Help with instructions

[Master]

My house built in 1982 is on a slab. The bathrooms are back to back and no way of telling if have a double combination WYE 1/8†bend fitting or double sanitary tee/sanitary cross fitting.

Instruction for Toto Drake models says not to install this toilet if have a sanitary tee fitting.

Anyone have any advice or suggestions?

 

[Jadnashua]

If you don't have the proper fitting, flushing one toilet can cause it to shoot waste into the one behind it. I think the installation instructions show a picture of the two choices...you may be able to tell, depending on whether you have access from below to view it. The newer, low-flow toilets rely on some fairly precise engineering to create a water jet to propel the waste out of the bowl. Older, slower toilets, relied on a comparative huge volume of water washing it away slower. So, what worked on an older toilet probably won't with a newer one, any newer one, the Toto is not unique to this phenomenon.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Master]

Jim thank you for your advice.

I cannot show either fitting illustrated in the instructions. Because am on a slab, once toilets removed all you see is flange and think a 90sweep fitting in each room. A wall separates both bathrooms. So no real way to tell if have double combination WYE or sanitary tee fitting in the line. Not sure, want to break up the slab to find out. Is there a way to tell without breaking up the slab?

Looking at illustration of fittings listed in instructions looks like either one would work. I checked with city & county for copy of plans, several years ago. They do not have a copy. Recommended check with company in Raleigh that built our home for plans. I could not find them.

Cadet 3 instruction only warns you to insure your installation conforms to local codes. Unless your home improvement increases revenue to city and county, they could care less. Think my neighbor install two of them in his house. Most of the houses in this development have back-to-back bathrooms.

 

[Jadnashua]

Do you have a toilet auger? With a Wye, the angles involved would not allow you to run the snake (auger) from one toilet to the other (much easier to test with both toilets pulled). If it is a SanTee, while it may not happen each time, it's fairly easy to run it from one to the other...just like the waste from one to the other. When you flush one toilet, do you notice any significant movement in the water level of the one in the adjacent toilet? If not, you may be okay. I missed that this was on a slab.

 

[Master]

I am just shopping around for new water saver toilets, old Gerber toilets still installed. Had a bathroom renovation done seven or eight years ago. Did not replace those Gerber toilets. Toilets removed to get shower and shower bath tub installed. Doubt a toilet auger will get me much further than toilet traps.

Learned about Toto toilets over at woodnet.net home improvement forum so started looking around and ended up here. Of course went to TotoUSA.com too. I can order Toto toilets from local plumbing supply here in town. There is a store that sells Toto products about 35 miles from me, would have to order from them too.

http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbth...&Number=5122054&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=

Have both toilet auger and 25' snake, not sure either one will help. No, water does not move in other toilet when one toilet is flushed. That maybe due to toilet traps and not fittings.

 

[hj]

A somewhat stiff "rod" will go about 30" before it strikes the end of the other closet bend if you have a cross. A back to back fitting should send the end downward until and when it reaches the bottom, the proper bend would not obstruct it so you could keep pushing the "rod" inward, or it could impact the side of the riser pipe after about 15" and not go any further.. If it is TOO flexible, it could drop down the riser pipe regardless of which fitting you have.

 

[Geniescience]

bungalow? Ground floor only? Is that what you meant when you wrote you were on a slab on grade?

Quote " ... Because am on a slab, once toilets removed all you see is flange and think a 90sweep fitting in each room. A wall separates both bathrooms. So no real way to tell if have double combination WYE or sanitary tee fitting in the line. Not sure, want to break up the slab to find out. Is there a way to tell without breaking up the slab? ..."

OK, the bathrooms are on the ground floor.

Question: Can you see which direction the Closet bend points?
This is a crucial piece of information that you can find out WITHOUT busting concrete.
I doubt the two bends would point towards each other.
If they don't point towards each other, you have a lot of useful information there.
It means you can eliminate most of or all of your dilemma.

 

[Jadnashua]

Remove both toilets to 'test' the connection. Trying to run something through the toilet might tell you (if the auger came up in the other toilet, for example), but it's much easier to tell with them both off.

 

[Geniescience]

Using eyes only, see and tell. What direction the toilet drain pipe goes in. Each one.


Since your pipes are embedded in a slab, you cannot go down to the basement to see the pipes' direction. Knowing their direction eliminates most of the guesswork about the fitting.

Does this make sense to anyone else?

 

[hj]

quote; I doubt the two bends would point towards each other.

In a "back to back" installation the two bends almost ALWAYS point towards each other. To do it any other way would be time and material inefficient. And closet auger would be that "too flexible" item I referred to which would drop into the riser rather than "jump across" to the other side even if it were a sanitary cross