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Toilet question. Hahaha!!

MaggieD

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Ok, mom had a new toilet installed a few years ago. Today, mom and John (no relation to the toilet), told me how much they hated it...that it hardly flushed and filled back up in 30 seconds. Not enough water, they thought.

I took the top off the tank, and inside was a strange gizmo floatie thingie working inside of a plastic/vinyl small tank sitting above the real tank. When the small plastic tank fills up to the float, it shuts off. When one flushes the toilet, the small tank empties into the large tank and the large tank empties into the toilet.

I've never seen anything like it. If I had to guess, I'd say it's some kind of water-saver thingamajig. Anybody know about these? Seen one? Can it be removed and then just buy another kind of float and let the water sit in the regular tank?

I know this is a crappy question, but still...
 
I haven't seen such a thing but replacing the riser is a piece of cake.
 
Lutherf said:
I haven't seen such a thing but replacing the riser is a piece of cake.
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Can one assume that the "real tank" functions just like a regular tank? IOW, can I remove the little plastic tank (really not a tank but a 4" wide by about 12" long by 3" deep water holder). (You can tell I know all the right terms.)
 
The toilet in my house "30 year old toilet" has been known to rip loose clothing from those who dare to flush before standing. Apparently they don't make them like they used to. Mine has one large tank. I'm not sure if you can find a replacement, but the mechanism within a toilet is very simple, and you could probably just rig something up.
 

Does she have two buttons rather than a lever? That sounds like one of the dual flush water saving devices I have installed, you have a special #1 or #2 button so you don't use too much water flushing a #1.

Depending on the brand of the toilet, you can replace hers with a replacement generic flush it all lever.


 

No, it doesn't have two buttons. But it sure seems like some kind of water-saver. I suppose that's what it is, but why would it automatically be included with a toilet from Home Depot? And installed that way w/o asking the homeowner. Very strange...
 
MaggieD said:
Can one assume that the "real tank" functions just like a regular tank? IOW, can I remove the little plastic tank (really not a tank but a 4" wide by about 12" long by 3" deep water holder). (You can tell I know all the right terms.)
Click to expand...

Is it attached to a riser? As a general rule you have a tube that screws into a hole on the bottom of the tank and the water from the wall is attached there. The float usually either attaches to the top of this tube or encircles it. If you've got that hole at the bottom of the tank then I would guess that you could simply replace whatever is in there now with a new standard fill valve.
 
MaggieD said:
No, it doesn't have two buttons. But it sure seems like some kind of water-saver. I suppose that's what it is, but why would it automatically be included with a toilet from Home Depot? And installed that way w/o asking the homeowner. Very strange...
Click to expand...



In some parts of the world ( Including, I believe, parts of the USA.) with water shortages people are required by law to use certain types of toilets and shower heads to conserve water.

I use this kind of plumbing and don't have a problem with it, it works fine for me.
 
MaggieD said:
No, it doesn't have two buttons. But it sure seems like some kind of water-saver. I suppose that's what it is, but why would it automatically be included with a toilet from Home Depot? And installed that way w/o asking the homeowner. Very strange...
Click to expand...

Hmmmm... does the handle go further after hitting the initial flush point? They do have 2 stage levers...

I hope it isn't just forced low flow, thats... weak.
 


Does it look like this? If so, it is called a flapperless toilet. I assume it is to cut down on the toilet running...



Not my messy bathroom BTW.
 
Fisher said:
Does it look like this? If so, it is called a flapperless toilet. I assume it is to cut down on the toilet running...

View attachment 67148209

Not my messy bathroom BTW.
Click to expand...

That's it EXACTLY!!! That plastic up-high tank, when you flush it, tips over and dumps its limited amount of water into the porcelain tank. It's not much water.

Easy fix? New toilet? Any idea? (Thank you!! Now I don't think I'm nutz!)
 





I LOL'd :lamo
 
I suggest telling your mom and John that the problem is they are full of ****.
 
MaggieD said:
That's it EXACTLY!!! That plastic up-high tank, when you flush it, tips over and dumps its limited amount of water into the porcelain tank. It's not much water.

Easy fix? New toilet? Any idea? (Thank you!! Now I don't think I'm nutz!)
Click to expand...

No clue. If your Home Depot staff are as knowledgeable and courteous as ours, I'd suggest calling Lowe's bath and plumbing department and ask them if you can just swap out guts, or tanks.
 
MaggieD said:
That's it EXACTLY!!! That plastic up-high tank, when you flush it, tips over and dumps its limited amount of water into the porcelain tank. It's not much water.

Easy fix? New toilet? Any idea? (Thank you!! Now I don't think I'm nutz!)
Click to expand...

From the looks of things you'd need both a new fill valve and a new flush valve. You will have to take the tank off for the flush valve but it's an easy fix.
 
I wonder if the float/fill valve is set so that the upper tank thingy is filling all the way to the max line(for maximum flushing power)and or could the drain(underneath the crapper)be partially clogged.

Maybe a fun test would be to have someone dump an extra gallon or two of water into the tank as it is flushing so that you would see what the toilet is really capable of, before you attempted any design changes.

In my novice opinion(after seeing a couple videos)it seems as though it may not be easy to change over to a conventional style flush valve because of the adjustable tank design, in the second video below they say that the tank is supposed to slide forward and back to fit multiple applications(adjustable/unlike a regular crapper/tank to bowl). There may be oblong gaskets to go with the oblong holes in the tank and bowl there and as far as I know conventional flush valves should have round gaskets/fittings.



Seems like a neat enough design, thanks for making me look. Best of luck.
 
We used to put a brick in the tank to save water when flushing. I worked then and it works still.
 
I don't care for water saver toilets. You want to keep the crap in your sewage line moving. If you want to save water perhaps one needs to cut back on their automatic lawn sprinklers or cut down the size of their lawns.
 

That's exactly what it is. Although I don't know how one would change the water level in the separate tank, it was filled to the top -- so I didn't have to try to figure it out. Your idea of a test run with an additional bucket of water is a good one. As to converting it? It may be cheaper just to get a new one since we don't have a do-it-yourselfer who could do much beyond removing the extra tank to modify it.

Thanks for your research! Good man!
 
Crosscheck said:
I don't care for water saver toilets. You want to keep the crap in your sewage line moving. If you want to save water perhaps one needs to cut back on their automatic lawn sprinklers or cut down the size of their lawns.
Click to expand...

That is how I am about low flow shower heads. I want something that feels like I am being pressure washed, not sprinkled upon.
 

Mom and dad were forced by a nanny state government to buy and install a politically correct crapper.

Head down to a home salvage second hand shop and pick up an old American toilet and install it in the home. One flush and all your troubles and poop go down the drain with one flush.

Now be warned, there are those in government who want to establish a PC toilet police to go in to homes to make sure you have a PC toilet. And lets just hope it will not be the IRS enforcing what kind of toilets you poop in. The IRS already has to much to do with regulating and enforcing Obama Care and targeting conservatives.

In Los Angeles they already have the PC water police who drive around looking for people who are unlawfully washing their cars in the driveway or are watering their lawns. That's right, in L.A. they tell you when you can water your lawn and also what kind of toilet you can poop in and what kind of lights you can use in your kitchen.
 
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