Avoid These 7 Common Toilet Buying Mistakes! 

OK my floor is roughed in at 14 inches and the toilet that I have is designed to be roughed in at 12 inches. Which means there are is 2 inches of empty space between tank and wall but if you bought a 12 inch Rough in toilet and your home was roughed in at 10 inches then you would have a bit of a problem!

@@Hezelcarl1 that's true! It's not the end of the world to have too much space but not enough space is not gonna work. :)

Hey, great buyer's guide; thanks! We are in the market for a new toilet for our main floor and (I lie to you not) we were just at Home Depot last night looking at the American Standard VorMax. Can you tell me; does it have a foam (or other) liner on the tank interior so it doesn't sweat? That is the only feature we found as a standout on the Titan model at Menards but VorMax's box doesn't state anything about that. - Jeffrey

@@jeffreykostecki2659 it does not have a foam insert - I think that's a pretty rare feature to find.

What about the KOHLER MEMOIRS WHITE Elongated chair height 2 PIECE WATER SENCE TOILET?

Glad I could help!

Glad I could help!

Hope you enjoy it! 😀

Glad it was helpful!

Glad it was helpful! Good luck with your project!

Thanks! I'm trying to get better at making videos useful and as fast as possible!

Glad it was helpful!

I'm glad you liked the video!

Yes, you should go to the wall but measuring to the molding will get you close enough because it's going to be either 10" or 12". You are correct though!

I just went through this. Measuring including the baseboard measured 10 3/4” and measuring from the wall and being a couple inches above the bolt because where you had to put the measuring tape against the wall, it shows 11 1/4”. Knowing nothing about plumbing, would I consider that a 10” or 12” rough in?

I'm glad the video helped!

Plus the buttons are on top of the tank where we usually keep a box of tissues.

Also how do u clean it? It's just gross!

Flush a meatloaf! lmao!! Is that in the pan or outside the pan?

We installed two of these a few months ago at the recommendation of a friend she said they flush anything. We love them. They would flush a meatloaf! lol

List price $1,048 sale in price $680! No thanks. I'll just eat the meatloaf and flush it in smaller portions.

Meatloaf 😂 hell NAW 👋🏾

Don't let this guy lie to you. American standard 4 is the biggest piece of crap there is. It clogs ALL the time and is in unplungable. Stay away if your smart, don't fall for the hipe like I did

@malcolmthompson9848 undetected toilet leak rotted my subfloor and messed up the ceiling below. Smh😢.

With my problem knees, it's a bit painful for me to sit down on, then get up off of a low-height toilet. Comfort height is so much better for my knees. So I guess it's a trade-off. Besides, prune juice is a very good "business" inducer if my "movement" needs a push.

You're welcome!

Glad it was helpful!

Best toilet out there.

Good tip! I'm pretty tall so I didn't think to say that.

I did the same thing, Lenore. After having to squat to, "take care of business" during work hours I realized what a comfortable position that was. Cut to redoing the bathroom and I purchased a toilet that was too tall even when I'm 5'9". I'll be returning to a shorter unit directly.

I just looked at those ❤Thanks

Taller toilets put our anatomy in a less efficient and less healthy position. This results in increased straining. Technically, we're built to poop squatting. So it's not smart to install higher toilets. The lower choice is better for your body. Also, the lower potty keeps your sit muscles in good shape. The tall version may be more "comfort" but that's a false economy. The older u are the more important it is to keep your thigh muscles optimal. Ask any gastroenterologist.

Glad could help!

Glad you liked it!

Glad it was helpful!

Aw well, I'm glad you're happy with your new toilet! Who knew it could be such a tough choice!!

I did the same, never will be cheap GB toilets again, terrible

Glacier Bay is made by Kohler. There are only 3 makers of toilets today. American Standard (used to be the best but has slipped to third imo), Kohler (middle of the pack) and Toto. Toto makes the best by far and is the usual pick by professional plumbers for their own home. Everyone has an opinion and this is mine.

