Please help me replace my blue toilet

[bluebathroom]

Hi. Sorry for the newbie desperation post. My house is c1914, and my small and only full bathroom was renovated in the 1970s. It is probably not the original location for the toilet. The problem: 16-16.5" rough, as measured by me and others in the know. I've been told contradictory things about options.

I'm hoping for help as to my choices, if any, for toilets. If a "simple" replacement is not possible, I guess I'd like to be educated about my other options. <gulp> I live in MA, which has weird rules, too.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Redwood]

Your chances of finding a perfect match for your 70's color toilet is somewhere between slim and none...

 

[Sponsor]

 

[bluebathroom]

Thanks, sorry, I'm not looking for a blue toilet. I want to get a very WHITE one. I'm just trying to understand how I can get a modern white toilet to fit into an old-fashioned rough-in size. Thanks!

 

[Gary Swart]

You best choice is one of the Toto models that use the Unifit adapter. Get an adapter for a 14" rough in. That will still leave a couple of inches or so behind the tank, but much easier than changing the rough in to 12". You can peruse the list of Toto toilets on another section of this web site. Toto is the only manufacturer that makes toilets with this option.

 

[bluebathroom]

Thank you! I just found the thread about approved toilets in MA. Yet another wrinkle. I had read about the adapter (how I found this site) but wasn't sure if was an option for 16.

 

[Redwood]

Yea you pretty much either go with the 14" rough and the space behind the tank or, face some plumbing and flooring work to change the rough in.

 

[Gary Swart]

Well, it won't put the tank clear to the wall obviously, but it's the best option short of moving the drain. It would leave something like 2" between the tank and the wall. Actually, I have a couple of 12" Toto toilets, a Drake and a Dartmouth, and the both have a couple of inches space even though my rough ins are exactly 12". It's really not a big deal. Not only could you fit a toilet in you room, it would be one of the best toilets made. To me it's a Win-Win deal.

 

[Jadnashua]

Some of the old toilets had 4-bolts holding it down...two of them are bolted to the floor, not the flange. So, unless you have the old toilet up, it's hard to say for sure what the actual rough-in is. Most of the Totos that use the Unifit adapter have 3/4" behind them, so if yours really is 16.5", you'd have 3-1/4" or so between the tank and the wall. Depending on the flooring, what's underneath, and what you are planning on doing while (remodeling?), it may not be a big deal to move the flange. Keep in mind, in MA, all plumbing is supposed to be done by a licensed plumber, even in your own home.

 

[bluebathroom]

We currently have about 2.5 inches between the toilet and the wall. The gap doesn't bother me, and I didn't even know it was a big gap until someone pointed it out to me. I guess I just don't want to have *more* gap if I can avoid it...but the toilet fitting the drain is more important. There is linoleum flooring there currently. We were hoping have the toilet replaced (by someone else) and do the flooring (ourselves). We are not doing any wholesale remodeling...just like-for-like switches, to the extent we can. Focusing on Toto is helpful to narrow the discussion, size aside. This thread has been very helpful. Thanks!

 

[hj]

A larger space than the toilet calls for is NOT a functional problem, but could be aesthetic one. ANY 14" toilet on a 16" rough opening will have at least 2" behind it.