It’s a $200 difference to get better technology and lower water use. You’ll pay to put in an old one the same as you would a new one. Get the new one. American Standard Champion, or Kohler Cimmaron.

I wouldn't not replace a toilet when remodeling even if theoretically it could be done.

At some point, the toilet is going to need replacement and then you would have to deal with cost of replacing it plus possibly dealing with flooring issues around the silhouette of the old toilet.

Doesn't make sense to replace a 10 year old toilet that is seldom used. The low flush toilets were mandated in 1994 so you already own a water miser. Aside from the fact that it isn't used often and that you can't save water that you don't use.

You'll have to pay for a new toilet, pay to dispose of the old one and will be adding more stuff to a landfill somewhere if you replace it.

I did not replace my back-flush toilets when I did some bathroom remodeling about 6-7 years ago. They had been put in in 1985 and still worked perfectly...they still do!

If you don't need to, then don't. It may not be the latest 1.2g flush model, but they don't work anyway.

It takes a lot of water to manufacture a new toilet, not to mention a ton of energy. Be kind to the environment and keep the old one unless you live somewhere where water is a very scarce resource. In a seldom-used location you'll probably never break even on the total water use before it's time to remodel again.

If you want to save money, don’t update. If you want your house to look polished and well kept up, replace the antique potties.

I am far from a plumbing issue but my toilets began having problems with not flushing. A plunger didn't work and when I had a plumber come in to properly snake the drains, he told me that the problem was the toilet itself as the pipes had narrowed because of buildup from mineral deposits - I am in Los Angeles which has moderately hard water I think.

Toilets are relatively inexpensive and installation costs nothing when you are doing a total remodel as you are. You can get a relatively inexpensive toilet if you want which would still make more sense than putting in the older toilet.

If you want to save money, don’t update. If you want your house to look polished and well kept up, replace the antique potties.

Toilet in question is 10 years old. I'm curious how often you need to replace to avoid having an 'antique.' Every 6 months?? Or can you let it get really long in the tooth and wait two or three years? What's the recommended time frame for replacing the basin? The kitchen sink?

... he told me that the problem was the toilet itself as the pipes had narrowed because of buildup from mineral deposits

That's a maintenance/ prevention issue. Use an acidic toilet cleaner routinely. If the deposits are really bad, then you pull the toilet, haul it out on the driveway and clean it with fifty cents worth of muriatic acid.

Or buy some bromine tablets and plunk a couple in the toilet tank. Not only will you have to clean a lot less often, the bromine helps to prevent the deposits from forming. Doesn't totally eliminate the deposits (in my moderately hard water) but certainly lessens how often I have to resort to acid cleaning.

FWIW I am not going to haul my toilet out to my driveway for routine maintenance. At that point it is less expensive to replace it.

I have no idea what the useful life of a toilet is - For my purposes if I were doing a gut remodel of a bathroom, I would replace all fixtures because the incremental cost of replacing them during a remodel is de minimis and I wouldn't have to deal with issues of trying to match the footprint of the toilet down the road.

I wouldn't necessarily replace a ten year old toilet just because it is ten years old - on the other hand I wouldn't indulge in false economies and NOT replace a ten year old toilet in a full remodel.

Chlorine in city water can break down the rubber gaskets and washers between the tank and the base. Ditto with the flapper. The ballcock after 10 years is probably good to replace also.

If you keep it, you should replace those items because moving the toilet will likely disturb them enough to make them leak.

It's true that hard water deposits can cause a toilet to not flush properly. The water doesn't move from the tank to the bowl fast enough to do an efficient flush. This can be remedied with acid... but it's not worth it if you already have the toilet out.

If you have hard water, I would replace the toilet no question.

If you don't, and replacing the rubber parts is easy enough you can do that.
But the easiest is to start with a new john that is the same age as the rest of the renovation.

Helen, the driveway bit is what you have to do when you don't do routine maintenance.

I've had a toilet on the driveway precisely two times in my lifetime. The first time was when I latched onto the white toilet my neighbor was throwing away because I wanted to replace the avocado green toilet in the powder room. Cleaned it outdoors before installing it. That same toilet was again taken to the driveway when it was removed because I was installing tile in that room, the toilet was out on the porch next to the driveway because that was the closest place to haul it and get it out of the way. Gave it the acid bath because 'why not since it's out here anyway.' Same toilet was removed when I repainted the bathroom this winter but no trip out in sunshine that time because there was about 3' of snow on the ground and the water woulda' frozen in the hose before it got to the john.

I wouldn't have to deal with issues of trying to match the footprint of the toilet down the road.

...plus possibly dealing with flooring issues around the silhouette of the old toilet.

??? The flooring is supposed to go under the toilet, not around the toilet. Or are you talking about the flooring possibly being marred? Hasn't been my experience with either vinyl or tile.

I wouldn't indulge in false economies and NOT replace a ten year old toilet in a full remodel.

False economy, by my definition, would be not upgrading the pipes, drains, shut-off valves, supply hoses, using cheap closet/ flange bolts instead of stainless steel ones, etc. in a remodel. Toilets, OTOH, have an indefinite life and are easily, inexpensively repaired. Being a pay-as-you go DIY'er, reusing the toilet just seems sensible to me. VS trucking to the store, loading a new one on the cart, loading it in the truck, unloading it from the truck and, most likely, sending more American dollars overseas. (Some Totos and some Mansfield porcelain products are made in the USA. Maybe Kohler?). And then being out a tipping fee to dispose of it or having to get out the sledge hammer to break into small enough pieces to sneak into the garbage.

But if toilet proprietor X is someone who needs to call for assistance to change a light bulb in the desk lamp, yeh, get a new one, installed. OTOH, if toilet proprietor Y is someone who doesn't know jack squat but managed to put air in a tire, once, he can probably handle repairing a toilet.

Bottom line is that the toilet is the first thing out and the last thing in when remodeling a bathroom. So OP has time to think it over. And with a whole lot more information than he bargained for! :-)

Have a good day!

About having up to date toilets, funny as those words sound, ten years ago I don’t think there were as many modern, one piece skirted toilets. That is a different look and a different level of function for those who like ease of cleaning.

Zalco, it's for a 'rarely used' guest bathroom. Likely that days, even weeks go by and no one uses that bathroom.

In an effor to save 150$ you buy 60$ worth of parts and cleaners, then spend 3 hours to do the clecleaning and repairs. I’m not a math wiz but i dont see where the savings are