TOTO Drake installation and use
I recently replaced several old toilets with TOTO Drake 743 toilets. The installation went very smoothly. This site is a great resource in picking toilet brands as well as getting tips on the installation. So far, I’m a very happy camper (sitter?)
First, I really wanted to get some good ‘flushers’ – not the standard brand lower performing toilets the big box stores sell. I read everything I could find, decided on the TOTO brand, found a local TOTO distributor (sorry I didn’t buy them from you Terry, but I’m on the far side of the US from you!) and ordered the toilets.
After arrival, I took some pointers from here detailed at
https://terrylove.com/forums/showthread.php?t=743 for the installation. I have installed toilets before, and had never sanded the tank interior where the bolt washers seal to the tank. The sanding tip is great, as it removes some of the rough glazing remaining from the factory and helps to prevent leaks.
The toilet, as mentioned in other posts, does not come with the nuts, bolts and washers to secure it to the floor flange. It does come with the decorative bolt cover caps and plastic washers onto which the caps snap. I simply reused the nuts and bolts that held the old toilets down since they were in great condition. I have come across installations where the bolts were very corroded, so it is probably wise to spend the $3 or so to have a spare toilet flange bolt kit on hand if needed. It is also cheap insurance to have an extra wax ring on hand to ‘double up’ the rings to get a good seal if the flange is below floor level. A few drops of polyurethane glue (or caulk) on one side of the composite shim(s) just before sliding them in will help keep them in place.
During the toilet assembly, I put a very light coat of plumbers grade silicone grease on the angled portion of the gasket sealing the tank to the bowl. You shouldn’t use any other type of grease since it may degrade the gasket material. The grease allows some flexibility/sliding in the gasket when tightening the tank to the toilet and helps to prevent any kinks or distortions.
I did notice the supply tube clipped to the overflow tube in the tank came loose after a few uses, and I simply ‘rebent’ the metal clip to grab the overflow tube a little tighter. Problem solved.
The toilets operate exceptionally well, and flush thoroughly and quickly. This is not a ‘dual flush’ toilet … I read somewhere else that people were only partially (or gently) pressing the flush valve for ‘liquid only’ disposal on this model … this is NOT the way this specific toilet is designed to operate! A quick, firm (but not overly hard) push of the flush handle until it ‘bottoms out’ is necessary to flush properly.
Thanks to Terry Love and the people who have posted here for the great information!