Replacing a toilet with another rough-in can be tricky and needs some extra hard work if you do not have the skills to install it yourself and do it for the first time.
Can You Replace a 10 Inch Rough In Toilet With a 12 Inch Rough In Toilet? You can replace a 10-inch rough-in toilet with a 12-inch rough-in toilet using an offset flange and measuring the drain hole size before installing it. The 12-inch rough-in toilets are less prone to clogging, less expensive, use less water, offer powerful flushing, and are available in a variety of designs and features as compared to 10-inch rough-in toilets.
The 12-inch rough-in size is more readily available than the 10-inch or 14-inch rough-in because of its unique features and various designs. However, it is better to consider the space between the back wall and the drain pipe that can fit in this space before replacing the toilet.
How can you replace a 10 inch rough-in toilet with a 12 inch rough-in toilet?
The 10-inch rough-in can fit in the space for the 12-inch rough-in with an extra distance of 2 inches, but replacing a 10-inch with a 12-inch one is tricky.
Firstly, measure the rough-in of the existing toilet using a measuring tape before installing a new one.
Check for the nuts and bolts around the toilet on the floor that can be somewhere on its left back or the right side. Place the measuring tape from the toilet base bolts to the finished wall to estimate the toilet rough-in that can accommodate this space.
One of the advantages of having a 10-inch is the possibility of replacing it with a 12-inch using an offset flange adaptor. It can allow rough-in conversion and connects the toilet to the drain hole without relocating the entire plumbing system.
It is better to keep the offset flange adaptor approximately ¼ inch above the floor to secure the connection of the wax ring and the sealing with the floor.
I have replaced a 10-inch rough-in with a 12-inch one using an offset flange, and it works well in this same drain hole, as I do not relocate the plumbing system and the drain hole for this process.
You can measure the drain hole size, which can range from three to four inches wide, and get an offset flange of the same size to fit well in this hole.
Flush the bowl and turn off the water valve and supply line to avoid any leakage during installation. Cover the floor with a towel or rough clothes and remove the old wax ring from the floor to install the new flange.
Put the new offset flange in the direction to increase the space and the wax ring and tighten the nuts to fix it in its position.
Attach the new 12-inch toilet and secure it by tightening the bolts and screws. Turn on the valve and supply lines and check if the toilet performs properly by flushing it one to two times.
Why would you replace a 10 inch rough-in toilet with a 12 inch rough-in toilet?
You can replace a 10-inch rough-in with a 12-inch because of the following reasons.
Less clogging
The 12-inch rough-in toilets are less susceptible to clogging because of the wide trap way and bowl throat, which allows tissues and waste to pass through the drains without blockage.
They are more famous because of their drain pipes and trap design to prevent clogging and flooding in the drain pipes.
The traps are designed to flow urine, waste, and other particles into the sewage, making them more frequently used toilets in North America.
Less expensive
The 10-inch rough-in sizes are more expensive than the 12-inch, which makes people select them over the 10-inch rough-in toilets.
You can select them from $200-$700, depending on the model, brand, and features installed in them for better functionality.
You can select a modern and better-performance toilet with less cost than the 10-inch rough-in, as they are available in limited and expensive functions.
Less water usage
The modern 12-inch toilets use a feature that consumes less water as compared to the 10-inch one, which can waste more water for each flush.
People opt to replace it with a 12-inch toilet to save water and energy. In addition, it will cost fewer water bills, as it uses 1.28 gallons per flush, while the other rough-in size uses 1.6 gallons per flush.
You can select it with a water-efficient feature that can save more water and work amazingly well for a long time without causing problems in the flushing system.
Strong flushing power
Many people replace the 10-inch rough-in size with the 12-inch because they have strong flushing power and can clean the bowl in a single flush.
You do not need to flush two to three times to send the waste into the sewage pipes because of the high-power flushing in these toilets.
I have replaced a 10-inch toilet with a 12-inch, and the flushing design of the toilet is more efficient than I expect, as it draws the waste out into the drains in a single flush.
Variety of toilet options
You can change the toilet if you want to add a more functional and modern toilet in the bathroom. You need to have some extra space in this place to install a 12-inch rough-in with advanced features and technology.
They are available in one-piece, two-piece, round, elongated, and comfortable seat height options, as they are more common and famous than 10-inch ones.
Different brands and companies manufacture these toilets because of the increasing demand and standard rough in size, and you can select them depending on your preference.
What are the disadvantages of having a 10-inch rough-in toilet?
I have faced some problems with a 10-inch rough-in, and some of the disadvantages of having this toilet are listed below.
More prone to sweating and clogging
They are more prone to clogging because of the shorter drain pipe that is connected to the sewage drain hole.
The toilet paper and the foreign particles can get stuck inside the trap way of the bowl, which takes the waste to the drains and causes flooding inside the bowl.
The tank is connected to the wall, which causes sweating on the wall and around the toilet tank. The chances of mold and condensation on the wall increase, and people opt for changing it because of these problems.
Limited toilet options
You can select these toilets in limited options and designs because they are used in older houses and are less popular than 12-inch rough-in toilets.
Different brands do not manufacture these rough-in toilets, but you can find some models of this toilet in some brands, such as Toto or Kohler.
It is difficult to find modern features in this rough-in size because they are not in demand, which affects the manufacturing of these fixtures.
Suitable for small bathroom
Since they offer less distance between the finished wall and the center of the drain hole, they are usually installed in small bathrooms.
You can save space for other accessories items in the bathroom if you have a less spacious room.
However, you should not install the 10-inch rough-in toilet if you have a large bathroom and more area for installing a convenient and standard-size toilet.
The extra space in the large bathroom looks unattractive if you install a small rough-in toilet in this place, and they can work well in fewer traffic areas.
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