After spending several years as a service plumber and now as a handyman, I have run across my fair share of toilet problems. They can leak, run, make noise, physically brake, come loose from the floor and everyones favorite they clog. Today we will focus on the toilet you either have decided to replace or that a professional has delivered the bad news that old faithful has flushed its last turd. Either way its time for a new throne.
Often times at this crossroads I find two sets of people. One set that wants a digital automatic toilet that does taxes and washes itself with bluetooth, wifi and a bitchin backlight. The other doesnt see the need to spend any more than they have to to take a dump. They want a toilet that flushes and isnt broken. I fall closer to the latter category myself but understand that everyone has different expectataions and feelings about their time on the bowl.
If you prefer the posh bathroom experience I highly recommend you stick with a trusted brand like Toto. Do not get the latest and greatest but get something that has had time to sell and prove itself a few years. Theres nothing worse than a toilet that cost you Several thousand dollars that you cannot use because parts are not readily available or a fix has not even been figured yet because the problem was not expected. There's also the off chance it will become sentient and try to kill you terminator style and thats not fun. So pick a model that had seen some ass and come out shining. Dont get hung up on the connectivity because how much do you really want to know about your toilet and its feelings. Focus on the features you cannot live without and look for a reputable model that does it well and buy that.
If you are the more thrifty or budget minded consumer I recommend you ignore that impulse to buy that $78 Glacier Bay at Home Depot. As much as I understand the utilitarian nature of a toilet, there is no advantage to having one that is built poorly and always broken. The sub $200 toilets are typically very poor flushers leading to more time or money clearing cloggs. They have much cheaper parts so they will end up costing more in the long run when they eventually brake. I have heard it said that the cheapest toilet you can buy is the best. When it brakes you can throw it out and buy a new one for that low low price and now you have a brand new toilet for posibly less than hiring a professional to fix it. I disagree for three reasons, one is that pulling and setting a toilet is a laborious activitly and generally is not fun. I would not want to swap out my toilet yearly when it fails. Second it is wastefull and you are filing landfills for no reason. Thridly they clog like its their job because they have almost no flush technology. If you are willing to spend the extra for a quality toielt in the $200-400 range you will likely get something that you can ignore and use for several years to come. When it brakes all the stores and local professionals will have access to parts to fix it and keep it going for a few more years. When it flushes it will do so assertively, meaning less clogs and a cleaner bowl. In the end isnt that what most people want? To go to the bathroom and not think about the toilet they are using? I know its what I want, what do you think? Are cheapies where its at or is the high end where you sit and think?
Links to toilets I like
Toto Drake basic but very good
Toto Washlet for the fancy bum
Koehler Wellworth more decorative with a powerful flush
John Bolts Self adjusting and very easy to use and long lasting
Wax Ring professional quality wax ring
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