in it and lay it over the drain, then set the toilet on top and press it in.

 

Sho'Nuff

Diamond Member
Jul 12, 2007
6,211
121
106
how the hell did that happen and how was the toilet secured to the flange? If recessed like you say, that would mean a gap between the toilet and the flange... Were there like 4 wax rings stacked on top of one another to seal this?

Only 2
 

TonyG

Platinum Member
Feb 12, 2000
2,021
2
81
Don't buy the niagra low flow toilet with the push button on the top center of the tank lid. They recently installed one of those in my apartment, replacing the really old toilet that would flush damn near anything, never had any clogging issues. The new toilet, well lets just say that it failed to perform.
 

jaedaliu

Platinum Member
Feb 25, 2005
2,670
1
81
20 years ago my parents got power assist Kholer toilets. Was 1 gallon per flush or whatever CA / LA county had mandated for flush amount. I don't know how exactly they worked, but there was a pressurized tank inside (whole thing fed only by standard water line) and when flushed, you could feel the wind of the room air getting sucked down the toilet.

Okay, you couldn't, but any time I had a friend over, they would make a comment about getting sucked into the toilet.

Anyways, point of my story: within 10 years they all had been replaced because they were springing leaks and way more complicated than a standard toilet to repair. My parents replaced them all with identically sized standard toilets.

Oh, and replacement selection advice: a single piece unit is heavier, but is less maintenance. a 2 piece system is easy enough for 1 person to install, but has an extra seal that may go bad.
 

z1ggy

Lifer
May 17, 2008
10,004
63
91
Are you taking super large dooks ang clogging up often?? I have something in mine that makes the flush almost powerful enough to rip the colon out of my ass. It's amazing. zero clogs in over 3yrs. And I take me some biiiiig ass dumps.
 

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
14
61
Are you taking super large dooks ang clogging up often?? I have something in mine that makes the flush almost powerful enough to rip the colon out of my ass. It's amazing. zero clogs in over 3yrs. And I take me some biiiiig ass dumps.

its the boy

He only poops once every day or two. When he does, its bad.
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,912
2,146
126
For some reason, toilets are rated by the number of golf balls they can flush. So, go with a 19+ golfball model.
 

highland145

Lifer
Oct 12, 2009
43,954
6,315
136
OP is full of crap.

Your luck the flange will be broken.

Well, that was my luck the last time I worked on one.
 
sale-70-410-exam    | Exam-200-125-pdf    | we-sale-70-410-exam    | hot-sale-70-410-exam    | Latest-exam-700-603-Dumps    | Dumps-98-363-exams-date    | Certs-200-125-date    | Dumps-300-075-exams-date    | hot-sale-book-C8010-726-book    | Hot-Sale-200-310-Exam    | Exam-Description-200-310-dumps?    | hot-sale-book-200-125-book    | Latest-Updated-300-209-Exam    | Dumps-210-260-exams-date    | Download-200-125-Exam-PDF    | Exam-Description-300-101-dumps    | Certs-300-101-date    | Hot-Sale-300-075-Exam    | Latest-exam-200-125-Dumps    | Exam-Description-200-125-dumps    | Latest-Updated-300-075-Exam    | hot-sale-book-210-260-book    | Dumps-200-901-exams-date    | Certs-200-901-date    | Latest-exam-1Z0-062-Dumps    | Hot-Sale-1Z0-062-Exam    | Certs-CSSLP-date    | 100%-Pass-70-383-Exams    | Latest-JN0-360-real-exam-questions    | 100%-Pass-4A0-100-Real-Exam-Questions    | Dumps-300-135-exams-date    | Passed-200-105-Tech-Exams    | Latest-Updated-200-310-Exam    | Download-300-070-Exam-PDF    | Hot-Sale-JN0-360-Exam    | 100%-Pass-JN0-360-Exams    | 100%-Pass-JN0-360-Real-Exam-Questions    | Dumps-JN0-360-exams-date    | Exam-Description-1Z0-876-dumps    | Latest-exam-1Z0-876-Dumps    | Dumps-HPE0-Y53-exams-date    | 2017-Latest-HPE0-Y53-Exam    | 100%-Pass-HPE0-Y53-Real-Exam-Questions    | Pass-4A0-100-Exam    | Latest-4A0-100-Questions    | Dumps-98-365-exams-date    | 2017-Latest-98-365-Exam    | 100%-Pass-VCS-254-Exams    | 2017-Latest-VCS-273-Exam    | Dumps-200-355-exams-date    | 2017-Latest-300-320-Exam    | Pass-300-101-Exam    | 100%-Pass-300-115-Exams    |
http://www.portvapes.co.uk/    | http://www.portvapes.co.uk/    |