Toilet Question

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Peterson

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Hi Everybody

I have a question. Actually, it's for my neighbor. In response to seeing my "new" handicapped toilet I installed in my bathroom which I wrote about months ago, my neighbor decided that he wanted to replace one of the toilets in his house with a handicapped toilet.

He went to some salvage yard or junk place and picked up a handicapped commercial toilet bowl that was never designed to have a tank. It has a Sloan flush valve on it. There are no bolt holes for a toilet tank to bolt on to. The toilet bowl he bought is branded Universal Rundle. It is from the 1980's.

He tells me that he thinks he can take the tank off his existing toilet (a 30 year old Universal Rundle Toilet), set the tank on the higher bowl, mark where bolt holes are supposed to go on the bowl, drill them, and then install the toilet as a two piece toilet.

I told him that I didn't think that was possible as he would probably break the toilet drilling the holes and that the toilet bowl probably wouldn't flush right as it was made for high pressured water from a Sloan valve. He disagrees.

What do you think?
 

Leejosepho

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I suspect you are correct on both counts. A special drill would be needed for the holes, but you could set the bowl outside on some blocks and pour in some water where the tank would be to see how it might actually flush.
 

Gary Swart

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He's sure going to a lot of fuss and bother to try to avoid getting into the 21st century! There are many decent low flow toilets with ADA height that do not cost a fortune and don't have to be hack-plumbed to make work. My advise to you is to avoid providing any assistance in this project, you'll end up regretting it. I'm sure his mind is made up, so other than tell him of your misgivings, stay away. It would have been bad enough if he a found an old full flow ADA somewhere, at least it would work, but to try to retrofit this old dog is folly.
 

Cass

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I would love to watch this guy try all this...I think it would be very entertaining for a sunday afternoon.
 

Terry

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A few years ago, I was having lunch with Gunnar Baldwin of TOTO, and I asked him about the possibility of getting a wall hung residential toilet.
I've been selling the American Standard Glenwall for that purpose with the Flushmate.
He mentioned that they had toyed with the idea of taking their commercial wall hung bowl designed for the Flushometer, and modifying it for a gravity tank.
They both take the same amount of water.
Well, they never did that, but you can see that someone else has thought of doing it too.
If he were to go with an old bowl, he would need an old tank to get the right amount of water to flush it.
A new 1.5 gallon tank would never flush an old 3.5 bowl.
But, I wouldn't be betting any steak dinners on the outcome.
He could have the last laugh.

However that being said, Gunnar from Toto was saying the bowl would need a modification, the top spuds for the Flushometers are a pretty small inlet, I doubt that without enlarging the inlet, that you could get a gravity flush to dump the water quick enough.
 

RioHyde

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oh I wouldnt have a problem betting a steak dinner on the outcome. In fact, if it worked I would actually be happy to pay up. However, I dont see this guy getting things to work. Too many variables involved. First there's getting the top spud diameter to match the diameter of the tank. Even that would be easy in comparison to having to drill holes through the toilet for the tank bolts. All that and everything would need to be pretty much dead-nuts on to keep things lined up and water tight. Not saying it CAN'T be done.....I'm sure most things CAN be done, but this scenario begs the question...WHY BOTHER WITH THAT AMOUNT OF TROUBLE?????

BTW....I like thick cut rib eye steaks cooked medium rare.

Cheers!
 

Cass

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Really now, and even while doubting it would work:

Has anybody else here ever actually tried?

Being slow to laugh can be part of being teachable ...

I would like to watch and see what would happen, if he were able to drill the holes with out anything breaking, as he tightened the bolts.
 

Mikey

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If he's really serious about this, he might try mounting the tank waaaaay up high and connect it via a pipe of some kind to the bowl. That would avoid having to drill mounting holes in the bowl, and give the incoming water enough oomph that it might actually flush. The fitting to connect the pipe to the bowl is probably somewhat standard, but the fitting to connect to the tank is another story... :confused:.
 

Leejosepho

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If he's really serious about this, he might try mounting the tank waaaaay up high and connect it via a pipe of some kind to the bowl ...

One of my uncles had one of those, and I have always wondered whether it would be possible to make one like it. Maybe the extra "oomph" is why those old tanks were so high?
 

Jadnashua

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That's how water towers work...pump it up high on the hill into a tower, then let gravity take over and let the pump try to keep up and fill it up overnight. Gravity works, that's why some of the better toilets use both a 3" flapper valve and don't empty the tank...they leave some of it there for the extra oomph.
 

Mikey

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There are companies that manufacture those today -- 1.6gpf as well. Here's one for about $800.

oldtoilet01.jpg
 

Peterson

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He gave up!

Hi Everybody!

My neighbor removed the sloan valve from the commercial toilet and realized that the inlet hole for the bowl was smaller than the flush valve from his toilet tank. Also, the inlet hole in the top of the bowl was very shallow an he doesn't think the tank's flush valve would set right on it. I guess the flush valve "just" fit inside the bowl, but did not set down into the bowl. He knew it wouldn't seal. He didn't try to drill the bolt holes in the toilet bowl. So, I guess he's not going to try this impossible feat. Thank God..... ;)

I told him all what you had said about his idea and believe it or not, he sends his thanks.

Thanks for your advice! Oh, I would NEVER help him with a project like this!
 
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