Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Toilet Replacement Lids - Delhi's Toilets Museum Among World's Weirdest Museums - This Old Toilet 800-658-4521




A museum in New Delhi, which traces the history of the toilet for the past 4,500 years, has been ranked third among the world's 10 weirdest museums by Time magazine.

"From simple chamber pots to elaborate decorated Victorian toilet seats, you'll see it all" at Sulabh International Museum of Toilets tracing "the entire evolution of toilets throughout human history", the US magazine said.

There's even a toilet disguised as a bookcase, noted the magazine presenting "10 museums around the world that are anything but mundane" to celebrate International Museum Day.

A highlight of the museum is the replica of the throne of King Louis the XIV. The king is believed to have used this to defecate while conducting court sessions.

"It is indeed a very unusual museum and it's the only one of its kind in the world," says Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak.

"We founded the museum to give a message," he said. "India faces a big challenge in the sanitation sector. So our museum helps policy makers understand the efforts that were made in this field in the past."

source: http://www.ndtv.com/article/offbeat/delhi-s-toilets-museum-among-world-s-10-weirdest-museums-528132

http://www.thisoldtoilet.com

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Toilet Replacement Lids - Bathroom Bling— It's the $130K Toilet - This Old Toilet 650-483-1139



Japan's tiling and sanitary fixtures manufacturer Lixil displays the company's Inax brand toilet 'Satis' decorated with a total 72,000 swalovski crystals, in Tokyo on December 12, 2011.   (Getty Images)



Some people can't help pissing away money. And for them, a Japanese company has introduced a $130,000, crystal-covered toilet, reports CNET. Called the Satis, this luxury commode is covered with 72,000 Swarovski crystals, and is on display at the company's Tokyo showroom. "2011 was a really tough year for Japan, with the earthquake and tsunami disasters," says a rep for Lixil, the brand behind the crystal throne. "We wanted to do this to cheer everybody up just before Christmas."
Unfortunately, the Satis is just a display model, and is not for sale. But those who insist on installing the finer things in every corner of their home have some other options—like this toilet, which features an MP3 player, heated seat, and self-cleaning mechanism. And at $130,000, the Satis still comes up $4.7 million short of one golden toilet.

source: http://www.newser.com/story/135646/luxury-crystal-toilet-runs-for-130k.html
by Mark Russell

http://www.thisoldtoilet.com

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Toilet Replacement Lids - Potty plan: Loving the loo: New technology brings efficiency and style to toilets - This Old Toilet 650-483-1139


TOTO Ltd./Toto Ltd.
Squeaky clean - Toto’s skirted, one-piece G500 toilet is tankless and has a double cyclone flushing system. A heated Washlet bidet seat has temperature and pressure controls. From $3,000 




Soft music is playing; the seat is warm and a soft glow lights the night. Is this a seat in a luxury automobile or a ski lodge? On the contrary, it’s a toilet.
Since the forerunner to the modern flush system was patented in 1775 by Alexander Cummings, a watchmaker in London, designers and inventors have worked to create a more user-friendly experience.
“The first thing is performance. Everybody wants their toilet to work. If the toilet performs, they’re happy about that,” says Betsy Hoag, owner of the wholesale showroom TKO Associates in the Dallas Design District.
Light it up - With a touch-screen remote, users of the Kohler Numi toilet can pre-set personalized functions such as a heated seat, bidet, foot warmer and music options through wireless streaming. From $5,900 at the Bath & Kitchen Showplace, Dallas and Denton; Morrison Supply Company, Fort Worth; and Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, multiple locations.
Kohler Company/Kohler
Light it up - With a touch-screen remote, users of the Kohler Numi toilet can pre-set personalized functions such as a heated seat, bidet, foot warmer and music options through wireless streaming. From $5,900

