Where to get decent bathroom fixtures?

[evintho]

I'm doing a little upgrade on a small bathroom. I need to replace the 30 year old faucet and drain in the sink along with a new toilet and I'd like to have some decent pieces. I've read that manufacturers make lower quality toilets, faucets, etc for places like Home Depot and Lowes. Is it better to go to a plumbing supply store? I'd especially like a toilet that flushes strong. I tend to fill up the bowl....haha! Also, funds are limited. Not looking to break the bank but would like toilet/faucet of decent quality. Thanks in advance!

 

[Buckaroo5]

I am old school and buy Kohler or American Standard and usually go through the plumbing supply house. I like the ones that are brass rather than plastic but you do pay for it. If you want to price compare, you can many times find the same fixture on-line at Home Depot as a special order or at build.com. The last three toilets I have installed had the American Standard Champion4 valve - advertised to be able to flush 18 golf balls! I also like the taller toilets vs standard.

 

[Toomanytools?]

Ferguson Plumbing, you can order online. I just bought a Toto Drake toilet works great.

 

[Toomanytools?]

I am old school and buy Kohler or American Standard and usually go through the plumbing supply house. I like the ones that are brass rather than plastic but you do pay for it. If you want to price compare, you can many times find the same fixture on-line at Home Depot as a special order or at build.com. The last three toilets I have installed had the American Standard Champion4 valve - advertised to be able to flush 18 golf balls! I also like the taller toilets vs standard.

Who poops golf balls?

 

[rburke65]

Kholer or American Standard….Delta

 

[Buckaroo5]

Who poops golf balls?

Likely old golfers.....

 

[jshillin]

The last three toilets I have installed had the American Standard Champion4 valve - advertised to be able to flush 18 golf balls! I also like the taller toilets vs standard.

Ha, I put 3 of them in my house as well. All 3 comfort height, 2 elongated.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Ferguson Plumbing, you can order online. I just bought a Toto Drake toilet works great.

They can be a little on the spendy side...

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Kholer or American Standard….Delta

X2. Not in any particular order, but I've been happy with Delta fixtures for a long time. No Grohe or especially Moen for me. Can't count the times I've had to cut out an entire Moen bath valve because a 1 year old cartridge was hopelessly seized into the valve body...

Tommy

 

[Toomanytools?]

They can be a little on the spendy side...

Yes some things are. The Toto was like $375, free shipping. Not cheap but not too bad.

 

[Buckaroo5]

Ha, I put 3 of them in my house as well. All 3 comfort height, 2 elongated.

Agree.....Always go elongated unless there is a space constraint......

 

[geneg]

Pretty well go with Kohler for everything. I've yet to find that parts were unavailable. Comfort height & enlongated bowls for toilets. Also like 1 piece tolilets (one less spot for potential leaks). I've had good luck with Ferguson & local plumbing suppliers. You can go thru the box stores, but know the"good" model numbers first instead of shopping via their displays.

 

[LOW1]

Menards. American Standard Titan toilets. Delta or Moen faucets.

 

[evintho]

The last three toilets I have installed had the American Standard Champion4 valve - advertised to be able to flush 18 golf balls! I also like the taller toilets vs standard.

Any model # for that ASC 4 valve? That's exactly what I'm looking for! Like I said.....I tend to fill up the bowl!

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Any model # for that ASC 4 valve? That's exactly what I'm looking for! Like I said.....I tend to fill up the bowl!

We have two in the house, one elongated and one round for the smaller bathroom. There's a couple different model numbers, depending on if you want skirted or not, and two or three different flush volumes.

Here's the American Standard page I bookmarked when we were getting ready to redo the main bathroom:

Two-Piece Toilets

www.americanstandard-us.com

 

[thammel]

Build.com. I believe this is the same as Ferguson. I like Moen.

 

[housewolf]

Build.com. I believe this is the same as Ferguson. I like Moen.

