Easiest to clean?

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reissgirl

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Just got back from the plumbing supply store thinking that I would leave with a Toto. Instead I left confused and considering an Icera toilet. Why? Because they seem so darn easy to clean. I have two boys and our old Kohler toilet smells awful no matter how much I clean it. The seats on the Icera one-piece toilets pop off so you can completely clean everything! But the reviews here seem less than stellar, so I'm back to the drawing board. I want a one-piece elongated bowl, ideally just regular height. Next on my wish list is a skirted trapway. I felt inside the Toto toilets and, except for the Drake II, they had some unglazed porcelain on the underside of the rim. I'm worried that would trap odors for my kids that have great aim... for everywhere except the center of the bowl. Thoughts? Recommendations? Thanks!
 

Reach4

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Carlyle II is single piece skirted Toto with flushingDouble Cyclone bowl like the Drake II. Includes seat. Vespin II is 2 piece with the bowl (2Double Cyclone big holes vs under-rim holes) , but the tank is a little elevated by a plateau of ceramic on the base. Significantly cheaper than 1 piece. Does not come with a seat. I like the Bemis Slow Close STA-TITE Elongated Closed Front Toilet Seat. It does stick out maybe 1/16 inch from the front of the toilet. Not significant. It has a lift off feature for easy cleaning under the seat.
 
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Terry

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I sell plenty of the TOTO Drake II and Ultramax II in the Bellevue area.

http://terrylove.biz/toilets/10-toto-ultramax-ii.html

I've sold thousands of TOTO, but none of the Icera yet.
I don't think you need to worry. I have plenty of happy customers out there.

Smells can come from many places. A kitchen in West Seattle the other day had potatoes in a cupboard that needed tossing.
In the home I grew up in, the boys bathroom had a smell until I took the wallboard off and found where mice and rats had used the inside of the walls for a bathroom. I cleaned that up, blocked all access and it's been fine ever sense.
Sometimes a toilet needs two wax seals. A single seal where two were needed can be a problem too.
 
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WJcandee

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Don't try to rethink stuff that actual engineers have already thought out. The Totos rock. You won't regret it. And look at Terry's selection and the selection on the Toto web site (and take about 35 percent or more off the list to know what they actually sell for at plumbing supply places), not just what's at some dumb overpriced showroom.

Better yet, if you're near Terry, just buy from him. I would. Because you're going to get a quality installation job at a very reasonable price, and excellent service.
 

reissgirl

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Ok, I'm back on the Toto train. I put 3 Totos in my last house. Does the unglazed portion make any difference for odors (if I don't get the Drake or Carlyle)? Does anyone have the Carlyle - the skirt looks like it dips towards the back. Is that so you can get behind the toilet more easily? I like the idea of a full skirt so that, regardless of aim, they just splash instead of actually reaching the back of the toilet. Perhaps I'm overthinking this.
 

Reach4

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I like the idea of a full skirt so that, regardless of aim, they just splash instead of actually reaching the back of the toilet. Perhaps I'm overthinking this.
I don't know what you are calling the back of the toilet (same as behind toilet?) or how the skirt would block the path. Note the Ultramax appears to look about the same as Carlyle viewed low from the front. It is the side view that differs significantly.

Sitting solves the problem in a residence. Maybe get a blacklight and do spot checks.
 
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WJcandee

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We have a Carlyle II in the master bath. We are very happy with how it looks, and even happier with how it performs. Our housekeeper (grrrr...) does some things spectacularly, but cleaning bathrooms isn't one of them. I find the Carlyle II to be easy to clean when necessary, and I have never detected any odors when it is sitting idle (i.e. odors from the toilet as opposed to its operator).

Oh, and for what it's worth, I read somewhere about Icera providing significant "incentives" to dealers and salespeople to promote its toilets in order to get the brand some recognition. No store guarantees that its advice is impartial, because it usually isn't.

Some plumbers balk at having to read the instructions in order to know how to install a Toto that has the skirt and the Unifit adapter. It's not hard, but you would think they were being asked to piece together a 747 from random parts. Terry (and his company) installs these toilets every day, and they make it look easy. Just a plug for our sainted founder.
 

reissgirl

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Incentives to sell Icera? That certainly does sway my confidence in the advice I got. To be fair, I asked what to look at besides Toto. Terry, you do live in my area (lucky me!!!) but I've always installed toilets myself. Done it many times and never had a problem. Is there a reason I can't do the Carlyle myself (with my husband for lifting power) too?

For argument's sake, because it seems I'm among people who analyze toilets as much as I do, what would you recommend as a less expensive alternative to Toto? Fully glazed, one piece, fully skirted trapway. Thanks!!!
 

Terry

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A lot of homeowners are installing these. You just slow down and follow the instructions.
I have no idea why your old toilets are having an issue. Worst comes to worst, you can pull one, take it outside and spray it with a garden hose, and then reinstall making sure you have enough wax for the seal. Most of the time in the Seattle area, that's two wax rings stacked on the closet flange. (floor)
I haven't installed Icera yet, but I have installed Kohler and American Standard. They may have something that works for you too.
 

reissgirl

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My Totos aren't having any problems. Those are from a previous house. I've had to replace some of the guts on all 3 of those Totos but they're otherwise great. And by great I mean that I never gave them another thought after installing them 10 years ago. The toilet that won't get clean is an old Kohler. Probably about 30+ years old. It has lots of holes on the underside of the rim, on unglazed porcelain, and that area really smells. Can't get rid of the smell so I think it must be in the clay at this point?
 

Jadnashua

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Porcelain has a REALLY small absorption rate. You might try pouring some cleaner down the overflow tube in the tank so it comes out the holes (not in the tank unless you plan to replace the rubber parts) and see if that helps. Over that time, mineral deposits tend to clog up the holes under the rim, too, which can compromise the bowl cleaning ability. Often, there are smells from beneath the tank where you can't clean things unless you pull the toilet. They won't get there if the toilet is properly caulked, but that practice probably was not in use 30-years ago.

My two Totos are from before the II series, but if I were to replace them, I do like the functionality of them and I think they will be easier to keep clean, not that mine are.
 
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