Yes, she really did! My new-to-me house has AS Champion toilets as well and they are the best toilets I've ever owned! The master bath is a tall "chair height" and I do prefer that height as well. I also replaced all of the seats/lids with wood soft-close ones. Basically, I came to all of the same conclusions as she did (except for the one about the coatings, I don't know if my toilets have such a coating.)

@@cgirl111 I'm not saying you're off point, but just want to add that many items or especially food products, are produced by major manufacturers but are usually scaled down. The scaling down can be made by either the brand name manufacturer or the distributor. Either to be a cheaper & more profitable for them or by the manufacturer to save their own product line sales. Either way, it's the trade off the buyer has to decide on.

Wow that's quite a compliment, thanks! Best of luck with your remodel!

We were fortunate enough to get a Toto add-on seat bidet, also called a Washlet. It’s great! Especially in cold weather, when we don’t keep the bathroom particularly warm, the seat is heated, and so welcome! What a great invention! On the other side of the coin, our home center replacement toilet has poor (or no) glazing under the waterline! Trying to keep it clean is a nightmare! Next time I buy a toilet, I’ll open the box and examine the bottom of the bowl for a good, shiny, washable glaze!

Glad I could help!

I do hate cleaning all the curves and corners on the sides of a toilet though. And around the flange bolts. The floor always has hair which is magically attracted to the toilet as soon as a rag comes near. So maybe not so bad?

Skirted toilets are easier to install, at least the Koehler ones are. They have a ReadyLock system where the wax ring goes and it means you can more easily align the toilet with the pipe. The assembly is quick and easy.

Haha, uhm, thanks. 😂

You're welcome!

You're welcome!

Why?

@@gtt85 they’re amazing, especially the ones that have a seat warmer. Keeps your butt waaay cleaner than toilet paper alone.

@@AryaStarkyread your comment wrong. Thought you said the mistake was getting a bidet. I love mine.

Glad to hear!

Glad to hear that!

Best of luck on the renovations!

Awesome! Glad you found a good one!

Did you look at the Toto Drake? That's what I'm thinking about getting. Do you think the Optum Vormax is better? I watched a plumber and he was saying AS is the "lowest" of the three (Toto, Kohler, AS). Let me know your .02. Thanks.

what was the price ?

@@terryvlunsford1610 $280.00 +tax (Canadian)

Awesome!

Awesome! Best of luck with the install.

Hi how are they working

Threes are working just fine.... easy install, no issues.

@@BCO216 ok thanks

Rhonda, you're so welcome. I hope I was able to help.

It can be hard to get out of a low seating, so may need to have a grab handle on the wall. Or one can have a higher toilet and foot stool to raise the legs. The choice is then which accessory one prefers, foot stool or grab handle.

“Squats potty”

Sorry, “Squatty potty” with chair height is the way to go!

All I see here is someone who needs to eat more fiber. It shouldn't be so challenging to accomplish...

This has been proven to be true. The bowel gets better evacuation in squatted position. However, if the lower position is physically difficult to achieve, as mentioned in comments, a small platform or railing may help.

Thanks!

You are welcome!

Welcome!

Oh wow that's great service!

Yes! Yes! Yes! Customer Service is a HUGE selling point when it comes to making [any] purchase! Stuff happens and things break down. Most people just want to know there will be someone from the company there to help if that should happen to them. Our plumber (35 years experience) has been with us for the last 8 years so we trust him. He told my husband and I he'd gladly put in any toilet we choose, (and he would!) but recommends American Standard. He was up-front to us about the fact that, yes, they are easy to install but more than that, parts are readily available if need be. (Only having one bathroom in our home, that's important!) So we were trying to choose from the A.S. product line... But for every positive comment we read about - well, ANY given brand of toilet - there's literally ALWAYS a negative one. We subscribe to Consumer Reports and we STILL didn't know which way to go. (lol!) But your statement about customer service is a GREAT reminder that a product is only as good as the company that stands behind what they manufacture. Thank you for that! So the search for a new toilet continues, but I'm thinking we will keep American Standard at the top of the list.