They are and I think their list price is less than full retail. I’m a plumber and have bought from build.com when I wanted something relatively small shipped to my house (80 miles from Ferguson). I usually put it in my cart & my Ferguson salesman prices it for me. I believe if a consumer has a sizable order, they might could call it in to build and get better pricing. Maybe not for a single faucet & drain though but it’s worth a try. They might have something equivalent on sale too.

IME; I like Kohler, Moen, & Delta. Pretty much in that order

 

[TomC750]

American Standard Champion. Never plugged one yet. Have 5, one in shop, one in guest house and 3 in main house.
Tom

 

[johnre]

You didn't mention getting new vs. used, so I'd suggest looking at Habitat for Humanity or similar building reclaim stores. This can get you a heavier casting, better quality porcelain, and full flush volume, all at a low price. And don't worry about the inner plumbing apparatus in the reservoir; it won't matter much as you're just going to replace what's there.

 

[Norcal]

Ferguson Plumbing, you can order online. I just bought a Toto Drake toilet works great.

Ferguson owns Build dot com.

 

[backupbeeper]

I'm doing a little upgrade on a small bathroom. I need to replace the 30 year old faucet and drain in the sink along with a new toilet and I'd like to have some decent pieces. I've read that manufacturers make lower quality toilets, faucets, etc for places like Home Depot and Lowes. Is it better to go to a plumbing supply store? I'd especially like a toilet that flushes strong. I tend to fill up the bowl....haha! Also, funds are limited. Not looking to break the bank but would like toilet/faucet of decent quality. Thanks in advance!

Not had any more clogged toilets at my house after I instituted a new policy for flushing .

Turd and Third

Flush the turd , then another flush for every third time you drop some TP in the bowl .

My teenagers used to clog the toilet all the time until I came down hard with this requirement .

“I don’t care how much water you use , flush it a dozen times, just stop clogging the damn thing up .”

 

[BigGarage]

If a shoe salesman can afford a Ferguson it's good enough for me.

 

[M.Wong]

I tend to fill up the bowl....

Turd and Third

For the courtesy flush, the flush button in the middle on top of the tank was problematic. Age+back+hip issues = that was just a little more twisting than my body could handle! I am a one-piece Kohler fan, the Gabrielle, Santa Rosa, San Souci...

We recently got a Toto Nexus and found one downside - there is a large hole under the seat mounting area so you can run the power/water lines for a Toto "Washlet" bidet seat. A generic seat doesn't work well, and you are limited to one Toto plastic seat option (with a large base that covers the hole). I prefer an inexpensive soft close wood seat over the plastic ones as they creak less, but couldn't get one for the Nexus.

You can kinda see here what I mean:

 

[nadogail]

I just had a Gerber installed in a rental. My Plumber selected and supplied it, all i had to do was write a check.

 

[backupbeeper]

For the courtesy flush, the flush button in the middle on top of the tank was problematic. Age+back+hip issues = that was just a little more twisting than my body could handle! I am a one-piece Kohler fan, the Gabrielle, Santa Rosa, San Souci...

We recently got a Toto Nexus and found one downside - there is a large hole under the seat mounting area so you can run the power/water lines for a Toto "Washlet" bidet seat. A generic seat doesn't work well, and you are limited to one Toto plastic seat option (with a large base that covers the hole). I prefer an inexpensive soft close wood seat over the plastic ones as they creak less, but couldn't get one for the Nexus.

You can kinda see here what I mean:

Yep

I was actually helping someone purchase and install a toilet last week , went to a big box store and they were wanting the one with the button in the middle of the tank and I said no , since you can’t reach it to flush while you’re sitting on it .

“Why would you do that ?”

They apparently never in their life had flushed while still seated .

I’ve gotten a stomach flu a few times and flushed a Dozen times in the same sitting .

 

[GirchyGirchy]

We redid one of our bathrooms in 2016. +1 on American Standard toilets...but check CL or FB Marketplace first, I **** you not (hee hee). Picked up our AS Cadet 3 on there dirt cheap ($60), I think the guy would buy returns or closeouts and sell them. It's been a great toilet.

