I've got a toilet in my kids' bathroom that simply refuses diagnosis as a s-l-o-w flusher.

I've tried the acid soak trick, hot water, snake, even had roto rooter come out and the guy spent close to two hours snaking, checking, re-wax-ringing the thing, and he finally gave up. "I don't know what's wrong with it, but I'm out of things to try. It may just be you need a new toilet."

So I'm game. Anyone try replacing their own toilet? Have a favorite/preferred brand? Any caveats? How much should I spend on a new toilet? Not looking for any super flush electro Internet-connected Netflixing auto calibrating thing, just a good, basic toilet that actually flushes. :)

I hear it takes a wrench to remove the bolts, a new wax ring to replace the old one, plug a rag in the hole so gas doesn't escape, and put the new one one (followed by appropriate caulking and such).

I'm a relatively unafraid DIY type, so the project itself isn't too intimidating, just wondering if anyone's ever done it and come across any "battery not included" notices that might be of benefit.

Husband swears it is a snap. He's swapped out several with no troubles and it goes quick. He makes it look so easy I think I could do it and do it right.

Unbolt. Get the water out of tank and bowl (bail). Lift straight out. Put a rag in to keep things from falling in. Clean the flange. Take out the rag. Put the wax ring (husband puts in on the toilet base but I guess you could put it on the hole) Set it in, straight. Bolt down, sit on it to get it close. Level it. Bolt it tight. You can caulk if you want - he hasn't needed to. Not sure about the rag other than to keep things from falling in. Good luck.

Get a wood lid - the plastic ones are disgusting even if it is just a kids' room. Also, the taller ones are good for approaching geezerhood although kids have a ways to go. Eventually, they'll leave if you are doing your job right and then you can use it as a guest room. So get a taller one.

We've used American Standard on all of ours. Be sure you get one that matches the original hole.

I did this recently:

Shop KOHLER Wellworth White 1.28-GPF/4.85-LPF 12-in Rough-in Watersense Round 2-Piece Standard Height Toilet at Lowes.com (http://www.lowes.com/pd_331676-20602-11464-0_4294737213__?productId=50014342&Ns=p_product_price|0&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_price%7C0%26page%3D1&facetInfo=)

Everything comes in the box for $150 and it's very good quality.

Added benefit: much better flushing with less water.



My removal tips:

Turn off the water at the valve near the toilet and disconnect the water line
bail all the water out of tank; use a sponge and bucket to get out the remainder
Unbolt the toilet and break it loose from the wax ring (I wouldn't bother detaching the tank from the bowl)
Stuff a rag into the hole in floor to stop sewage gas
Scrape off the wax ring and residue
put down the new wax ring
Drop the new toilet over the bolts and on top of the ring
Connect the water line and tighten everything up


It's a pretty easy job. Easier if you have another person help you lift the toilets in and out.

As long as the flange isn't busted then its as easy as turning off the water, disconnecting the supply line, removing the 2 nuts that hold it down and picking it up. As for the wax ring, I quit using them years ago. I use the waxless seals made by Fluidmaster. It makes R&Ring the toilets so much easier if you ever need to again. And I never caulk around the toilet base. Just don't over tighten the nuts and crack the toilet base. Same goes for installing the tank on the base. Personally I hate giving up the old hard flushing water guzzlers of yore. I've done 2 bathroom remodels in the last couple of years and refused to give up my 1983 toilets. I've seen some really wussy flushing water saving toilets lately. Although I've been told that the new TOTO toilets are some of the best. TOTO Toilets | National Builder Supply (http://www.nationalbuildersupply.com/toto-toilets/b1784)

The Waxless seal.

It is an easy job even for an armature do it yourselfer. If you need to see it done then there are tons of youtube videos out there. It is even easier if you have someone guiding the flange bolts on the bottom while you lower it down. It really is very simple. You can get a good toilet with a high flush capacity. They are rated by how many gallons per flush.

Get a handicap unit they are taller and oh so easy on your knees

Awesome info, folks. Thanks!

As long as the flange isn't busted then its as easy as turning off the water, disconnecting the supply line, removing the 2 nuts that hold it down and picking it up. As for the wax ring, I quit using them years ago. I use the waxless seals made by Fluidmaster. It makes R&Ring the toilets so much easier if you ever need to again. And I never caulk around the toilet base. Just don't over tighten the nuts and crack the toilet base. Same goes for installing the tank on the base. Personally I hate giving up the old hard flushing water guzzlers of yore. I've done 2 bathroom remodels in the last couple of years and refused to give up my 1983 toilets. I've seen some really wussy flushing water saving toilets lately. Although I've been told that the new TOTO toilets are some of the best. TOTO Toilets | National Builder Supply (http://www.nationalbuildersupply.com/toto-toilets/b1784)

The Waxless seal.

