# New Toilet



## adam_howard (Sep 13, 2018)

Looking to replace a current toilet to a taller model for my parents. Any brands to stay away from? Sounds weird, but are there “options” I should be looking for?


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## pjones (Dec 30, 2018)

I've been looking at replacing our toilet also. I work for a big plumbing and HVAC company. I am on the HVAC division, but every time one of us is doing a renovation i always see an email go out about them asking for recommendations for fixtures, and every time the response is overwhelmingly "Anything TOTO". 

I think sticking with TOTO will insure you have the best chance of replacing a tank or bowl if they chip or break as well as finding parts if required. I've sent many questions to their customer service and they have always been fast to respond. 

My current toilet is not Toto, I think it's Foremost or something like that. It's sold by and labeled as being a Rona toilet. The bowl shape is not standard and is impossible to find a seat for it. Only since I've been looking to replace my standard seat for a washlet seat did I find out of this odd size issue, many complaints online about it showed up when I looked ink it online but little in the way of solutions. can't even buy a standard type seat from Rona for it if the original breaks, don't even bother looking for a washlet to fit. 

With that said I am installing the Toto Drake II washlet+ with the S550e seat. I'm leaning towards the S5##e series because of the eWater feature. I don't have a link right now, I can't find one on this old phone, trying to do two things at once like that will make it crash. 

Your link brought me to a scope review website...


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## Diehard (Dec 31, 2018)

adam_howard said:


> Looking to replace a current toilet to a taller model for my parents. Any brands to stay away from? Sounds weird, but are there “options” I should be looking for?


You mention a taller model so I assume you're talking about a Handicap height bowl, which is a good idea. 
Look at the actual dimensions because they do vary.(17”-19” floor to bowl rim height)
Elongated seat as well.


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## mabloodhound (Jan 1, 2019)

I put in Kohler comfort height (16") about 10 years ago and they work fine.  Only drawback was I had to replace the fill mechanism in both after 3 years.  But since then OK.  The comfort height makes all the difference.


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## zannej (Jan 1, 2019)

You want to look for ADA or "comfort height" toilets for the taller ones. There are some Toto Drake toilets with ADA comfort height. They have about 900 to 1000 MaP test ratings (which means they flush very well). I have the original Drake & it doesn't splash when flushing. Has a 3-inch flush valve so it flushes well. The Drake II has a 2.5" flush valve and a bowl wash feature but I've never used one. Toto Entrada is similar to the original Drake but has a slimmer tank & tends to be less expensive. I'd have to look & see if it comes in ADA height.

Stay away from the really cheap toilets you may see at big box stores. I've heard Kohler is good. Some people like American Standard but the ones I've used tend to splash you when they flush and/or do not flush well.


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## pjones (Jan 2, 2019)

zannej said:


> You want to look for ADA or "comfort height" toilets for the taller ones. There are some Toto Drake toilets with ADA comfort height. They have about 900 to 1000 MaP test ratings (which means they flush very well). I have the original Drake & it doesn't splash when flushing. Has a 3-inch flush valve so it flushes well. The Drake II has a 2.5" flush valve and a bowl wash feature but I've never used one. Toto Entrada is similar to the original Drake but has a slimmer tank & tends to be less expensive. I'd have to look & see if it comes in ADA height.
> 
> Stay away from the really cheap toilets you may see at big box stores. I've heard Kohler is good. Some people like American Standard but the ones I've used tend to splash you when they flush and/or do not flush well.



I thought the Drake II came with a flush tower and not a flapper. I'll have to look up the specs on that. The older drakes have a better MaP score than the newer Drake II with a score of 800 instead of 1000-ish that the original drakes were getting, still a good flush score but not 1000...

I don't know how a tower differs than a flapper other than they are supposed to be more durable and allow better water flow. Could that be why they are still getting a decent flush score while having only a 2.5" hole?


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## zannej (Jan 3, 2019)

Pjones, I've never looked at the Drake II's innards so I don't know about the flush mechanism other than it having a 2.5" hole. It still has a good MaP score and the trade-off is the bowl wash that rinses the bowl while flushing. I got the Drake I with sanagloss but sediment in my water voided the warranty on that and it stained the finish. In normal water situations it probably works great, but I have unfiltered well water. I think a bowl wash wouldn't be necessary with normal water. But, it's easier to clean than my past toilets.

Are the Delta brand toilets any good?


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## pjones (Jan 19, 2019)

zannej said:


> Pjones, I've never looked at the Drake II's innards so I don't know about the flush mechanism other than it having a 2.5" hole. It still has a good MaP score and the trade-off is the bowl wash that rinses the bowl while flushing. I got the Drake I with sanagloss but sediment in my water voided the warranty on that and it stained the finish. In normal water situations it probably works great, but I have unfiltered well water. I think a bowl wash wouldn't be necessary with normal water. But, it's easier to clean than my past toilets.
> 
> Are the Delta brand toilets any good?



