When is the Right Time to Replace a Toilet?

Toilets are the most-used piece of bathroom furniture in your home! While the average toilet is built to last for decades, regular use can wear down the toilet to such an extent that it’s better to replace it. How can you know when it’s time to replace the toilet? Here are a few signs to look for:

The toilet is cracked or chipped — This is one of the best ways to know that your toilet is in need of replacement. While toilets are built from durable ceramic, they can suffer damage that leaves them cracked or chipped. When this happens, the toilet may start leaking, and there’s no way to fully repair the damage. Depending on the severity of the damage, it may be time to switch out your toilet for a new one.

The toilet is leaking — Leakage is common with old, well-worn toilets. Water may seep through chips or cracks in the tank, or the connections and seals may be worn out. You can replace the seals and gaskets, but if the ceramic itself is worn down, there may be no way to stop the leaking. If you’ve tried to re-caulk the toilet or replaced the gaskets and it’s still leaking, consider changing it out.

The toilet’s parts are all broken — The toilet’s internal components aren’t built with the same long-lasting ceramic as the frame. There’s a lot of plastic that can twist and get worn out,. The metal can also get eaten away by rust. If you find yourself replacing all of the toilet’s internal components on a regular basis, it may be better to replace the entire toilet. The new, manufacturer-made parts are much better quality than the third-party parts sold at most stores.

You want to reduce water usage — Older toilets can use A LOT of water per flush, up to 6 gallons. That’s a lot of water literally going down the toilet! New toilets are designed to use far less water–roughly 1.6 gallons per flush. You can also find low-flow or WaterSense toilets that will seriously scale back your water usage.

You are renovating your bathroom — If your old toilet is worn, faded, or broken, you definitely want to swap it out as you renovate or remodel your bathroom. If the seat is uncomfortable, the height is awkward, the bowl is too wide or narrow, or the toilet itself is too bulky for your small bathroom, it may be time to replace the toilet.

Thankfully, toilets are fairly easy to replace, and they’re not too expensive. You’ll find that swapping out your toilet can improve the appearance of your bathroom and drastically reduce water usage. It’s a win-win!