Excellent product as long as the flange isn't offset underneath.

Taller toilets rule! It's totally insane to have toilets with mid-calf height. WTH were they thinking!

There's one now where the lid goes down slowly. Beats the heck out of a slammer, or handling the thing.

Also, consider if you like a round bowl, or an elongated one.

Have fun!

Elongated is the only way to Go

Taller toilets rule! It's totally insane to have toilets with mid-calf height. WTH were they thinking!


It's considered healthier to squat when doing one's business. I'd imagine that a lower toilet facilitates this.

The Kaufman family, who owned the ambitious Fallingwater residence, had lower toilets for this reason.

Get a handicap unit they are taller and oh so easy on your knees

Much better than the plastic extension I'm using.

It's considered healthier to squat when doing one's business. I'd imagine that a lower toilet facilitates this.

The Kaufman family, who owned the ambitious Fallingwater residence, had lower toilets for this reason.

Some people use a small step stool with a taller toilet. They can sit, then set their feet on the step which approximates a squatting position even if they are physically so frail that a shorter seat is difficult for them.

Thanks for that tip for us oldies. I'll just use my Grandkids stepstool they use for washing their hands and brushing their teeth.

Some people use a small step stool with a taller toilet. They can sit, then set their feet on the step which approximates a squatting position even if they are physically so frail that a shorter seat is difficult for them.

Yeah, I saw those when confirming whether it was actually legitimately healthy, or something on the order of "beware the toxin du jour". Of course, I was attempting to explain toilet heights as opposed to newer, tall ones.

I had an ADA compliant Toto installed in the Master when we built 2 yrs ago. Best upgrade we did for the house.

We've replaced all our toilets ourself. As others have said, its not difficult at all. We've bought different brands over the years but our favorite is the one they sell at Sam's Club. Its one of those dual-flush units and runs about $100 or less. We've even put them in our new home. Had two in our old home for many years now without a single issue.

The only concern for me was the fact the inner workings are not the traditional ones you can pick up at WalMart of Home Depot.

I ordered spare parts in advance when I bought my first one and now, many years later, I've never had to use them.

I like the water saving feature and the overall look and ease of installation (came with everything needed).

If these didn't work, I was going to instal a pressure assist commercial toilet. They can be $1,000 or more (not installed), but you can flush a brick in them if you had to!

We've replaced all our toilets ourself. As others have said, its not difficult at all. We've bought different brands over the years but our favorite is the one they sell at Sam's Club. Its one of those dual-flush units and runs about $100 or less. We've even put them in our new home. Had two in our old home for many years now without a single issue.

The only concern for me was the fact the inner workings are not the traditional ones you can pick up at WalMart of Home Depot.

I ordered spare parts in advance when I bought my first one and now, many years later, I've never had to use them.

I like the water saving feature and the overall look and ease of installation (came with everything needed).

If these didn't work, I was going to instal a pressure assist commercial toilet. They can be $1,000 or more (not installed), but you can flush a brick in them if you had to!

Somehow I knew you'd have done this!! Thought sure you'd be among the responders. Great informatlion.

I've actually looked at one or two of the residential version pressure assist toilets, but since they're not prevalent I'm not sure if they're just really elcheapo versions of the commercial ones that might cause more problems than they're worth. I stayed at a place in Florida that had pressure assist toilets and the first time I used one I thought parts of my person were going to be disposed of involuntarily :) I was sold immediately.

I'm most likely going to go the conventional route for just that reason, but I'm certainly open to considering the pressurized version - only concern is whether the quality is up to par...

Somehow I knew you'd have done this!! Thought sure you'd be among the responders. Great informatlion.

I've actually looked at one or two of the residential version pressure assist toilets, but since they're not prevalent I'm not sure if they're just really elcheapo versions of the commercial ones that might cause more problems than they're worth. I stayed at a place in Florida that had pressure assist toilets and the first time I used one I thought parts of my person were going to be disposed of involuntarily :) I was sold immediately.

I'm most likely going to go the conventional route for just that reason, but I'm certainly open to considering the pressurized version - only concern is whether the quality is up to par...

Yeah - a friend of mine has a pressure assist model in his guest bath only - so as to avoid any embarrassing moments of guests running out yelling "where's your plunger!"