I just got my Drake II 1.25GPF toilet and see that it does have a flush tower. Although when I talked to TOTOs tech support they did mention that that is a recent change and some of the old stock toilets may sill come with a flapper.  They did mention that the flappers were being phased out now since the flush towers provide better performance and are more reliable. I haven't installed it yet, maybe tonight, if I remember I'll measure the hole size in the tank to confirm its a 2.5". Sounds like you managed to find a spec in that somewhere though so I probably don't need to confirm that bit of info. 

I don't have any insight on the Delta brand toilets. With the constant recommendations that I received specifying "go with anything TOTO", and considering my experience with a lesser known brand (Foremost) I decided to only look at TOTO toilets.


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## zannej (Jan 19, 2019)

I read some reviews comparing Drake I to Drake II and they specified that the Drake II has a smaller flush hole (whatever it is called) but I can't seem to locate it again. The original Drake has the 3" and G-Max flushing. The Toto Entrada (which is one of the cheapest ones Toto carries) also has the 3" but has E-Max flushing. E-Max & G-Max are about the same, but E-Max is designed to flush with a smaller tank. It's the "eco" version. The Entrada comes in "chair height" but does not come with the SanaGloss (aka Cefiontect-- or whatever they are calling it now) finish. Drake II comes with "Tornado Flush".

I found the specs for the Drakes and Entrada. The original Drake and the Entrada have a trap seal of 2-3/8" in diameter. The Drake II has a trap seal of 2-1/8" diameter. So the flapper for the former is 3" while the flapper for the latter is 2.5".

I wonder if the new flush towers can work in the original Drake or the Entrada. I'm planning to get the Entrada for the guest bathroom once I get the renovation in gear.


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## soparklion11 (Jan 26, 2019)

Toto...  American Standard advertises the ability to flush golf balls and an easy clean finish. It isn't nearly as easy clean/ stain resistant as my Toto


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## billshack (Feb 16, 2019)

I have three words toto toto toto, I am a plumber 35 year i have one and every plumber i know has one, in fact i am going to be replacing a crane radcliffe that i have had for 40 years with a toto.


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## Diehard (Feb 18, 2019)

billshack said:


> I have three words toto toto toto, I am a plumber 35 year i have one and every plumber i know has one, in fact i am going to be replacing a crane radcliffe that i have had for 40 years with a toto.


I've heard a lot of good things about Toto toilets but never had the pleasure of sitting on one.


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## Michael Armstrong (Feb 19, 2019)

I use Totos. The Drake is a little noisier than some others, but I've never had a clog. Can't say how it is at flushing golf balls, but if I ever have occasion to flush some golf balls, I'll let you know.


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## billshack (Feb 22, 2019)

so i am in the middle of renovating by bathroom. i went to my local plumbing store to buy a toto toilet. they told me that toto is about to go out of business, they raised their prices to crazy amounts. and so i asked what plummer are installing  now, the reason i liked toto be cause the flush as fantastic.   the guy told me that american standard has the same good flush, apparently what is needed is a three inch flapper valve .  we that is what i am using now .


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## zannej (Feb 22, 2019)

If I were you, I would check with other stores. I have not heard anything about Toto being near going out of business. I could be wrong, but I suspect whoever told you that is full of what is supposed to go down the toilet.

It's not *just* the flapper that makes the difference, it's how the water is directed in the bowl when it flushes as well. I've found that the American Standard toilets splash.

You can get Toto toilets at big box stores like Lowes & Home Depot but you might have to get them delivered to the store (& inspect them for damage).


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## pjones (Feb 23, 2019)

billshack said:


> so i am in the middle of renovating by bathroom. i went to my local plumbing store to buy a toto toilet. they told me that toto is about to go out of business, they raised their prices to crazy amounts. and so i asked what plummer are installing  now, the reason i liked toto be cause the flush as fantastic.   the guy told me that american standard has the same good flush, apparently what is needed is a three inch flapper valve .  we that is what i am using now .



I would be careful with what information you take when it’s coming from people who want your money. I’m not a fan of American Standard myself. I too have also found they splash. I’ve seen some that flush very slow, I’m assuming because the siphon jet was not designed very well. 

The three inch flapper helps but it’s only one part of the overall design. A flush tower is generally better than a flapper, all new stock Toto’s are now shipped with the towers because of this. The size of the standing water in the bottom of the bowl, the depth between the seat and the water, the shape of the bowl, the height of the seat off the ground, the quality of the float valve assembly, the availability of compatible parts if something happens to break, splash back, noise of flush, soy bean paste flush score... these are all things to be considered when choosing a toilet. With that being said I have seen and used some American Standard toilets that seem quite nice... 

The reason I replaced my toilet is because I couldn’t get a new toilet seat that fit the bowl of my existing toilet. I chose a Toto because they are one of the largest manufacturers around and have an outstanding reputation with every one of the plumbers that I work with (about 50 plumbers work at the company I’m with). Having talked to their tech support as a consumer while I was researching a toilet they were always helpful with answering my many demanding questions as I was doing my research.


