What to do with a working toilet you don't want

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kshorty

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Hi, my landlord installed a new toilet that's functional but too tall for me. It's been used and Home Depot says they won't accept a return.

Are the only options to live with it or throw it away? Does anyone ever buy a used toilet?

And if it needs to be disposed of, is there an environmentally responsible way to do that?

Thanks for your help.
 

Cameron Fields

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You might find someone to buy it i am sure there is not many in the market for a used toilet even though its new. you might try donating it to people in need like the key training center or goodwill. Best of luck hope you can sell it though. also try e-b-a-y good luck
 

Gary Swart

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Habitat for Humanity is always a good place to get rid of such things. You can probably get a tax deduction for it. Then get a Toto and be set for life.
 

LLigetfa

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Somebody put one on the curb with a sign that said FREE and nobody would take it, so he put a $50 price on it and it was gone (stolen) in a flash.
 

Kreemoweet

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There's millions of people looking for free stuff: all kinds of stuff. Put an ad on Craigslist, its free. If you lived closer, I'd come get it 'cuz I love
tall toilets.
 

Gary Swart

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Seems to me several of you guys are missing something. This is a working low flow toilet. I suggested Habitat for Humanities, but I'm sure there are other charity organizations that would be very glad to have this and give you a tax donations receipt as well. Now, if it was an old water hog, then dispose of it in the landfill. I broke up and disposed of two such dogs several years ago that way.
 

kshorty

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Since Toto keeps coming up:

It seems like an excellent brand (and I loved the heated ones in Japan), but one downside to me seems to be adjusting to the inclined seat (or having to center yourself on a flatter seat). Even if the seat is ergonomically better, there are times in your life when you're ready to make a change and times when you're not. Having this experience with the too-tall toilet, I've realized I don't want to adjust to anything different right now. I don't even want an elongated bowl even though it's called "more comfortable." Prefer the round.

Come to think of it, the seats in Japan were just flat, as I recall. Those were great.

Anyway, appreciate all the advice about getting rid of this other toilet. Thanks.
 

Gary Swart

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Everyone is entitled to his/her preferences when it comes to elongated or round bowls and the toilet seats. I would point out a couple of things however. Many people prefer the comfort height toilets. These are frequently only available with the elongated bow. Toto toilets will accept any brand/style seat. Toto toilets are sold without out seats so you have a choice. Now, if you are a short individual, the comfort height probably isn't a desirable feature for you. In short, Toto gives us options on bowl shape, height, and seats.
 

Terry

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There are two bowls to choose from in the US
Round (Regular)
Elongated

Any hardware store will carry plenty of both.
You can find them in padded, slow closing, curved, flat, quick release, wood, plastic, cheap and expensive.

The good plastic seats tend to last a lot longer than the less then $20 wood and wood composites.

TOTO used to have a curved softclose, but that got switched out two years ago, and now they are pretty much flat.
Kohler makes a nice slow closing seat too. I feel if you buying TOTO, it's nice to get theirs, though really any seat will work.
If you buying Kohler, then look at their Cachet seats.
Any seat in a hardware store that sells for less then $12 isn't worth having. They cheapen the hinges and the seats tend to skate on the porcelain.
As a plumber, I can't sell an $8 seat, it creates too many unhappy cusomers. The lowest I can go is the $15 round or $20 elongated to keep them from calling back.
 

kshorty

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Thanks, I've realized I prefer heavier "matte" seats to the light, shiny plastic ones that maybe are more prevalent now. (Never really thought about it before!) I hope those are still on the market...

Leaning toward the Cadet Pro (I didn't see many Kohler toilets with 15" bowls), so I will have to see what matched up seatwise...
 

Suceress

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I forgot to ask, did the landlord pay for the new toilet or did he charge you for it? Did you talk to the landlord about the new toilet and how it is uncomfortable for you? Since you are renting, its best to talk to him before removing a toilet he/she installed. If he/she purchased the toilet then he/she would have to be the one to dispose of it.
It does sound like you are indicating that you purchased it though. In which case, donating to Habitat for Humanities or a local charity would be a good idea.

Alternatively, you could probably get something like a little step or something to set in front of the toilet that you can step up on to sit and then rest your feet on it. It might be cheaper and easier than replacing the toilet-- even though it may not be the ideal solution.