He has the heated, bidet unit in the master. Occasionally after one-too-many cocktails you hear someone exclaim, "You've got to go into their master bath and try their toilet... its unbelievable!"

The only things I don't like about the pressure assist is the initial cost, expensive maintenance (if it ever needs it) and they are quite a bit louder than a traditional residential toilet. Wouldn't put one in a master bath if waking up your significant other is a concern. Any yes, if you create a seal over the seat you might just have your tonsils removed!

SoonerDave (and Garin),
Great suggestion, and the elongated bowl. I had the Kohler Cimarron installed when I remodeled my main bathroom and liked it so much that I called them back to replace the one in my 3/4 bath. They came with the slow closing lid too. It also has the dual(?) flush feature, you simply hold the handle down longer and it will release more water.
C. T.
Get a handicap unit they are taller and oh so easy on your knees

American Standard Champion 4 is the best outside of Toto and can be found at Home Depot. American Standard creates the new technology and Kohler copies it. Kohler is big into design - variations and colors. The Cimarron is a good example of this, copied from earlier American Standard design - nothing wrong with it. These new low-flow (little water) toilets work fairly simply, efficient design (higher tank, smooth trap) and large openings from tank to bowl allowing all the water to go at once. They are correct, elongated, 'right height' (higher seat) toilets are better. Don't misunderstand, as a Bath and Kitchen Designer, I am a big fan of Kohler, if color and design choices are not that important, American Standard does set the 'tech standard'.

The Glacier Bay toilets at Home Depot are inexpensive and, according to exhaustive studies not produced by the manufacturer or the retailer, are some of the best flushers available. The do, however, have a cheap seat/lid so you might plan on spending a few extra bucks on an upgrade. P.S. I hate doing anything related to plumbing but replacing a toilet is pretty simple and straightforward.

Oh! Here's an example of one of the upgrades available =) :
Brondell Swash 1000 Electric Bidet Seat for Elongated Toilet-S1000-EW at The Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Brondell-Swash-1000-Electric-Bidet-Seat-for-Elongated-Toilet-S1000-EW/202566084?N=5yc1vZbzay)

Does the fact that it costs about four times as much as the toilet upon which it sits matter?
Maybe . . . =)

Well, sh!t, my only concern was getting down and up. I hadn't considered the squatting aspect. Thanks PQ!


Some people use a small step stool with a taller toilet. They can sit, then set their feet on the step which approximates a squatting position even if they are physically so frail that a shorter seat is difficult for them.

I haven't read the first few posts. Hopefully this isn't a repeat.

May I suggest a taller and longer toilet. I had a Kohler Titan installed a few
years ago and I like it. The extra two inches in length and height provide
some much needed comfort.

Clean your toilet everyday that way if you're sick you don't have to... well
you understand. I wipe my basin, the mirror and the toilet everyday. 60
seconds of well needed attention.

I've got a toilet in my kids' bathroom that simply refuses diagnosis as a
s-l-o-w flusher.
Whizzers SD. It could be a calcium build up. Have you looked to see if the
jets under the rim and in the bottom are working? They may be clogged.
Use some draino, there's a thick liquid brand, put about a 1/4 cup of dish
soap in the tube where the refill line fills. Wait a few minutes and see if that
helps.

Clean your toilet everyday.

Well, sh!t...
That may very well be the problem. The problem may also stem from
Bullshipping. Bullshipping has been known to clog shipping lanes.

Good point.

Some people use a small step stool with a taller toilet...
There you go with the short jokes.

Up top, everyone was saying to disconnect the water supply and bail water out of the tank. Why not just flush? That will evacuate the tank and the bowls one fell swoop.

Up top, everyone was saying to disconnect the water supply and bail water out of the tank. Why not just flush? That will evacuate the tank and the bowls one fell swoop.

That won't get it all out. I use a shop vac (wet vac) after flushing to get it all out of the tank and bowl.

Well, sh!t, my only concern was getting down and up. I hadn't considered the squatting aspect. Thanks PQ!

Read it on facebook. :)

Whizzers SD. It could be a calcium build up. Have you looked to see if the
jets under the rim and in the bottom are working? They may be clogged.
Use some draino, there's a thick liquid brand, put about a 1/4 cup of dish
soap in the tube where the refill line fills. Wait a few minutes and see if that
helps.

Clean your toilet everyday.

If I'm understanding you correctly, yeah, I already tried the acid trick to clean up the jets into the bowl, and it didn't help at all. I've lost track of how many tricks I've tried to get it to flush properly, all to no avail. That's what led me to the rooter guy who spent the better part of two hours trying to snake the drain, snake the vent tube, reseat the toilet....etc..., and he finally told me, "man, there's nothing else to try. Everything's clear."

