We're well over budget as we hit the homestretch, so toilets in the secondary baths aren't my top priority--as long as they flush well. What is "spec'd" is the Gerber 'Maxwell' (never heard of it) but for $100 more we can get the low-end Toto 'Carusoe'. Anyone have any experience with these 2 toilets? We have a Toto Vespin going into our master bath. Just the two of us, no kids using these other baths. Rarely have houseguests. I'll probably upgrade the powder room, though. Thanks!

Hmmm... We had to get a Gerber for our powder room because of the rough in size - I really still don't know what that means except that our (already purchased) Toto didn't fit b/c of a floor joist in our 1917 Colonial. I measured the overall depth of both the Gerber and the Toto, because I was worried about that. It seemed shorter to me, but they were exactly the same which surprised me too - the Gerber tank stands closer to the wall, so maybe that's why it seemed shorter? I can measure the height to the seat tomorrow. They are definitely lower than, say, some of the newer models from American Standard or giant Kohlers. We have an American Standard Champion in our daughters' bathroom and it is definitely bigger and maybe higher. This was a powder room in an old house, so I'm actually ok with that, but I can see how if it was EVERY toilet in the house, it might bother me? The only thing I'll add is that I did a lot of research and Gerber is actually a very well-respected brand among the industry and gets good reviews from plumbers. They are apparently more "built to last" than some models that you can get in Lowe's or Home Depot (because sometime "innovation" isn't tried and true.) I think we have the Avalanche but I need to look back at receipts. I was worried b/c I had to get the 1.28 gpf - I'm all for saving the environment but we had a bad experience with some that weren't powerful enough so it required a double flush. I've been really pleasantly surprised by the Gerber - it's funny because I just mentioned that to the plumber the other day! In fact, we had to move the toilet in the powder room from one wall to another (long story,) and I had the choice to go back to the Toto or stick with the Gerber... and I stuck with the Gerber. Oh, and they are not necessarily cheaper models! Mine cost MORE than a Toto Drake! I'm not trying to sell you on loving them. I hadn't heard of the brand and wouldn't have if I didn't need a different (non-standard) size rough in. They do make an "Ergo Height" which I saw on the website is 17" to the seat, so maybe he actually thought he was getting you the best option? ALL that said, if you picked out toilets, those should have been what he used! Height is a personal comfort thing - as is aesthetic appeal, so I don't see how he can't change them out if you gave him the brands/models of what you wanted. If he just went ahead without discussing with you (happens to us ALL The time,) we had to kind of hassle with them b/c they had the price of, in your case, the Gerber in the project bid, so if we wanted something else, we had to pay the difference. That was super annoying b/c we found they low-balled us on stuff that mattered. But, I got what I wanted in the end. :) Hope that helps - good luck!

Duh! That red/blue thingy is just a plastic cap. It pops out and the screw is underneath.

Was the toilet installed as part of a bathroom remodel? Did you confirm that the water lines are hooked up to the water treatment system you have? Just another item to look at if you don't get assistance from the manufacturer. How are the sinks in the master bathroom? Do you have staining in those too? I have no particular advise about the cleaning except that you may have damaged the finish with the pumice stone and magic eraser because this is a hard abrasive. This may make it harder to keep clean in the future Good luck!