The Cellar / Toilets

**Posted by xoxoxoBruce** 2/07/2024 12:42 am

Toilets, bidets, outhouses or if you're a Bear, the woods.
Over the centuries progress, improvements, have strived to make pooping my convenient, more comfortable and more sanitary.
I've used some pretty crude outhouses over the years but I'd prefer any one of them to this...

**Posted by Diaphone Jim** 2/07/2024 11:54 am

That downstairs toilet is basically no different than the ones we all use today.
All it is missing are a TP holder and a magazine rack.

**Posted by glatt** 2/07/2024 1:56 pm

My parents have a toilet in the basement out in the open like that. I grew up thinking it was normal. We had a family of 6, and if somebody was occupying the real bathroom upstairs, it was nice to have the option in the basement.

The last two times I have been up there to visit them, that basement toilet has been running. I've wiggled the float to get it to stop, and suggested they let me replace the toilet with a modern one, but they wave me off. I'm curious to know what their water bill is. I suspect there are hundreds of gallons of water a day going down that toilet.

They believe the modern low flow toilets don't work, and want to keep their old 6 gallon flush monsters. Never mind that they have never had issues with the 1.6 GPF toilets when they visit my house. You just buy a good one, and they work.

**Posted by griff** 2/08/2024 7:28 am

I bought two fancy pressure tank low flows twenty years ago. One failed last year and the 1.6 off the rack at Lowes works beautifully. Low flows have been a really good advancement it's too bad that even progress in crappers gets opposition.

**Posted by tw** 2/08/2024 12:20 pm

glatt wrote:
They believe the modern low flow toilets don't work, and want to keep their old 6 gallon flush monsters.

And for good reason. Companies such as American Standard, had cost controllers designing their early low flow models. That failed often. Consumer Reports, in those early days, said all low flow toilets from American companies were defective. Recommended only imported one.

The world standard for toilets is now Toto (Japanese). Like is Boeing, it is always about whether top management comes from from business schools or from where the work gets done. Low flow toilets worked just fine when properly designed.

History says why many still fear low flow toilets. Rather than learn why those crappy designed failed.

Last edited by tw (2/08/2024 12:21 pm)

**Posted by Clodfobble** 2/10/2024 3:27 pm

glatt wrote:
The last two times I have been up there to visit them, that basement toilet has been running. I've wiggled the float to get it to stop, and suggested they let me replace the toilet with a modern one, but they wave me off. I'm curious to know what their water bill is. I suspect there are hundreds of gallons of water a day going down that toilet.

Perhaps you could just replace the mechanics inside the tank? It sounds like they wouldn't even notice if you did.

**Posted by glatt** 2/12/2024 12:46 pm

I think you're right. I might just do that.

**Posted by xoxoxoBruce** 2/14/2024 3:16 am

Clodfobble for the win with the best way to fix the problem while avoiding confrontation and resentment.
We can't all have a setup where to can chum and fish at the same time.

**Posted by Diaphone Jim** 2/14/2024 12:19 pm

I pictured that way out in the back bayou somewhere, with only a stray party boat to ruin your privacy.
Nope:
Reddit - https://preview.redd.it/1r8ho7dlnyw61.jpg?width=320&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=24424ccfb1baaa9d2e6041314d346a81de427bfe

**Posted by tw** 2/14/2024 9:29 pm

Dump into that water. Fish eats disposed nutrition. Man catches fish. Clearly the circle of life.

And nobody need turn on the bathroom fan.

However there is one serious human safety issue. No light. One can easily take one step too far. Then other would assume the splash was that toilet being flushed. Not bother coming to the rescue.

Obviously a life jack is required equipment for that bathroom.

Last edited by tw (2/14/2024 9:32 pm)