Since January, the Health and Safety Code of Texas, Chapter 372, requires toilets sold or distributed in the state to have a single flush average of 1.28 gallons per flush (GPF). Dual-flush, high-efficiency toilets, with a typical flush capacity of 0.8 GPF for water waste and 1.6 GPF for solid waste, must meet the same standard for the single average flush.
This change in volume, although it conserves water, is foreign to consumers with older toilets that use between 3 and 6 gallons per flush.
“We have to explain quite a bit if a person has had a toilet for 25 years. We have to explain that with the new technology, it will flush as well,” says Shameika Love, a showroom consultant at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery in McKinney.
Beyond performance, the look and usability of the toilet are of prime importance. To meet that demand, manufacturers offer a variety of bowl and tank shapes, colors and heights.
Design preference is influenced by the age of the homeowner, the style of the residence and the size of the toilet’s location. “Do we want a sleek, modern, contemporary look, or do we want a traditional look?” says Hoag.
“For younger customers, styling is important. They like it nice and streamlined. It could be very square or very round.” Toilets with round bowls are more compact, fitting easily in the powder rooms of small houses and condominiums.
Older homeowners prefer transitional or traditional styles, often at a chair height. A standard height toilet is 14.5 inches from the floor to the bowl’s rim. Many new toilets are 16 inches or even the 17 to 18 inches required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“You’re seeing more people asking for the taller toilet rather than the shorter toilet. That’s because people are aging in place,” says Love.
Tankless toilets, whether wall-mounted or floor-mounted, also are growing in popularity. However, not all are truly tankless. For most, the tank and carrier system fits inside the wall behind the bowl, concealing the mechanics of the flushing system. Some models have the carrier system concealed in a boxlike part mounted on the wall, in full view.
Other tankless toilets are connected directly to water supply lines rather than from a cistern holding water. Both styles allow the tank to disappear, saving space in the bathroom.
Toilet cleansing systems also are becoming important. Offered by manufacturers as either an integrated option or as an accessory addition to a toilet, they function as a bidet in a single unit.
“We sell them to both sexes. It saves space and money vs. a bidet,” says Hoag.
With most toilets, a variety of options is available from manufacturers to personalize the sanitary event. Choices include soft-close and heated seats, auto-open and auto-flush functions, night light, touchless flush and a selection of decorator colors.
Homeowners concerned about hygiene can retrofit their toilets with a touchless system from Kohler. The kit utilizes a sensor module that attaches to the tank with a metal bracket and responds to a hand movement.
To ensure an especially singular experience, some toilets offer programmable details complete with wall-mount or handheld remote control. Functions including heating, flushing, cleansing, drying, music and lighting can be pre-set to the comfort of the user.
“They almost drive themselves,” says Hoag.
source: http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/home-and-gardening/headlines/20140711-loving-the-loo-new-technology-brings-efficiency-and-style-to-toilets.ece
by Nancy Baldwin

http://www.thisoldtoilet.com

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Toilet Replacement Lids - Potty plan: Spanish town sets up dog toilet - This Old Toilet 650-483-1139



Dog toilet in El Vendrell, Spain
Dog toilet in El Vendrell, Spain. Photograph: Jose M Baselga
From the country where private detectives and neighbourhood watch groups stalk the streets to catch dog owners who don't clean up after their pets, comes the next frontier in the Spanish war on negligent pet owners: the dog toilet.
El Vendrell, a small town of 36,000 people in northeastern Spain, has set up a canine toilet along one of its main thoroughfares. The contraption mimics a human toilet in many ways; its stainless steel platform features a hole with a lid. Dog owners must flush the toilet, releasing jets of water that carry the excrement through underground pipes to the sewer system. Next to it sits a doggie urinal – a grid with small holes over which dogs can squat. Between both sits a water fountain for dogs.
The toilet was donated to the town as part of a pilot project, said its creator, Enric Girona. Depending on how the toilet is received by the public, he'll begin marketing it to municipalities around the world.
A dog-lover whose father bred Irish Setters, Girona has spent much of the past decade photographing and documenting dogs with the goal of creating a contraption that could extend the luxury of a toilet to dogs. "Over the years I've seen that if you train and raise dogs well, theseanimals can be just like humans."
Originally Girona came up with a few different models, modifying each as he learned more about the behaviour of dogs. He pointed to the urinal, which is cleaned by a flush of water, as an example.
"But it doesn't clean everything, because the animal needs a certain odour to be lured to the toilet," said the engineer, from Terrassa, a town near Barcelona.
Given that the toilet is designed to sit in a park, next to statues and fountains, consideration was also given to the design. "You can't have something that clashes with the setting," he said. "The design was done with the concept of being attractive."
The result is what he called a first in the world. "We looked around to see what was on the market, and saw that nothing quite like this existed."
The town of El Vendrell – where negligent pet owners face fines of up to €750– was the first to say yes to his marketing pitch, earning them an exclusive dog toilet built entirely by hand.
"To make just one is costly and complicated," Girona said. "But if we have orders of 10 or 25, the costs would definitely decrease dramatically."
Recent years have seen towns and cities across Spain crack down on owners who don't clean up after their pets. In Barcelona and Madrid fines can run as high as €1,500, while the town of Colmenar Viejo hired a private detective in April to catch negligent owners in the act.
source: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/02/spanish-town-dog-toilet

http://www.thisoldtoilet.com

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Toilet Replacement Lids - Cost of a New Toilet Considerations if Replacing the Whole Toilet - This Old Toilet 650-483-1139