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## adam_howard (Oct 6, 2020)

Thanks for all of your comments and apologize for the late replay.  *TOTO CST744SL Drake Elongated Bowl* was my mother's choice. And they are so comfortably happy to use it.


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## Spicoli43 (Oct 6, 2020)

Ok, since Lowe's doesn't show it, is the flapper on a Toto flush with the tank? My American Standard toilets flappers are elevated about 4 inches or so, meaning that amount of water sits in the tank all the time. I have had mold issues because of that, and I see no reason for it to be elevated.


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## Eddie_T (Oct 6, 2020)

A friend of mine has Eljer toilets. I am impressed with their powerful flush. However I am going to continue with my old Kohler Rochelles as long as I can keep them operating mainly because of the aesthetics. Now that I fully understand how they work it's not hard to keep them flushing.


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## NeilG (Oct 7, 2020)

Love my Toto. It's gone through a bunch of flappers over the years, but you can retro-fit it with a flush tower. Works great.


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## Sparky617 (Oct 7, 2020)

soparklion11 said:


> Toto...  American Standard advertises the ability to flush golf balls and an easy clean finish. It isn't nearly as easy clean/ stain resistant as my Toto


I don't know about y'all but I don't poop golf balls.  Golf balls are smooth, hard and round so there isn't anything to get stuck on the bowl. 

I have American Standards, and they work OK, but too much TP and a log and it is plunger time.  I find if I hold off on dropping the TP into the bowl it normally works OK.  Every bathroom in the house has a dedicated plunger just in case.


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## NeilG (Oct 7, 2020)

Sparky617 said:


> ..... Every bathroom in the house has a dedicated plunger just in case.


Every home owner should also own a closet auger and learn how to use it.


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## Sparky617 (Oct 7, 2020)

NeilG said:


> Every home owner should also own a closet auger and learn how to use it.


I've been a homeowner for over 35 years now and never had to use one.  Even with two kids.  My dad had one, but I don't recall ever seeing him use it at our house.


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## NeilG (Oct 7, 2020)

Plungers can make a mess if there are solids in the bowl. The auger is my first choice when that happens.


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## Sparky617 (Oct 7, 2020)

NeilG said:


> Plungers can make a mess if there are solids in the bowl. The auger is my first choice when that happens.


Never been a big deal for me.


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## zannej (Oct 8, 2020)

When we had to evacuate & stay at a friend's house, he had a horrible old toilet that he'd literally pulled out of a junk pile. It was rounded bowl, very short height, & extremely slow flush. The friend's grandfather had to flush multiple times while taking a dump bc he was so full of crap. He also used tons of toilet paper (dude went through almost an entire roll per day & also stole other people's wet wipes & flushed them). He clogged the toilet to the point it overflowed. Plunger wouldn't work so I got a toilet auger.
We decided that toilet sucked & there were 2 disabled people staying at the house while waiting to get power back & I saw Lowes had a Toto Entrada on sale online & they let me apply military discount. It was "universal height" so it's about 16-1/4" high without a seat. It still has the old flapper flush but Toto said they will probably move to the tower flush at some point. Got the eco version. It's much more comfortable than the old one and it flushes quickly without splashing.



adam_howard said:


> Thanks for all of your comments and apologize for the late replay.  *TOTO CST744SL Drake Elongated Bowl* was my mother's choice. And they are so comfortably happy to use it.


Good to hear it! My disabled mother was having a harder time getting off of the CST744SG (the sanagloss version that was standard height) so we ordered the CST744EL (which is the eco version of the CST744SL). It took a bit of time to get used to the higher seat, but it's easier to stand up from & is comfortable. The new tower flush system works great even on an eco model. I think the only difference between eco and standard is the setting on the tower. Apparently there's something that can be moved to switch between eco and standard flush.
We kept the old toilet to use in a guest bathroom and might get a flush tower for it eventually.


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## pjones (Oct 31, 2020)

zannej said:


> When we had to evacuate & stay at a friend's house, he had a horrible old toilet that he'd literally pulled out of a junk pile. It was rounded bowl, very short height, & extremely slow flush. The friend's grandfather had to flush multiple times while taking a dump bc he was so full of crap. He also used tons of toilet paper (dude went through almost an entire roll per day & also stole other people's wet wipes & flushed them). He clogged the toilet to the point it overflowed. Plunger wouldn't work so I got a toilet auger.



Get that man a bidet seat! It will be the best present that he never even knew he wanted!!! Seriously, He will love it!


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## zannej (Nov 1, 2020)

The grandfather can afford to buy himself a bidet seat. LOL. But I did recommend the toilet to him & told him where he could find it & at what price. The old man is no longer over there. I think he's been staying in a hotel at his insurance company's expense.


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