Recent content by talkingdog

Gessi has a distributor here with a very big footprint, and it's their major product, so I suppose I would be covered to some extent. But my local plumber would probably tell me to get the local brands, TOTO or INAX. Except I know full well that most of these Japanese companies only keep spare...

That's why we use a thermostatic mixer. It has a little safety button set at about 40C, and the water won't get hotter than that. I think one should no doubt have scald protection upstream from there, too. I don't think I am alone in complaining about these plastic parts, since I see this...

I guess I am just too Old World or old school or something, because I just do not believe that plastic trim belongs in high end plumbing fixtures. In their mixer bar, TOTO claims that their plated plastic shroud is a safety feature, a sort of insulation to prevent inadvertent burns. But in...

I finally found out the technical description of what I'm looking for: "wall mounted thermostatic mixer with headshower, automatic diverter bath/shower, with fully equipped sliding rail". Plus I want it in solid metal, with possible exception of the showerhead itself, which may be plated plastic...

Speaking of extra jets, how does an air bath compare to a whirlpool? Why would you prefer one over the other?

JADP, but on the Japanese market, where tankless once ruled, everybody is switching over to heat pumps with 300 liter tanks so that they can take advantage of cheap off-peak electricity. The late night electricity costs about 1/6 of the daytime rate. These units start at about $2000. People...

My big screen TV died just outside of warranty. I'm not too impressed with the quality of electronics these days. But regardless, the Missus must have her toilet with a washlet. Toto is the leader in that category, but NAIS is advertising an energy saving washlet that uses on demand heating...

The reason why I ask is that we have specific, dedicated sound insulation products on the market here, made for plastic waste lines. It looks like there is a jacket outside with some sort of foamy layer inside, and there are covers for elbows, etc. I am curious as to how effective these are. The...

What sort of insulation products are there on the market for sound problems in pipes like this?

heh. I'd like to go with that fancy Toto "system plumbing" but still waiting on bids. But from a look at the parts price list, it's probably way too expensive. Heck, I'd like to use Toto faucets, too, if I could find any that didn't have plastic trim. (In their defense, though, especially with...

Here in Totoland...my impression of Toto faucets is that they have some slick gadgetry but the prices are high and they do use a lot of chrome plated plastic trim, even on the high end stuff and the result does not wear well. Gimme something with solid metal trim.

I think that any kind insulation is a very good idea; however, at $0.75/foot I am not so keen on the idea. I think good quality PEX pipe itself shouldn't be more than half that price, and I can import Wirsbo or Rehau for that price, I think--it seems crazy to pay more for the insulation than the...

Following up on my earlier thread on Japanese plumbing: https://terrylove.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13720 A friend just had the plumber upgrade the plumbing in his house build from PVC to PEX, and the contractor hit him with a $3000 upcharge. I thought this was a bit expensive...

I finally got my hands on Toto's system plumbing catalog, in which the above-mentioned egg-shaped header is listed. Whew! The prices are astounding. Six port header lists for $450, and the flexible plastic elbow for exiting the waste lines from slab lists at over $200. Holy cow.

Further question on AAV and secondary venting, the following is from the Durgo manual: >>An open vent pipe is needed to discharge the air drawn in through the Air Admittance Valves and to eliminate any possible positive pressure in the DWV system. It is also necessary to vent at least...