Yes! Excellent point! We had one bathroom that would not fit a skirted because of the supply line location.

Depends on the manufacturer of the skirted toilet. American Standard skirted toilets allow the shut-off valve to be located behind the toilet and out of site, but the supply line should exit the wall or the floor 2-1/4" from the drain center.

Glad I could help!

Thanks for the tip!

This sounds strangely like a commercial. The plumbing supply house I work for stopped carrying Mansfield.

Our first Vormax actually had that issue (it was the very first generation of them) and we were able to get a replacement flapper from American Standard that fixed it. We've bought 2 more since then and had zero issues.

You're welcome! And thanks for the gift!

Thank you! 😊

Than the 1 pc? My mum bought 2 pc i wonder if that is a good thing

Toto Drake II is the best.

I prefer vintage plumbing also.

My husband and I are both much taller than average. We would never settle for a regular height toilet in our home.

​@@jesseostone386 Yes, the comfort height makes it a lot easier to get on and off of, but @JesseO Stone is has a valid point, our bodies were designed to be in a squatting position when having a bowel movement. Higher toilets can lead to other physiological problems, such as contributing to constipation and failing to have a full evacuation.

???????

Can you provide a link to one, or a picture of what you’re talking about?

Nice! Thanks for the recommendation.

I've seen those and I don't think you can even buy them here (at least they're not readily available). They definitely look easier to clean!

But what if one of the valves goes out of tune? How do you access inside the tank if needed?

Glad it helped!

Glad it was helpful!

Chair height, "right height", and ADA compliant height all mean the same thing. If she needs it to be higher, there are medical devices that can help - there are seats that sit on top and raise the height a lot more for people with disabilities. I helped someone after a hip surgery and that's what we used. Best of luck with the recovery!

I kept my old 15 inches height toilet but bought an 4 inches Toilevator to raise it to 19 inches! It is just the perfect height for me. And it looks good.

I think you might be surprised how great some of the modern toilets are! And with a toilet that old, you're using a TON of water. You might notice a change in your water bill with a new one (unless you're on well water).

Your 1957 toilet uses 5 gallons every time you flush it! Please do your part to care about our natural resources.

@@travelguy1564 I live in a city that is on a river. No shortage of water. We worry about flooding. Also, I pay for every gallon I use.

My outlook as a plumber is that you can save water in other ways but when it comes to a toilet you want as much water as you can get to help it flush all that stuff out. Especially in older houses with cast iron pipes where the inside pipe wall is rough and cruddy over the years. Paper doesn’t want to flush out as well so the more water the better. Don’t want the water to outrun the paper

I hope you didn't change your toilet. Don't listen to the people who say that you are wasting water. The same people need to flush twice or thrice resulting to "wastage" anyway.

They have to be tightened periodically.

Wow, and that was my second choice

I have had good luck with glacier bay except that they are extremely fragile and require extra care when handling them. For the price they are okay as long as you know to be very careful when handling or installing them.

@@terryvlunsford1610 there's 2-3 models that are ok, but most of them are awful.

DISAGREE!

The coating on the American Standard lasted a few years, now it won't flush clean anymore with a brushing.

Thanks!

Glad I could help!

That would make sense!

Kyle, there’s a difference between products by by the big OEM and their sub brands. Sears appliances are made by big companies, but to Sears specs and that means to the dictated price. So a cheap Sears washer can be made by Samsung but is still a lesser washer than an expensive Samsung. Whirlpool owns Maytag, and they share technology, but are made to reflect their specific markets. It’s like Volkswagen owning Audi, but a VW is not an Audi, and VW also owns Lamborghini, but a Lambo isn’t VW or Audi. Back to toilets. It’s unlikely Kohler AS Toto make other brands but Kohler does make an entry line for Home Depot at a cheaper price not available elsewhere. You see that with windows too, like an Anderson entry price window at HD. But the manufacturers will instill it’s a cheaper product at a lower price, and not their more expensive, branded products being sold at a discount.