Cost of a New Toilet
Considerations if Replacing the Whole Toilet
"It's not just what you pay, it's what it costs you."
Some people have said, "Gee, I could buy a whole new toilet for a hundred dollars!" ...And that's true. But consider the complete project cost and its feasibility. ...Not just the price of an economy-model toilet, ...in a carton, ...on a shelf, ...at Giant Home Center. Also decide if your current toilet might be better than the one at the home center.

Project Costs:
The new toilet itself, plus: new wax ring seal (bowl wax); new riser supply pipe; new mounting bolts; new toilet seat(?); new angle stop; sales tax on all that. (If you don't know what these items are, then you will need an installer.)
Professional installation: Add the labor cost for an installer. (In many cases the labor charge from a professional, licensed plumber is $80.00 - $150.00.)

DIY installation: Add the time to do-it-yourself. (DIY time is generally 2-4 times longer than a professional's time.) Do you have the expertise, experience, and tools? What if there's a leak when you're done? Leaks can occur at the angle valve, the riser connection to the tank, between the tank and bowl, or between the bowl and floor. If you reuse the old angle valve, be very gentle with it as they become fused stiff with age and tend to be quite fragile. Check the operation of your main shut-off valve to the house before starting the project.
Check the cost for disposal of the old toilet. In some areas, only certain dump facilities will take old toilets. The fee can range from $5.00 to $15.00.

Cosmetics:
Will the shape of the "foot" of the old bowl leave a stain on the floor that is exposed compared to the shape of the foot of the new bowl?
If the paint or wall paper behind the tank of the old toilet is not complete, will the new toilet tank size and shape cover the exposed area? If the paint or wall paper behind the tank of the old toilet is less faded than the rest of the wall, will the new toilet tank size and shape cover the exposed area?
If your toilet is colored, will you be able to locate the matching color from current production?

Feasibility/Compatibility:
Some very old toilets (1920s - 50s) use four mounting bolts to secure the bowl to the floor. Modern toilets have only two mounting bolts. Will the new toilet cover the holes in the floor from the old bolts or screws?
Some very old toilets (1920s - 40s) have a tank mounted to the wall with an elbow pipe between the tank the bowl. Will the new toilet leave these unused holes exposed?
Some four-bolt toilets were 10 or 14 inch rough-in (the distance from the wall to the rear bolts). 10 and 14 inch toilets are still available today, but they must be special ordered, are limited in style, come in white only, and are more expensive than standard 12".
If your counter top extends over the toilet tank ("Banjo Top"), will the height of a new toilet will be low enough to fit under the counter? (Careful here - We get many calls asking if we sell thinner tank lids. NOT.)

Function:
Your toilet may be a 3.5 or 5 gallon-per-flush style. A new toilet will be a 1.6 gallon ultra low flush water saver. Do you want to make that change? (1994 = 1.6 GPF; 1982 = 3.5 GPF; 1970's = 5 GPF; really old = 7 GPF.)

Permit:
Most municipalities require a building permit for the installation or replacement of a toilet. Check with your building department for regulations, application form, and fees.

Conclusion:
The cost of a replacement tank lid from ThisOldToilet®, akaToiletTankLids.com, may actually be quite economical and requires no installation. The only tool required is a knife to open the box.

Notes:
~ If you do replace your entire toilet, check with your water supply company to see if you qualify for a low-flush rebate.
~ If you do replace your entire toilet, and you are in Santa Clara or San Mateo counties in California, click this link for a toilet disposal pick-up service: www.ToiletSalvage.com
~To learn vocabulary about toilets, go to our Toilet Glossary.
~ To learn how to maintain, trouble-shoot, and repair your toilet, visit Toiletology.
~ To find toilet tank internal repair parts, email:TOT@TheAnswerLine.com or call 800-658-4521, #1, M-F, 9-5, EST.