The bath faucet was in a box of returns I got from a liquidation place, a nice Kohler that still works well. Delta for the shower, still happy with it as well.

 

[M.Wong]

“Why would you do that?”
They apparently never in their life had flushed while still seated.

Oh my... I can't imagine!!!

When we moved into this house, this was the first thing to get replaced!

 

[gleman]

Oh my... I can't imagine!!!

When we moved into this house, this was the first thing to get replaced!

That's a no go with me!

Years ago a friend bought an old house with an original Crapper with a high cistern. The "detonator" button was on the camode right in back of the seat. I always thought that was the best placement.

 

[mike93lx]

I'll agree on a real plumbing showroom like Ferguson.

Regarding toilets, anyone with kids should think about a Penguin crapper. They have an overflow built in.... No more turds floating in the floor and ruining ceilings. I put two in after my daughter flooded the first floor half bath

 

[rlitman]

...Regarding toilets, anyone with kids should think about a pelican crapper. They have an overflow built in.... No more turds floating in the floor and ruining ceilings. I put two in after my daughter flooded the first floor half bath

Never heard of this, so I had to look it up. Penguin toilets have an overflow path that drains separately from the trap. Assuming your clog is in the trap (it usually is) and not the lead bend, that's pretty foolproof.

My last bathroom project included a floor drain for similar reasons. And the floor drain trap intentionally enters the main drain downstream of the tub and toilet (it joins with the sink drain and vent).

It also features a wall hung Toto toilet. My wife complained that the push plate flush on the wall behind you is hard to reach, so I pointed out that if you just lean back on the seat cover, it flushes. The Japanese are years ahead of us.

 

[mike93lx]

Never heard of this, so I had to look it up. Penguin toilets have an overflow path that drains separately from the trap. Assuming your clog is in the trap (it usually is) and not the lead bend, that's pretty foolproof.

My last bathroom project included a floor drain for similar reasons. And the floor drain trap intentionally enters the main drain downstream of the tub and toilet (it joins with the sink drain and vent).

It also features a wall hung Toto toilet. My wife complained that the push plate flush on the wall behind you is hard to reach, so I pointed out that if you just lean back on the seat cover, it flushes. The Japanese are years ahead of us.

Damn, my bad on the name. Should have looked it up to confirm.

 

[QtheGenius]

Phylrich is where we got our hardware.

 

[rob1200]

Yep

I was actually helping someone purchase and install a toilet last week , went to a big box store and they were wanting the one with the button in the middle of the tank and I said no , since you can’t reach it to flush while you’re sitting on it .

“Why would you do that ?”

They apparently never in their life had flushed while still seated .

I’ve gotten a stomach flu a few times and flushed a Dozen times in the same sitting .

You really don't want to flush while you're sitting on it, if at all possible...

toilet aerosolization:

 

[ycgoat]

I put in the Champion toilet decades ago and have not had to unclog a toilet since.

 

[TomC750]

^^^ Told ya!

 

[PoorUB]

I have an American Standard Cadet in the main bath that is twenty years old, great toilet, but I can plug it up once in a while. The downstairs bath has a newer Cadet, one with a 3" flush valve. I rarely plug it up, maybe once a year, and I can do some real "damage" to a toilet!

 

[ybnormal]

You really don't want to flush while you're sitting on it, if at all possible...

toilet aerosolization:

that ain't gonna happen with your **** plugging the hole

 

[Ricky Joe]

I was going to recommend Ferguson, but can only add to the previous recommendations. Coincidentally, this past weekend, I visited the car museum in Florence, Kentucky, personal collection of the Ferguson owner before he sold. Saw my first Cord in person ( he has three of them). Pretty nice collection, recommend it.

 

[dchawk81]

You really don't want to flush while you're sitting on it, if at all possible...

toilet aerosolization:

That's what bidets are for.

 

[KevinR]

We just wrapped up a build and sourced all the faucets etc from Delta Recertified. It can take a bit of waiting to find what you want, but the prices are pretty decent. No issues so far (hasn't been long) but all seemed good out of the box

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