That won't get it all out. I use a shop vac (wet vac) after flushing to get it all out of the tank and bowl.

Exactly. Flushing gets most of it out, but a small amount (less than 1/2 gallon) remains in the bowl's P-trap (insert your own joke here).

Before you buy another toilet, you could swap the toilet with another toilet in a different bathroom and see if it flushes there. That would tell you if it was the toilet or the sewer plumbing. It may sound like a hassle to do but the way my toilets are set up with the waxless ring seals and the undo by hand water supply lines with 1/4 turn shut off valves on each toilet, it would be a 10 minute job in my house. If it flushes ok in the other bathroom you probably need to call a plumber with a camera they run down the sewer pipe. That is how I finally found out what the problem was with my main sewer line.

Don't be poor. Just buy a new house.

If I'm understanding you correctly, yeah, I already tried the acid trick to clean
up the jets into the bowl, and it didn't help at all. I've lost track of how many
tricks I've tried to get it to flush properly, all to no avail. That's what led me to
the rooter guy who spent the better part of two hours trying to snake the drain,
snake the vent tube, reseat the toilet....etc..., and he finally told me, "man,
there's nothing else to try. Everything's clear."
I don't know what to tell you. Well, yes I do. Liar, liar pants on fire.

I'd buy a new toilet, and one that's comfortable. Think old age, man! Sit on
those critters. Think about the hours you're going to spend on that
cockamamie contraption! Think of your reading time? Don't you want to be
comfortable?

It's not rocket science to install a new toilet. The major problem is removing
the original gaskets. Once you've done that you're home free.

At any rate, instead of a plumber you might look up a handy man. They
are normally 1/2 the price and do very good work on basic jobs.

I don't know what to tell you. Well, yes I do. Liar, liar pants on fire.

I'd buy a new toilet, and one that's comfortable. Think old age, man! Sit on
those critters. Think about the hours you're going to spend on that
cockamamie contraption! Think of your reading time? Don't you want to be
comfortable?

It's not rocket science to install a new toilet. The major problem is removing
the original gaskets. Once you've done that you're home free.

At any rate, instead of a plumber you might look up a handy man. They
are normally 1/2 the price and do very good work on basic jobs.

Thanks, prune :) I'm going to go get one as a project likely for this weekend. Too many folks have told me its too simple a job for me not to give it a shot. Now, as for the old age comfort question, this is going in the kids bathroom, not mine (its actually working just fine) so they can adjust their buns :) LOL

I appreciate the info. Going to give it a try and let everyone know how it goes.

Post pictures!!

Dave, I hope I catch you before you start your exciting weekend project. I'd mentioned your problem to my husband earlier this week and he left town on Tuesday and got back this morning (no causation). While he was gone, he remembered that decades ago, he had a similar problem and called a plumber. The plumber told him it was hard water clogs (scale) under the rim of the toilet seat where the water flows in. They knocked off chunks all the way around the rim (you could see it - like hard water gunk) and after that, the toilet flushed "like a jet engine." So you might want to try that before you get going on an exchange. Good luck.

The American Standard Champion is definitely one of the best but the Cadet is nearly as good but a tad cheaper.

Definitely get the slow close lid and make sure it is easily removable kind for cleaning.

Dave, I hope I catch you before you start your exciting weekend project. I'd mentioned your problem to my husband earlier this week and he left town on Tuesday and got back this morning (no causation). While he was gone, he remembered that decades ago, he had a similar problem and called a plumber. The plumber told him it was hard water clogs (scale) under the rim of the toilet seat where the water flows in. They knocked off chunks all the way around the rim (you could see it - like hard water gunk) and after that, the toilet flushed "like a jet engine." So you might want to try that before you get going on an exchange. Good luck.

Thanks, PQ. I think that's basically a one-off of the scale deposits the acid wash is supposed to fix, but I'll take a look.

Daughter's having friends overnight tonight into the morning, so the project may get flushed til next week.

[ Sorry, couldn't resist :) ]

Just don't put it where you eat.

Ask if they have a toilet with adjustable height :cool:


Thanks, prune :) I'm going to go get one as a project likely for this weekend. Too many folks have told me its too simple a job for me not to give it a shot. Now, as for the old age comfort question, this is going in the kids bathroom, not mine (its actually working just fine) so they can adjust their buns :) LOL

I appreciate the info. Going to give it a try and let everyone know how it goes.

