Thrifty thrift store Totos? Yes or no?

[KristinK]

Hi all! I'm DIY renovating two bathrooms in my hundred year old house this summer, learning as I go, very grateful for all the expertise here on this forum where I have spent some quality time lately. Nothing like reading a good toilet thread at bedtime to give you sweet dreams at night.

I want to replace both of the ancient 3.5 gpf toilets and I am on a strict budget so was thrilled to find two used Toto toilets at the local thrift dealer yesterday. They look new! One is a Lloyd with GMAX 1.6, CST 934SF, and the other is Guinevere with Cyclone 1.6 CST 97rC(last number or letter is illegible). There are also some nice used Kohlers there but from what I have read here the Totos are generally a better choice. They are all priced the same, at $100 each. I might be able to get him down a bit, but maybe not.

Any red flags on either of these models that I should know about? Does anyone have an opinion on which is better for the more high-traffic bathroom and which for the lightly used one? or is that just an aesthetic choice?

My existing rough ins seem to be 14", and the used totos come with the standard 12" unifit. I see I can order the 14" unifit mounting set for around $70 apiece but that's going to add a lot to the price I'm paying for the toilets themselves. Is it still worth it?

My main gripe about our existing toilets is that we have very cold well water and the condensation is really quite bad during the summer months. Are either of these a better or worse choice when it comes to that issue? Should I hold out and try to find an insulated tank?

Finally, do you think I can do the installation myself or should I spring for hired plumbing help on this one? I have access to tools and to extra muscle if I need it but otherwise would be on my own.

Thanks in advance, everyone. As an inexperienced female DIY newbie I really appreciate all the good advice here.

 

[Reach4]

People, including wjcandee, speak well of those models. They are one piece toilets, so you may need a helper to place the toilet.

Regarding the 14 inch Unifit adapter, you can shop.

I ordered a 14 inch Unifit and was ready to put it in. When I got the old toilet off, I found the rough-in was a little over 13 inch. I was using the side-slots on the existing closet flange, so there was no slop to utilize as you can do with circumferential slots (I had to look that word up). I drilled my own new holes for the closet bolts. I could have used the 14 inch Unifit I had, but I used the 12. The 14 has resale valve, unlike the 12. http://www.terrylove.com/forums/ind...rance-with-14-unifit-and-offset-flange.66596/ has a marked-up unifit photo.

I felt that the Unifit had some advantages for me. A disadvantage is that you have to drill holes for 4 mounting screws (maybe like #12 or #10?). That can be very hard with porcelain, kinda hard with ceramic, and easy with many flooring materials. But I could place the Unifit, using wax. I could put the toilet on the Unifit, and apply shims without worrying about de-compressing the wax. I molded it into the unifit, and onto the flange, with a gloved hand. Note that the caulking is structural with a Unifit. The caulk contributes to not letting the front of the toilet slide left or right. See past discussions that include polyseamseal using the search box above.

 

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[KristinK]

Thanks, Reach. I will be sure to review the polyseamseal discussions. I am also redoing flooring in both bathrooms (was planning to tile) and will consider the drilling challenges for the unifit. I'm a bit nervous about the existing roughin and what i might find when I get the toilets off. Nothing in this house is proving to be standard, so far.

TOTO Lloyd

 

[KristinK]

I'm not hearing anyone screaming out NOT to buy these guys so I guess I will head over to the thrift store this afternoon and make a deal. Right? thanks all.

 

[Reach4]

If they are in good shape, it sounds like a screaming buy. Even if you need to replace the fill valve with new silver-top Korkys, or replace a flapper with a new adjustable universal 3-inch Fluidmaster, those are easy and cheap.

 

[Dana]

I want to replace both of the ancient 3.5 gpf toilets and

<snip>

My main gripe about our existing toilets is that we have very cold well water and the condensation is really quite bad during the summer months. Are either of these a better or worse choice when it comes to that issue? Should I hold out and try to find an insulated tank?

With 1.6gpm per flush a much larger fraction of the water coming into the tank will already be pre-tempered to something close to room temperature. If there's 50' of 3/4" pipe from where it enters the house and the toilet the first gallon will be warmer than the last half-gallon. With a 3.5 gallon flusher the first gallon would be pre-temperted, but the remaining 2.5 would be the cold stuff, mixing to a much colder temperature in the tank.

Even it it's all cold stuff, with a 1.6 gallon tank there is less than half the condensation seen with a 3.5 gallon tank. The condensation stops once the tank has reached the room air's dew point temperature, and it's less than half the thermal mass that the condensation is warming up.

 

[KristinK]

Thanks, all! I bought both of them.