Installing 12" toilet in 14" rough-in

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pos1

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I am replacing an existing toilet with a new dual-flush toilet. The rough-in is 14". the toilet I want to install is a 12" rough-in (I'm certain I can't get it in a 14" rough-in). Is the only problem I'll run into cosmetic, in that the tank will sit an add'l 2" from the wall from the existing toilet? it's hard for me to picture what that might look like, but it doesn't seem that big of a deal.

I have no plans to do any other remodeling, i.e. break the concrete floor, etc. I simply intend on replacing the toilet...I want this to be an easy job. Worst case I'll go shopping for a 14" rough-in toilet, but I'd rather not.

Any info would be appreciated.
 

Jadnashua

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It will work fine, but as you thought, it will stick out an extra 2" into the room, and from the wall. If that isn't an issue, go for it. It becomes an issue if you have clearance issues. the toilet could sit in the middle of the room, if you liked the look. There are LOTS of toilets installed that have a larger than design gap behind them.
 

Terry

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Any 12" toilet will work for a 14" rough.
If you want to pull the bowl back 2", then there is only one method.

Moving the bowl back 2" information

toilet_14_rough2.jpg

James demonstrating in an old Seattle home that has a 14" rough-in.
The toilet on the left is a Toto Soiree with 14" Unift, the toilet on the right, is a Cadet 3 elongated bowl.
Both bowls are elongated, but you can see how much leg room is gained by James on the Toto. Several inches!
It's also much easier to use when standing up. His butt doesn't hit the pedestal anymore.
Same bathroom, different bowls.

toilet_14_rough.jpg
 
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pos1

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It will work fine, but as you thought, it will stick out an extra 2" into the room, and from the wall.

Is it true that the toilet itself will also stick out an extra 2" or will there only be the extra 2" gap between the tank and the wall? I hadn't thought about the toilet actually sticking out more. I guess I had figured that the 14" offset was for toilets that were larger in the tank area (for some odd reason). I think what you're saying is that it's really just the mounting holes on the toilet that are different and therefore putting in a 12" rough-in toilet would move the entire toilet from the wall 2". If so, I may have to rethink this and just go with a 14" toilet.
 

Nukeman

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It depends on the toilet. Many 14" models are really just a 12" bowl with a thicker tank to make up the space between the toilet and the wall. If you got a Toto with a unifit like Terry mentions, the toilet will move back 2" (closing the gap at the wall and giving you an extra 2" in front of the toilet). If you have a smaller bathroom, using the unifit setup will really help.
 

Jadnashua

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A 12" rough-in toilet sitting on a 14" actual flange, WILL stick out 2" more than the spec sheet says. Now, as Terry linked to, the only one that actually can pull the whole toilet back to the 'design' gap behind is Toto with their UniFit adapter (which only works on some of their toilets, all of them skirted). Most other manufacturers just substitue a different tank to fill the gap, but the front of the toilet from the bolts on the flange to the front remains the same...so, move them out 2", the front has to move 2" as well.
 

Noname

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14" rough-in flange setting and 12" toilet

I have an older cast iron flange set at 14" from the wall and a 12" toilet - leaving me 4" from the wall. Is there any type of flange or fixture I can get to move the toilet closer to the wall. I have seen offset closet flanges but there is already a flange (cast iron) in the floor. Am I doomed to buying a new 14" rough in toilet? Thanks
 

Jadnashua

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If you want to make the gap smaller behind the toilet, you need to do one of two things: move the flange and downpipe, or buy a toilet designed for a 14" rough-in. If you want the toilet to not stick out as far, then you should look at one of the Toto toilets that use the Unifit adapter (unique to certain Toto toilets). This allows the same toilet to fit on either 10, 12, or 14" rough-ins by changing out the adapter. I think there may be a Caroma brand model that may have some adjustment, but am not certain. The vast majority of other 14" rough-in toilets use the same bowl, and just put a thicker tank on it, so they stick out that extra 2" into the room.
 

hj

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These days many 14" toilets use a 12" bowl with a tank that is 2" deeper so it comes out closer to the wall. Some 10" toilets do the same with a thinner tank.
 

Gary Swart

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Toto is the only manufacturer that makes adapters that will allow some of their models to fit a 10", 12", or 14" rough-in by just selecting the size adapter necessary. The toilet will set in the same place on the floor. The Unifit adapter only works on specific models of Toto toilets and will not fit other makes.
 

Cacher_Chick

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Another alternative that fewer people consider is furring the wall out to take up the space. While this is entirely feasable, if the bath is already small you would be making it that much smaller.
 

Gary Swart

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Not to start a war, but while furring the wall out would make the 12" toilet appear to fit better, it would cost as much to do it as getting a Toto with a Unifit adapter, and you'd still have the expense of buying a toilet.
 

Paulina D

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It will work fine, but as you thought, it will stick out an extra 2" into the room, and from the wall. If that isn't an issue, go for it. It becomes an issue if you have clearance issues. the toilet could sit in the middle of the room, if you liked the look. There are LOTS of toilets installed that have a larger than design gap behind them.

Hi this is an old thread I know but I am updating my bathroom & have a toilet that is about 28 years old & sits about 3" off the wall at the back of the tank. The floor rough in to the bolt centers is 14" & the toilet sticks out about 28.5" from the wall altogether. So my question is - could this old existing toilet be a 12" rough in toilet that was used with an actual 14" pipe rough in in the floor? I don't mind the gap at all it looks not bad in this fairly narrow bathroom where the toilet faces outward from the far end. I doubt I want the new one really tight to the wall and so would I just measure the actual toilet length (depth) then compare it to specs on the new toilet which is probably going to be an AS Cadet Pro? I think if the existing toilet is a 12" rough in the new one should be if I want the same kind of placement & I do not want it sticking out more into the room or it blocks the bathtub beside it more.
 

Reach4

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So my question is - could this old existing toilet be a 12" rough in toilet that was used with an actual 14" pipe rough in in the floor?
Yes.

If you put in a Toto Vespin II with a 14 inch Unifit, it would reduce the gap, but it would cost you a fair amount of money. It would give a little extra room, which may not matter enough for you to do that.

Remember that the toilet should sit atop the flooring normally. I am not clear on the best way to handle a floating floor with a toilet. My inclination would be to still put the toilet on the flooring, and let the floating be everywhere else. I think that probably does not apply to you, and you are keeping your flooring.

A thing to watch for is the footprint of the new toilet vs the old. Ideally the flooring that you are keeping ran under the toilet, and any differences will not matter. If that is not the case, there are alternatives. A cheap one is a special base plate that covers gaps. A toilet with a bigger base can cover a hole more readily, and looks nicer. Soiree is good for that. But that costs more than the Vespin.
 
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