Replacing toilet - question

[eagl]

Did the tank break from overload of pilot ego BS by any chance?
 

If only.  Feats of strength are only one measure.  No, this was broken by what I can assume was a feat of stupidity by a previous owner.  The whole toilet is installed at around 13" instead of 12" and the tank was cracked at its base, so I am assuming that someone pushed the tank towards the wall and cracked the bottom of the tank.  It was then allowed to slowly leak until the region's naturally hard water sealed up the cracks.  Oops.

[morfiend]

Eagl,

  If the toilet is 13 inches from the wall and you dont want to go to all the trouble to set it at the proper distance you can fill the gap behind the tank! A couple of strips of pipe insulation foam will work in a pinch but I'd get a small peice of high density styrofoam and cut it to fit the back of the tank before you install the tank.

    That should stop a repeat of what happened to the old one and is a cheap fix that only you will know about!

      Then get your favourite book and admire your handiwork!



   

[Babalonian]

Similar issue with one toilet in my house, always had about a 1" gap behind it for a long time.  A couple years ago, while fixing some other things up in that bathroom (including a new toilet), I got some cheap tile and did the wall behind the toilet about 3' feet up from the floor.  Perfect 1/4-1/3" gap now.

[eagl]

Thanks for the tank tips   I may try bracing the tank if it ends up too far from the wall.  It's possible it was simply improperly seated on the wax ring.

[Sonicblu]

What drano said.

American standard cadet 3 is probably the best bet from a home center.

I like and have install more toto g-max than anything else. It's what I have in my house. My kids flushed a spoon through it.

I have not had one unhappy customer with a toto g max's flush ever,  and I have put in hundreds of them.

One more thing if you bolt the tank down to the porcelain stops on the bowl you'll be find. Tanks are not made to recline on.

[rabbidrabbit]

Just put in an American Standard Cadet3 about a 2 months ago. 1.2 gallons per flush. Took me about half an hour. Replaced an old 3 gal per flush unit. Went from 4000 gal. per moth water to 2.5 to 3000 gal. per month. Going to do the second bathroom toilet in the spring.

so....  3-1.2 = 1.8 gallon difference per flush.
That's 555 flushes per month to get 1000 gallons.  833 flushes per month if 1500 gallons.   

Do you run a daycare?

[Babalonian]

so....  3-1.2 = 1.8 gallon difference per flush.
That's 555 flushes per month to get 1000 gallons.  833 flushes per month if 1500 gallons.   

Do you run a daycare?

Some people use water in their house for other things - like laundry, showers, baths, watering the lawn/garden, doing the dishes, cooking.... all these strange and unheard of things to you, sir. 

[rabbidrabbit]

Some people use water in their house for other things - like laundry, showers, baths, watering the lawn/garden, doing the dishes, cooking.... all these strange and unheard of things to you, sir. 

"Replaced an old 3 gal per flush unit. Went from 4000 gal. per moth water to 2.5 to 3000 gal. per month"

I assumed the reduced consumption was being solely attributed to the toilet change.  Perhaps my bad.

[Stalwart]

Anyone know if I can reasonably expect a new toilet to fit where an older one used to be? 

Yes, but don't expect it to flush. 

[bigsky]

It would be a lot easier if you would just toejam in hole in the yard.

[chaser]

Funny man you funny.   

So far it sounds like if the closet bolts (why are they "closet" bolts when they're holding onto a toilet and not a closet?) are 12 inches from the wall then it is "standard".

I can actually answer the closet question. Back when toilets were first coming into existance as we know them, the tank was called "water closet" (since closets store things, and it stored water.) The name stuck for the bolts, but not so much for the water closet.

Used to work for a plumber and the first time he asked me for closet bolts I had to ask what they were and why they were called that. This was the answer he gave me.

On a side note, the man who invented the modern day toilet was named Thomas Crapper. <--- True story

[jimson]

Just had one replaced. The wax ring failed and water was going under the tile and rotting the wall out.

Couldn't figure it out as the wall it was damaging had no pipes and never saw water on the floor.

There are now better options than the messy wax ring.

http://sanisealgasket.com/

[Butcher]

Be thankful you don't have to replace the flange, I had to drill through concrete a few times to replace it.

[morfiend]

Just had one replaced. The wax ring failed and water was going under the tile and rotting the wall out.

Couldn't figure it out as the wall it was damaging had no pipes and never saw water on the floor.

There are now better options than the messy wax ring.

http://sanisealgasket.com/

   These are the foam type gaskets I mentioned above!   If you have PVC pipe they work great but if you have an old cast system there's usually a lead liner that doesnt always play nice with the foam! However with a PVC system it's likely the best option for the DIY guys!


   YMMV.