Help me with the madness of choosing a toilet!!!

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cbiscuit

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I called 6 x plumbing supply stores in my area (Birmingham, AL). Of those that actually sold toilets, best price for the Drake II (CST454CEFG) was 392 which includes a seat. Best price for the Entrada (CST243EF) was 193 which includes a seat. Online has the Drake II for 350ish. The local prices seem higher than what i should be able to find, right?

Anyone know of a better place here i should try?
 
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Reach4

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I don't think either of those include a seat. I like the Bemis Sta-tite slow close seat.

No.
 

cbiscuit

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The online ones don't, but no big deal. I was going to get a soft-close anyway.

I'm just dismayed that i cannot find more supply places near me. I would prefer not to buy online for several reasons. The Entrada price is attractive. My concern is that i spend all this time looking for all the bells and whistles (yes, on a toilet) and they really don't equate to real-world difference.
 
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Wallijonn

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So, toilet forum, what say you?

I say get an elongated ADA 1.28gpf for the master bathroom and a regular height, round, 1.28gpf for the hallway bathroom. That would mean that you could install the Drake ECO regular height, round bowl, 1.28gpf, in the hallway and the Drake II dual cyclone ADA height, elongated in the master bedroom. ;)

The other option would be to get the Entrada, ADA height, elongated, 1.28gpf into the Master bathroom and the regular height Drake, round, 1.28gpf in the hallway bathroom.

The difference: I tend to think of the Entrada as feminine and the Drake II as masculine. So the master bathroom will either end up belonging to her or belonging to you. :D
 

WorthFlorida

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As you struggle to find the porcelain throne has your water bill dropped any since your first post? Have you looked for leaks?

Your house inspection probably found no leaks but just to be sure check your water meter. Home inspectors will also do this. Have all faucets and appliances off. Looks at the meter is you see water flow. A mechanical meter will have a little star wheel in one corner and it turns as water is drawn. A digital meter will show an arrow flashing but you will need to look at it for about 30 seconds or more to see it flash. If there is any movement you have leak somewhere. The old flappers in the toilets is the first place to look but you would here the toilet refill it self as the water level dropped.

Another common source for a leak is from the meter to the house. If Birmingham has similar weather as Florida (temperature wise) you might have PVC pipe from the meter to the house. In Florida the meter is near the road or at the sidewalk just below the ground. One cause of slow leaks is the PVC pipe with be lifted by tree roots and then cracked. Another is the threaded nipple right at the meter. I've had this happen to me, my neighbor and my son's house. I also fix this a friends daughters house. She got a new place and always complained that her water bill was awful high for a town home with one person.

Living in S. Florida for 25 years and having many new younger neighbors moving in, they all seem to have the same complaint, MY WATER BILL is HUGE. Our homes were build with 5 gal flush toilets with at least two or three in every home. Many, including myself, have changed them to water efficient units. But the number one reason for high bills is watering the lawn. It always seem that new owners want green lawns and the sprinklers are running constantly until they get the first bill.

My biggest water saving device was getting a HE washer. The old top loaders used 20-30 gals per wash, my Samsung HE uses around 11 gals per wash. It's only my wife and I and I wash my works clothes each work day (5 days) plus regular wash of other clothes, towels, etc. Our gallon usage is 2000 or 3000 gals per month. I have a well for irrigation. If you have kids, that is a given that you'll have high water bills.

I once read an ad on line for a plumber that said, ...where a good Flush is better than a Full House".
 

cbiscuit

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I called around a bit more and found the Drake II (CST454CEFG) locally for 309!! I will pick it up and install it in the next few days. Is the Toto seat worth the extra cost over, say a Bemis Soft close one?
 

Jadnashua

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Functionally, a seat is a seat, it will fit. How it looks and the exact contours, personal perception. Unless you buy something weird (like some Kohlers, and a few others), there are two toilet seat shapes: round, elongated.
 

Rmk9785e

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<SNIP>
Since you are a researcher like I am, research prices on your toilet, because Toto prices vary widely. We have some tips on this forum about that.
Thank you the detailed response. Could you please provide any links to the price/buying research tips on Toto toilets? I tried searching the forums but couldn't fine any.
 

Jadnashua

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Basically, buying local is more reliable...porcelain doesn't tend to ship well. Check out Terry's on-line store for a ball-park cost figure. He does not ship, but it gives you an idea what you should be able to find it for locally. THe prices will vary all over the place. Any decent plumbing supply store can order a Toto if they don't stock it. Design showrooms will often try to sell it to you at full list, but you should be able to do much better. Know what you want with a model number, and ask what they'd sell it to you if you came in today. The more you need, the better negotiating stance you'll have. IOW, you should not need to pay retail for the thing.
 

cbiscuit

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Follow the oft posted advice of wjcandee about the phone book. I did that, but it didn't work, so I tried again and that worked wonders.
 

BobT3354

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I like the "flush videos" but wouldn't they be far more informative with (for lack of a better term) a nice big log in there so you can see how well it goes down?? Sure, its great to see how a toilet flushes with nothing in there to flush, but who's concerned about that? I want to know how well it does when "put to the test", especially since I often have people over and DON'T want to have a plunger sitting at the ready for those times you need one!
 

WJcandee

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I like the "flush videos" but wouldn't they be far more informative with (for lack of a better term) a nice big log in there so you can see how well it goes down?? Sure, its great to see how a toilet flushes with nothing in there to flush, but who's concerned about that? I want to know how well it does when "put to the test", especially since I often have people over and DON'T want to have a plunger sitting at the ready for those times you need one!

 

BobT3354

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You know what? THAT was actually an excellent solution to what otherwise would be a problem! Obviously NO ONE wants to watch even just one and certainly not 10 videos in a row of well, "real everyday toilet flushing" to see how they really flush! (or I'm sure there's some small percentage of people who would spend hours watching it obsessively and I'm glad to NOT be in that group!) This does solve this issue well enough for what I needed to see for info purposes.
 
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