Struggle to replace bidet faucet and drain

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Mlbruss

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I recently needed to replace an American Standard bidet faucet because it was leaking, and AS could no longer supply parts for that model. Faucet was on a Kohler bidet, which had a couple of problems. First, most brands/models of bidet faucets won't fit it. The center hole is small and the side holes are only 4 inches apart OC. Of course, Kohler makes some faucets that fit, and after trying a European brand that wouldn't fit, I used a Kohler. The other problem is the drain fittings are in a tight hole surrounded on 5 sides by porcelain. One slip of a metal tool, and you might have cracked bidet. After struggling with wrenches that wouldn't fit, I used a high-speed mini-cutoff wheel down the drain to cut the flange from the old drain. This worked really well, and the old drain was removed easily thereafter.

Then there was the problem of installing the new drain. The drain pipe is 1.25", and the coupling nuts are 1.5" across the faces. Most wrenches would not fit in the hole in a way that would allow any turning, not regular adjustable or sliding adjustable, not fixed width, not slip joint pliers. Only thing that would fit, and it was difficult to use, was a small strap wrench. After a lot of struggle, the drain was installed. I would have liked to have gotten the fittings tighter, but it didn't leak. Installing the faucet itself was comparatively easy.

Just wondering if there is some tool or technique that I didn't try that would have made the process easier or could have gotten the nuts tighter.

Mike in Calif.
 

hj

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The easiest way would have been to remove the bidet so you could turn it over an put everything together.

kohler-bidet.jpg
 
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Mlbruss

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That might have helped, but only partly. The access hole is at the back. In theory, if I knew exactly how high the drain fittings should be above the floor, most of of it could have been installed except the top flange. Then the bidet could have been lowered on to the installed drain fittings and the flange, with plumber's putty under it, would have been screwed on. But then the compression nut under the bidet would have had to have been tightened via the small access hole. Alternately, the bidet could have been removed, the entire drain apparatus installed on the bidet (still would have to tighten the upper compression nut via the access hole) and then the whole works lowered on to the drain pipe stub protruding from the floor. But, then the compression nut at floor level would have had to have been tightened via the small access hole. No matter how it was done, at least one large nut would have had to have been tightened via the itsy, bitsy access hole. So, you might as well do them all via the hole and save the trouble of removing, hefting, and reinstalling the bidet itself.

Mike
 

Mlbruss

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The ENTIRE bottom of the bidet is open, so you would not need the "access hole" if it were removed from the floor.

True, the entire bottom is open, but no matter what you do with the bidet separated from the floor, one last nut will have to be tightened via the back access hole once the bidet is put in place. BTW, Kohler's installation instructions aren't the best. They have you install the faucet before the drain, so it will be in the way of installing the drain.

Mike
 

hj

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qutoe; They have you install the faucet before the drain, so it will be in the way of installing the drain.

That is the ONLY way I have ever assembled a bidet faucet and drain. I have a "stubby" slip nut wrench, similar to a flare nut wrench, to make the final connection.
 

Mlbruss

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qutoe; They have you install the faucet before the drain, so it will be in the way of installing the drain.

That is the ONLY way I have ever assembled a bidet faucet and drain. I have a "stubby" slip nut wrench, similar to a flare nut wrench, to make the final connection.

OK! Stubby slip nut wrench is something I don't have and need to get. I did a little searching and think you're referring to something like the Pasco 43915, right? Thanks for the info; you've been very helpful.

Mike
 
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