# I am looking to buy a new toilet. Anything I should know? (gotchas...that sort of thing) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 9, 2021, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544 "2021-02-09T18:43:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/62 "2021-02-14T03:52:39Z")
I have two “taller” toilets. One of them is okay. The other is too damn tall. My feet don’t sit flat on the floor. I really dislike it. I have a little stool in the room, but i don’t want to fuss with it every time I pee. Yeah, sit on the display. Otherwise, that toilet is great. 1.28 gallons, hasn’t clogged since we got it, bowl stays pretty clean. It’s the toto drake with vornado action, i think. The older 1.6 gallon toto drake upstairs needs a little more cleaning, but had never given any trouble since the day or was installed. Nice toilet. I very rarely need to give it a second flush. Might have plunged it once, might not have. Quiet. Comfortable. The new kohler works great, but it’s SO lots when i flush it. I’m always afraid it’s going to jump up and bite me. 😜 ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/63 "2021-02-14T03:59:30Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > age in place “Fogey-izing the house” as my late grandmother called it. The best toilet I ever had was something akin to this one: > **[American Standard Madera 1.28 GPF Elongated Comfort Height Floor Mounted...](https://www.wayfair.com/home-improvement/pdp/american-standard-madera-128-gpf-elongated-flushometer-toilet-with-self-cleaning-power-seat-not-included-asd8664.html)** > > We've been producing some of the industry's best commercial toilets for more than 137 years. Built to stand the test of time and handle years of high use, there is an American Standard commercial toilet that's right for any job. No tank, no condensation drips, east to clean, and it never clogged. Whenever I buy a house I’m going to install one of those, “commercial” appearance be damned. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/64 "2021-02-14T04:04:42Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I have a little stool in the room Nope. Way too easy. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/65 "2021-02-14T04:12:02Z")
I’ve wondered if the words come from the same source, somehow. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/66 "2021-02-14T04:24:12Z")
Our Toto is the Entrada, which is very compact in size. It’s “close coupled.” It’s in a long narrow bathroom, so the compact measurements mattered. We might have gotten a prettier one-piece or something, but the extra space was more valuable. ---
**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/67 "2021-02-14T04:44:33Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > No tank No shelf for the kleenex. > [@Lancia](#): > > no condensation drips Tanks can have a foam lining installed if condensation is a problem, but you can’t do that with the metal pipe and not make it look like a boiler room. > [@Lancia](#): > > easiest (sic) to clean I’m curious why. Did it just not get dirty as much? With a tank you can use bleach tablets. > [@Lancia](#): > > it never clogged. Did it sound like a jet airplane? > [@Lancia](#): > > Whenever I buy a house I’m going to install one of those, “commercial” appearance be damned. Not easy if you don’t have the piping for it. Commercial toilets require 1" supply pipes at a minimum, which may be bigger than the supply main to your whole house. Pity anyone taking a shower at the same time. A pressure-assist toilet is what you’d probably want. They still have a tank, but there’s a plastic tank-within-a-tank that uses the water supply to pressurize a cushion of air at the top of the tank. So when you flush, the compressed air forces the water out much faster, like in the commercial toilet. You see these in detached restaurants and smaller commercial establishments that wouldn’t have the larger water system of an office building or mall, because they only need the standard 1/2" supply. There are even some with concealed tanks that can be buried in the wall. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/68 "2021-02-14T19:14:19Z")
> [@jjakucyk](#): > > With a tank you can use bleach tablets. Many (most?) manufacturers say you void the warranty if you use tank cleaners. I think I saw one toilet with a built-in tank cleaning system you could use but I forget which one. Definitely not common. Apparently the cleaners wreck the plastic and rubber in the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/69 "2021-02-14T19:45:54Z")
One of the things that really impressed me when I was in Japan were the toilets. Ever thought about buying a [Japanese](https://www.bestjapanesetoilets.com/) [model](https://www.bidetjudge.com/japanese-bidet/)? Some even seem to have remote controls (imagine the fun of using those while someone else is using the thing). ---
