Plumber used Non Standard Water Supply Location & Toto Toilets

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jmottle

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We're in a relatively new home, but the builder placed the water supply lines in a non-standard location. All come out of the floor and are looking to be too close to the toilet. I would really like to go with a Toto Ultramax II, but I'm getting conflicting answers from suppliers here in Calgary. Some say it should be ok, and others say it won't work. Below are the distances off the back wall and the distance left of center line

Off Back Wall / Left of Toilet Center Line

2.75" / 4.25"
2.50" / 6.75"
3.25" / 3.75"

The drains are all more or less 12" to center from back wall.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I've looked at the specs on the Toto Website, but they don't provide any dimensional information on the curve of the porcelain as it tapers from the bolts.

Cheers,
Jeff
 

WJcandee

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The toilet at its widest point on the base is 4-29/32 (call it 5) inches off the centerline (one-half of 9-13/16"). So your 6.75" one will be fine, assuming that there isn't too big an escutcheon ring around it, and you can pull that off if you have to. I don't think the taper of the base is going to be significant enough for you to fit it on those other locations. There is some room behind the base on a 12" rough, but it's not clear whether your measurement to the supply (coming up from the floor) is to the part of the pipe nearest to or furthest from the wall. (Also, thinking about it, same question as to whether you're talking about the distance from the left-right centerline to the nearest part of the pipe to the toilet or not. If so, maybe, just maybe, you could get that 4.25 on in there on the taper, but I doubt it.)
 
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jmottle

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I measured to centre of the water supply line in both directions. A bit disappointed that I either have to rip up tile and hardwood and have the lines moved, or find another toilet. I spent a ton of time researching and came to the conclusion that the UltraMax was pretty much one of the best there was. (As this site seems to suggest as well). A local plumber suggested looking at some of the higher end Eljers. Not really sure what the best option is at this point. Chalk it up to yet one more thing my builder screwed up.
 

Terry

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Many of the new Eljer bowls, like their companion American Standard bowls also have a longer trapway toward the back. Which model does he think will fit? Is he just guessing?
Years ago, the trapways tended to be shorter, but that has been changing for some time now. Your plumber may be only used to installing a cheap builder grade bowl.

I don't have the Ultramax II bowl handy at the moment to set down on paper and trace. I have one installed in my Master.
You may want to ask if someone can pull one out and do a trace on paper.
 

jmottle

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Yeah I was just looking at the higher rated/priced Eljer and AS units and all have footprints that are as big or bigger than the Toto. Looks like the only option if I want a decent toilet is to rip up the floor....sigh.
 

Jadnashua

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If you can gain access from below, you can drill new holes in the floor, both through the tile and the hardwood, to move the pipe. Through the floor is somewhat more common when the toilet is on an outside wall...it keeps the pipe out of the wall, and helps prevent it from freezing. If you're lucky, the existing hole would be covered by the base of the new toilet!

FWIW, there really isn't a cast in stone 'standard' for where to install the water line to a toilet. Where he put them may have been a bit ill-advised, but if the toilets that are there, obviously, fit, not that much. One of the hassles of remodeling or upgrading things.
 

jmottle

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All of the toilets in our house are on inside walls and above finished spaces. Until I pull up the floor I won't know where the pipes are in relation to the floor joists and how easy or difficult it might be to move the pipe over 3-4 inches. If nothing else I'm learning a new set of things I'll change when and if I ever build again. Make this #1,321 ;)
 

hj

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There is no "standard" dimension for the water lines but I doubt that many plumbers would put it closer than 6" to the center of the toilet if it were in the wall and maybe a bit more if coming out of the floor. However, I question WHY a "competent" plumber would put it in the floor if the wall was NOT an exterior wall. Maybe item #1,322 would be "hire competent plumber".
 

jmottle

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To understand that you would have to know our builder. I could write a book on their incompetence. Put it this way, it was in the evening news and newspapers when we first built.
 

Brian Hartman

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Many of the new Eljer bowls, like their companion American Standard bowls also have a longer trapway toward the back. Which model does he think will fit? Is he just guessing?
Years ago, the trapways tended to be shorter, but that has been changing for some time now. Your plumber may be only used to installing a cheap builder grade bowl.

I don't have the Ultramax II bowl handy at the moment to set down on paper and trace. I have one installed in my Master.
You may want to ask if someone can pull one out and do a trace on paper.

Just wondering the outcome of this. I'm looking to replace our builder grade toilets in our new construction home and have similar supply locations in the floor. Anyone come up with an accurate template or trace of the Ultramax II?
 
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