Ask if they have a toilet with adjustable height :cool:
You are one sick cookie. Oy vey!

Clean your toilet everyday. Seriously. Use that scrubby thing that's growing
mold everyday and wipe down the bowl with a paper towel.

Here's my routine.

Spray the mirror with something. Water, Windex, vinegar...

Wipe it with a paper towel. Don't worry about perfection.

Wipe the sink and cabinet top with the same paper towel.

Wipe the toilet rim and seat with the same paper towel.

Use the scrubby thing with a squirt of soap into the bowl. Right now I'm
using really cheap shampoo.

This takes less than a minute and you're John is ready for company.

Prunette wouldn't allow me to do plumbing projects on weekends because
emergency plumbing prices escalated on Saturday and Sunday. Astronomical
immediately comes to mind.

Here's a good tip. Always turn off the water. You can live a weekend
without plumbing. Pretend there's been a catastrophe.

been there... done that...

Hey all, thought I'd give everyone the update on this.

Finally sorted through the info here and some reading on my own, and picked up a Kohler elongated, chair-height toilet from Lowe's today. Hardest part of the whole process was getting the thing into my car :) Fortunately, a fellow shopper saw I was having some issues and helped me put it in the back seat!

Installation of the toilet was really very simple, and only took me about an hour. This particular model had three tank screws that were rubber-covered, and formed their own gasket as the nut tightened from underneath the mounting flange. Zero leaks first time through.

Only big issue was whether the T-bolt on the flange stayed in the groove of the mounting ring. It came out, and I was afraid I would have to reseat the whole thing until I got it locked back in. Fortunately it all seems snug and happy now.

Hooked up the water, flushed it several times, no leaks, and even the kids approve :)

Interestingly enough, I did take a look inside the old, offending toilet, and I found something interesting. From underneath, the drain path that led out to the waste drain seemed to have something hard like dried putty or mortar on it. Obviously my view is obstructed to a degree, but there was enough there to lead me to suspect that, somehow, someone (from as far back as original construction?!?) dumped some mortar or something similar down that toilet, it stuck to the drain, and dried out. It was not enough to completely plug it, but enough to let it drain s-l-o-w-l-y yet never back up, and why the plumber would get frustrated snaking it yet not find anything. But I just don't remember the thing being a slow flusher from day one - unless one of my kids dropped something in there like that. Who knows.

Bottom line is the toilet really was bad, the new one works and flushes readily, the lid off the old toilet now replaces the one I broke on our master bath, and one more honeydo got knocked off the list :) I'm happy.

Outstanding!!

Honestly, I don't know why more people don't just replace old toilets that give them constant grief. It's as if they are an old dog that you obviously have to keep because its been part of the family for so long. :)

Don't buy a Kohler. Always sorry when I get one of those. Toto is a great brand. We had those in our last house.

I'm very pleased with my Kohler Cimarron. In fact, I had one installed in the main bathroom that I was remodeling and was so pleased that a couple of months later I had another one installed in my 3/4 bathroom. I'm not hung up on Kohler, I'm sure Toto and American Standard are good and I would have been pleased with them as well, but after two months of use, I bought another Kohler. I might have done the same with other brands, but since my experience was good with the first one, I stayed with the same unit. I have had them for almost two years now and not a single problem. I should mention that I didn't buy mine from a "cuss and fuss" store because they didn't have the Cimarron (which was recommended) so I purchased it from Ferguson near Reno and Portland.
C. T.

Now that your new toilet has been successfully installed . . .
Perhaps it's time to begin thinking of an upgrade:
KOHLER C3-200 Elongated Toilet Seat with Bidet Functionality and In-Line Heater in Biscuit-K-4709-96 at The Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/p/KOHLER-C3-200-Elongated-Toilet-Seat-with-Bidet-Functionality-and-In-Line-Heater-in-Biscuit-K-4709-96/100642324)

Personally, I'm not sure that I want a heater in my biscuit. =)
(and who the hell would name a toilet after the dog in The Wizard of Oz? Or buy it?)

Long years ago my father in law hooked up the hot water to the toilet. He said he did it accidently but I absolutely loved that toilet - and clean? It was always sparkling.

Long years ago my father in law hooked up the hot water to the toilet. He said he did it accidently but I absolutely loved that toilet - and clean? It was always sparkling.

Yes . . . maybe . . . But I'm sure there was a Code Violation in there somewhere.
(btw: the electrical outlet next to the StarTrek toilet seat must be GFCI protected.)
("it ain't just 'the code', it's the Law." seatbelts and shoulder harnesses optional. and helmets)