As if Marc and I were not already at our DIY renovation breaking point, we suffered through a 5-hour toilet installation this past Sunday. I went to Home Depot 3x's before 2pm.
A normal toilet installation takes about 20 minutes. This one looks pretty sweet, but I'm just not convinced it was worth an extra +4.5 very frustrating hours of our time.
Let me repeat:
It took us 5 hours to install this toilet.
OMFG, right?
Some of that time was spent minding children, but not much.
For the record: I DO NOT recommend the Kohler Persuade Circ toilet.
First
A normal toilet set on a wax ring and is held in place by 2 bolts threaded through a floor drain flange like this. It is very functional, easy to install, but you do see the bolts and the side of the toilet drain.
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UGH. Drilling through tile takes a special drill bit AND Kohler's directions for the third hole are wrong. They say to drill a 3/16" pilot hole for a 5/16" retaining screw. You don't drill pilot holes in tile. You can't screw something larger than its hole in tile. Tile doesn't compress like wood. It cracks. Good thing we knew this and didn't crack our tile.
Second
The instructions are horrible way beyond the above.
In the 36 (yes, 36) steps they also feature the following:
The missing/extra parts issues appear to be Kohler's error, not the place we bought it (because the box absolutely did not seem resealed). I think I've going to be sending them a not-so-nice email.
Right after we got it set, I peed in it for the first time.
And then Marc and I hugged.
I admit that is a little weird, but 5 hours??? Damn!
We headed to Target yesterday to get Franca a new potty seat. Thank goodness the Princess version was averted in favor of a Mickey Mouse. She had requested "The Grinch" or "Jack Black" (don't ask).
It is now 11:23am and the drywallers are supposed to be here today to tape, mud, sand & paint, so of course, I'm sure they will show up around 5:15pm or so....
Yea, renovation!
Bah.
Labels:
downstairs bathroom
I have the Toto Aquia toilet and had the exact same problem with drilling the holes in the floor. I ruined the included plastic anchors trying to force them in too small holes. My toilet installation took three days because I was doing it in the evening after work and every day had to stop and run to the hardware store for something - new drill bit (expensive one at that), new plastic anchors, new flange bolts.
ReplyDeleteI also apparently tiled too close to the flange and even though I had left the previous bolts in the flange, they ended up too short and I had to figure out to how to replace them with longer ones. However I couldn't get them out the side of the flange because the tile was too close. Good thing that the basement ceiling below was completely rotted out from a long ago leak. So I used thread to pull the new bolts up from the basement through the ceiling/floor and into the flange. Since the fancy toilet sides cover up the bolts I didn't trim them and they should be good in the future even if I have to replace the toilet.
Consensus - the instructions for these smooth sided toilets suck and apparently kohler and toto may share the same manufacturer for this style.
Ryan,
DeleteThat's so interesting because all the plumbers reviews I read said get the toto aquia instead!
Good to know the installation sucks just as bad! I will for sure be googling whatever toilet we decide on for the new house before we buy.
Thanks,
Nikki