Darn Floor Molding -- Will 743 or 744 Drake Fit?

[WJcandee]

My first post, after lurking for at least two years. I have read all the posts about the rough-in on the Drake, and looked at all the great photos (what a resource you have here, Terry!!) and I just can't find the one critical dimension that I think I need: the distance from the centerline of the closet bolts to the rearmost piece of china that actually touches the floor. Reason I need to know this is I have floor molding in this old house that extends almost an inch from the wall for about six inches off the floor. I know that Terry says the Drake will fit at 10-7/8", which means I know I have no problem between the tank and the wall, but being completely honest with myself I have only 10-1/2, maybe 10-5/8 from the front of the molding to the center of the current bolts. Presently, we have the Kohler Portrait K-3591 that someone before me installed in there. I am dying to replace it because I have to (and any other user has to) plunge it virtually every time I use it, and I'm just sick of it. Very pretty unit, but doesn't work. I can't believe that they still sell it.

Anyway, because the molding is wood, I can probably even press it in a little bit, but I just can't see from the photos whether I am likely to be able to make the Drake work, or whether the china footprint is going to preclude installation or at least make it very challenging and/or ugly.

If the Drake won't work, do you have any other suggestions? This site has basically sold me on the Toto and on the GMax flush. Because this is a guest/work bedroom that gets uneven use, we don't want to spend a fortune, which is why the Drake seems to be such a nice balance of price and performance...

 

[JerryR]

I just measured my CST744. Elongated Eco Drake, 12" rough toilet, 1.28 gal tank.

It was installed in a bath with 11 1/8" rough-in.

Bathroom is Tile wall that meets tile floor with no baseboard.

It is installed where the bolts are 11 1/8" from the wall (no baseboard, tile wall)

It has 7/8" of space between the base china to wall where it meets the floor.

From center of bolts to further most back of china base I measure 10 1/4".

From back of tank to wall I have 3/8" space.

Hope this helps.

This toilet is the best. I have a 10" rough in Drake with a 1.6 gal tank in the other bath and the 12" rough w/1.28 gal tank flushes better.

Jerry

 

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[WJcandee]

Hope this helps.

This toilet is the best. I have a 10" rough in Drake with a 1.6 gal tank in the other bath and the 12" rough w/1.28 gal tank flushes better.

Jerry

Jerry, this is exactly what I am looking for! I understand that each piece of china may be slightly different, but that is just what I wanted to know. I think it was your eco Drake photos I was looking at in another thread and trying to puzzle out whether it would work. (Nice installation by the way!) You really made my day and I am exceptionally-grateful. Thanks again!

Bill

 

[JerryR]

If you look at the MAP test results, the 12" rough Eco Drake CST744EL is rated at 800 grams and the 10" CST744EL.10 is rated at 500 grams.
http://www.veritec.ca/uploads/WaterSense.xls

They both work well but the 12" has noticeably more powerful flush, which is confirmed via MAP ratings.

I initially installed the 10" one and I was very happy how it performed compared to the 3 gal old toilet it replaced When I installed a 12" one shortly afterwards in the other bath I was even happier.

Jerry

 

[WJcandee]

If you look at the MAP test results, the 12" rough Eco Drake CST744EL is rated at 800 grams and the 10" CST744EL.10 is rated at 500 grams.
http://www.veritec.ca/uploads/WaterSense.xls

They both work well but the 12" has noticeably more powerful flush, which is confirmed via MAP ratings.

I initially installed the 10" one and I was very happy how it performed compared to the 3 gal old toilet it replaced When I installed a 12" one shortly afterwards in the other bath I was even happier.

Jerry

Thanks again, Jerry. I just wanted to follow-up and say that I installed the round one the other day and later in the week the elongated one in the tight space that you helped me with. They both seem to work well. The one in the tight space just fit; maybe 1/8 behind it to the baseboard, so your measurements were right on! I was sad to part with the Kohler I replaced because it was so nice asthetically, but it just didn't work. The Drake looks very nice in its place, and I just sighed with relief that I had made the right choice the very first time I used it. It's beautiful because it just plain works -- and it's pretty good lookin', too. Thanks again for giving me the info that I needed.

Also, I should say that I encountered two significant issues that this forum let me know that I needed to resolve, and how. The first toilet had a flange about 1/2" or more above the floor level, because the floor had been lowered. I knew I had to deal with that. On the second one, just the opposite: the flange was 5/8 below the floor level, and the previous installer had just slapped an extra wax ring in there to compensate. Having read this forum, I knew to get a flange extension to do it right. At my local Ace, the dippy, condescending plumbing guy said that he had never heard of such a thing. This was the same guy who said that he had never heard of shimming a toilet. I later actually noted that Ace makes toilet shims, so go figure. In any event, off to make the half-hour trek to Lowe's, where the nice man said, "Half-inch extender, quarter-inch extender, or both in a kit with fresh bolts?" Kit, please. Done. Now I know I won't have a wax blowout or leaks. But for this forum, I would have been stumped on so many levels, so let me just say again how appreciative I am.