Please help me pick a replacement for my terrible toilet!

September 2, 2024 7:45 AM

The dumb toilet that came with my house has crossed me for the last time and I just want to replace it at this point. Help me choose a new one?

My house came with a small, not-powerful, old toilet. The fill valve has now started making a whistling noise when it fills. Yesterday it got stuck and the tank overflowed. The whistling noise sometimes also causes my large, rambunctious cat to sprint around the house in a panic, leaving a path of destruction in her wake. No one wins.

I know I could theoretically just replace just the fill valve or gasket, but I’m over this stupid toilet and this is an excuse to replace it with a better one. Help me choose one.

Theres a standard 12-inch rough-in, the space it can go in is 25.5 inches wide (don’t bother criticizing me about that, this is a small bathroom), I’m going to have it installed by plumbers I trust, and I can throw some but not infinite money at this problem. I’m hoping someone is having a Labor Day sale that means I can grab something great. What good-quality toilet do I want?

posted by centrifugal to Home & Garden (13 answers total)

Toto with the Tornado Flush! It flushs in a spiral from a single small opening, so that there is no unglazed under-rim area to clean. From the simple Drake on up, Toto has the best in toilet technology. The built-in bidet ("Washlet") will change your life.
posted by dum spiro spero at 8:30 AM on September 2 [7 favorites]

Whatever recommendations you get, check out their MaP ratings. Tl;dr, you want a score of at least 800 g, 1000 is better. The site has a list of recommended products... it might be easier to see whether the answers you get here line up than to go price shopping based on the list. Tell your cat I said hi. (Even with only an incidental mention, I still think tax should be applicable.)
posted by kate4914 at 8:37 AM on September 2 [2 favorites]

I bought a Toto nexus toilet a couple of months ago. I'm happy with it, except that I think most toilets are too tall. I personally recommend it over the aquia, which is cheaper but has a smaller water spot, even though v2 has a 55% larger water spot :D (check out the reddit thread.
posted by just.good.enough at 8:51 AM on September 2 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Commenting just to pay cat tax.
posted by centrifugal at 9:17 AM on September 2 [10 favorites]

Best answer: Definitely don't get a Home Depot American Standard brand toilet, especially the ones with the 2-button water-saving flush option. They are, if you'll excuse me, absolute shit, and they clog like goddamn clockwork. Truly shocking how bad they are, it'd be less hassle to just buy a bucket of dung beetles.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:29 AM on September 2 [8 favorites]

Best answer: iYears ago I changed to cheaper Kohler toilets from Home Depot and haven't had an issue.
Yeah the old ones were American Standard lol

Just check dimensions and height. Comfort height, chair height are taller.
posted by yyz at 10:08 AM on September 2 [2 favorites]

Nthing Toto. We love ours. And if you want to splurge, you can get a washlet. Or even retrofit down the road.
posted by slkinsey at 10:56 AM on September 2 [3 favorites]

Stepping in to second yyz on height, especially if you're not so young. The low toilets are probably better on the squatty potty principle, but if you have any joint problems (as I do) the extra height makes things a lot easier. Especially noticing this with my sprained knee this weekend!
posted by gentlyepigrams at 12:42 PM on September 2 [2 favorites]

I've got a Gerber viper and an American standard that I bought at a plumbing supply house. Both have worked amazingly well. 7 years without a single clog
posted by Ferreous at 1:47 PM on September 2 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Strong vote here for the Gerber Viper. Super reliable, almost a challenge to try to stop it up. There’s a reason so many hotels rely on them (case study).
posted by JimInSYR at 4:03 PM on September 2 [1 favorite]

There are one piece and two piece toilets that are supposed to be easier to clean. Find a vendor with a fancy showroom and have a peek at the options.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:46 AM on September 3 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I have a Gerber in my newish place and thought it was crap, until I figured it had a two level flush. Push down the handle, and let go, this is the small flush. Push down and hold to get the big flush. I haven't had a clog since I figured this out. The previous owner had no clue about this, and he was here for six years. Sorry, I don't have the model number.
posted by Ferrari328 at 2:17 PM on September 3 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks, everyone! I’m down to one of the good Kohler ones and the Viper because I can’t justify putting something as fancy as a Toto in my humble little house. I’m leaning toward the Viper just for the name.
posted by centrifugal at 8:21 AM on September 5