Moving toilet 4 to 6 inches to the side?

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MOV

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Well, crap. We've run into another issue with a new Drake toilet. There is a 4" PVC pipe extending from ceiling to floor right next to the existing toilet. It's about half an inch from the left side of the toilet tank. Normally not a big deal, except the existing tank is only 16" wide. :eek:

Save for some $450+ one-piece or special order (which are out of the question), every single toilet we can find -- including the Toto Drake we were ordering -- has a tank that's 18" to 20" wide.

And at least on the Drake, the flush handle is also on the left, extending it even a little further.

So given we need probably 4" of clearance to fit a new Drake, is there any good/easy way to move a toilet several inches (4-6") to the right?

Here's a couple photos of our setup. Thanks! :)
 

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Jadnashua

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What is the floor made of? Break up the concrete, move the drain over where you want it, put it back together...
 

Cass

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Check the Caroma Caravell toilets. They have push button for flushing on the lid and may be narrow enough.

They are my favorite.

Their 4" trapway will flush anything you can throw at them.

The Caroma Tasman is the basicly the same toilet only with a plastic tank and less $$$
 
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JK60

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The tank portion of the one piece Toto Ultramax is about 16" long at it's widest point and it tapers down to 14" at the top of the tank. Should work for you.
 

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hj

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toilet

There is no easy way to move it, but moving it 4"-6" is often easier than moving it 1" or 2". Also, unless that bathroom does not have any walls around it the water heater is not permitted in the bathroom.
 

RRW

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what's in that pipe? Looks to me like you could reroute it to the back of the toilet with some 45's and just get it out of the way.
 

MOV

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Thanks for the replies. To address the individual suggestions:

- We're assuming the floor is tiled over concrete, but as a couple who knows NOTHING about plumbing, digging into the concrete and messing with the underground plumbing is hopefully a last resort. ;)

- Thanks for the tips on the Ultramax and the Caroma. Only problem is the price. ~$400 almost doubles what we were ordering the Drake for. We'd have to see if the budget would allow it. (Although, if most of our other options would exceed $200 anyway, we may as well just go for the expensive toilet instead of the cheaper one plus plumbing work). Hmmm....

- To be specific about the room, it's actually a utility room that the previous owners added a sink and toilet to. It used to be a bare-studded room for the washer, dryer, heater, water heater, etc. It was then drywalled over (and horrifyingly wallpapered, as you can see from the pics -- we've since torn it down and are in the process of spackling and painting), and they plopped a toilet in the middle of the room and stuck a sink next to the washer. For reference, how does that work with the location of the water heater in the room? We were unaware of any issues.... :eek:

- We're not positive what's in the pipe (RRW, I assume you're talking about the PVC to the left of the toilet?) but we're guessing it's just drainage from the upstairs plumbing. Would we just saw it apart at the top and bottom and insert angles to maneuver it behind the tank before coming back to go into the ground?

Sorry, probably sounds like a dumb question, but maybe I can learn a little about plumbing along the way. :)
 

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hj

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heaters

Water heaters, or any other open flames, are not permitted in bathrooms or bedrooms, because of the potential for carbon monoxide fumes in a small, or sleeping area.
 

Gary Swart

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What you are doing is dangerous and illegal. It will probably be easier to relocate the water heater than the toilet, but you can't have both in the same room.
 

MOV

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Hmm... it's a 33-year-old house and we had it inspected by a licensed Home Inspector before we bought it. In the last 4 months of examining and purchasing this home, no one has ever said anything about having a toilet in the utility room. :confused:

It probably doesn't make a difference, but like I said, it's not a main bathroom with a water heater in it.... it's a utility room that the previous owners stuck an extra toilet in for convenience. Not sure why no one (since they did it probably 8 years ago, up through us buying it) has pointed that out as an issue.
 

PA

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Toilet

The TOTO Aquia is 15 3/4 inches wide at the widest point and Terry lists his price at 295 in white, that's about 66 more than the Drake EL and I think it looks :cool:
 

parrishnut

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I'm not a plumber.. but

when the washer goes, get a stacing unit, I have one they are fine use less water, and it will give you more room to upgrade the sink.. to something nicer.
 

MOV

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Well, for the size I need (and in the price range I can afford), I see a few Toto toilets:

- Ultimate
- Supreme
- Aquia

Is there anything I should know -- like good or bad reviews -- for any of these? Or am I pretty safe with any Toto toilet?

I know the Drake and the UltraMax are considered "homeowner favorites", but due to size and money, respectively, we won't be able to get either of those. So how do the Ultimate, Supreme, and Aquia stack up in comparison?
 
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