**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/70 "2021-02-14T20:02:45Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Many (most?) manufacturers say you void the warranty if you use tank cleaners. I think I saw one toilet with a built-in tank cleaning system you could use but I forget which one. Definitely not common. > > Apparently the cleaners wreck the plastic and rubber in the toilet. Meh, I’ve been using bleach tablets in the same toilet for nearly 20 years, and while I do need to replace the flapper gasket every couple of years, it’s a $3 part that takes about two minutes to replace. It’s worth not having to scrub the bowl for months at a time. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/71 "2021-02-15T03:54:44Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > . I think I saw one toilet with a built-in tank cleaning system you could use but I forget which one. [American Standard](https://https://www.americanstandard-us.com/press-room/press-releases/2016/09/22/new-acticlean-toilet-from-american-standard-stays-sparkling-clean-with-the-press-of-a-button) makes one. Someone else does too - I saw a magazine ad for a toilet with a cylinder shaped cleaner in a recent issue. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/72 "2021-02-15T04:12:46Z")
Of course if you buy that toilet, you’re locked into buying replacement cleaners from the same company, as opposed to buying whatever toilet cleaner is on sale. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/73 "2021-02-15T15:54:25Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > I second the Kohler power flush. I recently got the Highline seat, elongated bowl and really like it. The flush cycle is about 2 seconds of high velocity water. I was a bit doubtful at how short the flow time is, but damn, it clears everything. My son got one and I liked it so well, I got one. Then my son’s broke after a few years and he replaced with a regular flush. A couple years later, mine broke and I did likewise. Unless they have become more reliable in the last five years, I cannot recommend them. Currently, we have Totos and, for an ordinary flush toilet, they seem to work very well. I have succeeded in clogging it only once in a year and a half. It has a #1 and a #2 flush of 3.4 l and 6.0 l, resp. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/74 "2021-02-15T16:29:34Z")
It used to be popular to outfit a toilet with a little rug in front, with matching covers for the seat lid and the tank. The tank cover kept the tank from sweating, but the lid cover caused the seat to fall down when a man was peeing while standing. There was also a brief popularity for a crocheted cover for the spare toilet paper roll, made to look like a doll in a hoop skirt. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/75 "2021-02-15T16:37:29Z")
I can’t recall having problems with the toilet sweating. Am I just blind? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/76 "2021-02-15T16:40:11Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > There was also a brief popularity for a crocheted cover for the spare toilet paper roll, made to look like a doll in a hoop skirt. This time was called the 70’s. My 85 yo aunt still has these things. 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/77 "2021-02-15T16:51:59Z")
In hot, humid weather, or when somebody’s taken a hot shower without turning on the fan, the cold water in a freshly flushed toilet will sometimes cause condensation on the tank. Air conditioning has removed the problem for most folks. I once saw a tank lid with a planter built into it. It had wicks drooping into the tank, so it was self-watering. I thought it strange, because most bathrooms are dark when nobody’s in there. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/78 "2021-02-15T17:07:57Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > I once saw a tank lid with a planter built into it. It had wicks drooping into the tank, so it was self-watering. I thought it strange, because most bathrooms are dark when nobody’s in there. I can think of very few homes I’ve visited which have bathrooms without an exterior window. Offhand I can only think of one. Is that not the case where you live? ---
**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/79 "2021-02-15T17:13:08Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > In hot, humid weather, or when somebody’s taken a hot shower without turning on the fan, the cold water in a freshly flushed toilet will sometimes cause condensation on the tank. Air conditioning has removed the problem for most folks. Exactly. The house I grew up in north of Chicago had a mixing valve to feed some hot water into the toilets to counteract that, but after air conditioning was installed they were shut off. Condensation can still be a problem on those first few warm humid days in the spring when the tap water is still extra cold from the winter, especially in an already damp basement bathroom. Low-flow toilets are less likely to have problems because they may only pull the water that’s been sitting in the pipes inside the house and is already semi-warm. Of course it all depends how far your bathroom is from the main, if the pipes are insulated, and if you flushed another toilet upstream or used the sink or shower, etc. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/80 "2021-02-15T17:16:27Z")
Ah. So I have AC, and a low-flow toilet, and the one I usually use is at the other end of the house from the water main, so it probably fills entirely from water that’s already warmed to room temp in the pipes. Thus, no condensation problems. The basement toilet might be a different story, but it’s rarely used, so also not a problem. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544/81 "2021-02-15T17:17:58Z")
My bathroom faces north, and the window isn’t huge. I suppose you could grow pachysandra there, but most plants would want more sun. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-looking-to-buy-a-new-toilet-anything-i-should-know-gotchas-that-sort-of-thing/932544.md?page=5)