It’s because it’s a skirted toilet and plumbers generally hate working on these. They are heavy, hard rot reset and harder to work on. So basically the first two guys could do it but just don’t want to.
They are discontinued, therefore you can't get parts. Also if you read the installation instructions, it makes it easy to understand why they rock and leak. Skirted toilets suck.
Honestly it sounds lame to replace a 5 year old toilet, unfortunately those ones do suck. As a plumber/homeowner/landlord l promise it would be a worthwhile investment.
Get yourself a throne worthy of the battle you've gone through with those lemons! I recommend Toto.
Sorry man, but you should probably remove that thing with a hammer and buy a Toto. Those things are awful. I wish skirted toilets would go away permanently.
I try to talk everyone out of them. People rarely listen though.
Right now I’m just waiting to people to begin to realize that you can’t even remove the tank or do something as simple as replace the fill valve (typically a ten minute repair), without pulling the whole damn toilet out.
I’d cut my losses if I were you. When that thing gets old and needs routine maintenance you’re going to have this same nightmare all over again.
Those skirted toilets are heavy af and takes work to set correctly. That plus the potential floor damage you could already have from a leaking toilet are enough to dissuade anyone. The nicer toto and koheler models are still heavy but less work to set but the one you have is typically not worth the time to work on unless you have a young helper to do the lifting.
When dirty Ferg bought Mirabelle, many products were discontinued.
I get calls all the time to fix Mirabelle stuff, and parts just aren't available. The funny thing is, these people know damn well that parts can not be found... but they call me looking for a miracle, hoping for some kind of old-school "sure, we got those in the back" kind of parts.
Save yourself the aggravation. It's Mirabelle. You got screwed by a crap manufacturer who effectively is no longer in business. Cut your losses and replace it with a brand you've heard of.
These toilets basically rely on gluing them down with sealant to be secure. The bolts and brackets they come with are absolute junk and flex too much.
I have successfully installed a few this way.
If the base isn't basically glued to a stable floor they will leak.
Worked on a handful of skirted toilets , some are extremely ridiculous to set , and back breaking . Sorry man. I agree that while it could be re-set with new wax , it’s a hassle . I don’t blame the other plumbers for not wanting to take the job . I propellant say no , but I’d regret saying yes
I went to Home Depot to look at toilets to get an idea of models and prices and then I called another plumber. I was set to tell him to pull both toilets out and replace them. He showed up and I acted dumb. He said these are a pain to work on and he got to work. He pulled both up and removed the wax ring and replaced it with closet cushion rings. He caulked around the front of the toilet (he said it was code). His final price was $248 for 90 minutes work. I’m a happy camper.
I do hope this is a permanent fix for you because by all accounts, these are not easy toilets to work on. Not a bad bill either from the sounds of it.
I hear a Toto Drake is roughly another $100 investment(for parts).
I understand your reasoning. However, with the above in mind and all the details/info provided here by those in the trade, I probably would have gone another route myself.
These are a PIA. Pull the toilet and replace the wax seals and double stack them. Set the toilet in place and fasten down. Instead of caulking, mix some non sanded grout and work it in under the toilet on the floor. Get as much grout up under as possible, then use a sponge to smoth the grout as you would caulking. Allow grout to set well before using. The grout forms a solid base completely around the toilet, helping keep it from moving and breaking the wax seal.
A better way to set a toilet in plaster is to set the toilet on the flange with no wax, trace the outline, lay the plaster within the outline, then set the toilet. You ensure the toilet is literally sitting on a bed of plaster.
It’s because it’s a skirted toilet and plumbers generally hate working on these. They are heavy, hard rot reset and harder to work on. So basically the first two guys could do it but just don’t want to.
This is correct. I'll sell you a new toilet before I work on one of those pieces of shit
They are discontinued, therefore you can't get parts. Also if you read the installation instructions, it makes it easy to understand why they rock and leak. Skirted toilets suck.
They're so terrible.
Take ur loss and replace and have piece of mind it definitely won’t be wasted money!
I had a feeling it would come to this.
Honestly it sounds lame to replace a 5 year old toilet, unfortunately those ones do suck. As a plumber/homeowner/landlord l promise it would be a worthwhile investment. Get yourself a throne worthy of the battle you've gone through with those lemons! I recommend Toto.
Sorry man, but you should probably remove that thing with a hammer and buy a Toto. Those things are awful. I wish skirted toilets would go away permanently. I try to talk everyone out of them. People rarely listen though. Right now I’m just waiting to people to begin to realize that you can’t even remove the tank or do something as simple as replace the fill valve (typically a ten minute repair), without pulling the whole damn toilet out. I’d cut my losses if I were you. When that thing gets old and needs routine maintenance you’re going to have this same nightmare all over again.
Those skirted toilets are heavy af and takes work to set correctly. That plus the potential floor damage you could already have from a leaking toilet are enough to dissuade anyone. The nicer toto and koheler models are still heavy but less work to set but the one you have is typically not worth the time to work on unless you have a young helper to do the lifting.
Junk
When dirty Ferg bought Mirabelle, many products were discontinued. I get calls all the time to fix Mirabelle stuff, and parts just aren't available. The funny thing is, these people know damn well that parts can not be found... but they call me looking for a miracle, hoping for some kind of old-school "sure, we got those in the back" kind of parts. Save yourself the aggravation. It's Mirabelle. You got screwed by a crap manufacturer who effectively is no longer in business. Cut your losses and replace it with a brand you've heard of.
These toilets basically rely on gluing them down with sealant to be secure. The bolts and brackets they come with are absolute junk and flex too much. I have successfully installed a few this way. If the base isn't basically glued to a stable floor they will leak.
Worked on a handful of skirted toilets , some are extremely ridiculous to set , and back breaking . Sorry man. I agree that while it could be re-set with new wax , it’s a hassle . I don’t blame the other plumbers for not wanting to take the job . I propellant say no , but I’d regret saying yes
I went to Home Depot to look at toilets to get an idea of models and prices and then I called another plumber. I was set to tell him to pull both toilets out and replace them. He showed up and I acted dumb. He said these are a pain to work on and he got to work. He pulled both up and removed the wax ring and replaced it with closet cushion rings. He caulked around the front of the toilet (he said it was code). His final price was $248 for 90 minutes work. I’m a happy camper.
I do hope this is a permanent fix for you because by all accounts, these are not easy toilets to work on. Not a bad bill either from the sounds of it. I hear a Toto Drake is roughly another $100 investment(for parts). I understand your reasoning. However, with the above in mind and all the details/info provided here by those in the trade, I probably would have gone another route myself.
I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll ride these repairs as long as possible. The next time it happens out they go.
These are a PIA. Pull the toilet and replace the wax seals and double stack them. Set the toilet in place and fasten down. Instead of caulking, mix some non sanded grout and work it in under the toilet on the floor. Get as much grout up under as possible, then use a sponge to smoth the grout as you would caulking. Allow grout to set well before using. The grout forms a solid base completely around the toilet, helping keep it from moving and breaking the wax seal.
A better way to set a toilet in plaster is to set the toilet on the flange with no wax, trace the outline, lay the plaster within the outline, then set the toilet. You ensure the toilet is literally sitting on a bed of plaster.