If you still want to replace the toilet, I personally like the Toto Drake. I believe the standard size is a little over 14 & 5/8" high (without the seat). I could be wrong on that though.
 

kshorty

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My landlord bought it, but we've had some discussions about it. I'm going to pay for the new toilet and get rid of the old, and if I move I can keep the new one. (Technically once a toilet's installed it belongs to the landlords, but they've known me for years.)

Just a piece of info I picked up -- I went to a showroom today, and was looking at different toilets. One of the reps said that they received the most complaints from customers about Toto and Kohler.

I suppose that contradicts what some other pros here have found, but it sounds like the people who love Toto toilets really, really love them, and there's a minority that has some trouble with them.
 

WJcandee

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One of the reps said that they received the most complaints from customers about Toto and Kohler.

Very odd. Look at the reviews on that big retail web site as well as the ones here. Democracy in action. The Toto Drake II is the number-one selling toilet on that web site. More than Kohler. More than AS. More than anyone.

And what blows me away is that in review after review, people say that based on how happy they are with their Drake II, they are buying (or did buy) one or two or three or even FOUR more of this exact model for their home. That says everything that anyone could want to know. And folks who used it to replace an old unsatisfactory toilet say over and over that they were trepidatious but then thrilled after using it for the first time. One guy had actually asked for a new toilet for his birthday, he was so unhappy with the old one after several years of use, and seemed to have tears in his eyes as he wrote his glowing review of the Drake II that his wife had bought him.

A plumber posting on here will tell you what his experience is out in the field, and (s)he has no reason to tell you anything but the truth. And being out in the field is where the rubber meets the road.

A salesperson in a store may (a) not really have the slightest idea what they are talking about and/or (b) be trying to move some other product.

Just as a point of comparison, a personal experience: Back when Panasonic made window air conditioners, they were the best ones available anywhere. By "best", I mean way-quieter than anyone, energy-efficient, and built like tanks, with features like a slide-out chassis that cost a lot more in most other lines. I sent a relative to PC Richard once to pick up a specific model of Panasonic air conditioner for a specific window. Back she came with a Fedders. Much noisier, just horrible in comparison, for the same price. "The salesman told me that they had a lot of complaints about Panasonic, and that the Fedders was a much better unit." She thought she was doing me a favor by picking up the "better" one. Sigh. These days, I would still rather have a used Panasonic from Craigslist than a brand-spankin-new window unit from any other brand. And all the ones we put in over a decade ago are still purring along like champs.
 
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Suceress

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I think wjcandee is on to something. I suspect the reps were trying to push another brand. Perhaps they were sponsored by a competitive brand.

I don't think removing the toilet when you move would be a good idea. Especially since the landlord shelled out the $$ for the toilet you want to replace. It sounds to me like the landlord owns the current toilet. Perhaps if you really want it removed you can suggest that the landlord put it in another unit (if there is another unit that can use it), rather than you getting rid of it. Since you don't actually own that toilet, it is up to the landlord to find a new home for it.

Sure the landlord knows you and probably trusts you, but things can happen in landlord/tenant relationships and you don't want to end up being accused of stealing the toilet should anything go south at sometime in the future. I'm not saying that will happen, but sometimes you never know.

So, I take it that you really want to get a new toilet instead of trying a movable platform or step or something? :D

Maybe you could talk to your landlord about something like that in lieu of going to the trouble of taking out the toilet and replacing it.

Ultimately its up to you on whether or not it is worth it to do that though. Well, and obviously your landlord will have a say in things.
 

6t7gto

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You state that the toilet is too tall for you.
Get a couple of 2x4's, a piece of plywood and build yourself a step.:D

Crap! suceress beat me to it.
 

Suceress

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You state that the toilet is too tall for you.
Get a couple of 2x4's, a piece of plywood and build yourself a step.:D

Crap! suceress beat me to it.

LOL. Well, it looks like there is a second vote for a step. :)
 

kshorty

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LOL. Well, it looks like there is a second vote for a step. :)

I've thought about a step or a heavy bamboo mat, though due to the way my small bathroom is set up, I'd have to step up onto every time I walked into and out of the bathroom. Kind of annoying.

What I have right now is a Champion 4 Max, and I have to say it flushes great, and it's totally efficient and quick. Surprising how many arguments there are about it on this forum. (The design isn't great looks-wise, though.)

Honestly, I should have kept my rusty old one. Didn't think about all the factors that could make a new toilet a big pain.
 
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