Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 10, 1999 10:31pm | #1

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   First is code: most jurisdictions require 1.6 gal. flush.
   So, if you don't follow code, who's liable ?

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 10, 1999 11:09pm | #2

   *To install a pull chain toilet, there are two variables, the bowl rough in and the tank rough in. First, most codes require a 12" bowl rough in (from finish wall to center of drain). I would not under any circumstances rough in to 10". If some future homeowner wants to have a modern toilet, then he is out of luck.The tank rough in is set as follows. The tank will have a spud on the bottom which needs to aligh as close as possible to the rear spud on the toilet. This can be done by either shimming out the tank with stained and finished 1 bys (like a backing board) or by offsetting the 2" flush tube with an angle. There are several antique bathroom fixture suppliers who can custom make these by braising some pieces together. If you want to do it yourself, you will need fairly precise measurements of the distance between the finished wall and the tank spud and the finished wall and the bowl spud to calculate this angle. I just use a construction master IV and deal in inches, instead of feet to figure the angle.Third, the antique toilets require a water source at about the 5' level, so you need to run your 1/2" copper supply up to the tank. This can be done in two ways, the most common is to run it out at about 8", install a shutoff, and then run exposed polished brass up to the tank. I suppose in a rough out you could install 1/2" copper inside the wall right up to the 5' level, install a shutoff, and use brass to the tank, but if a future homeowner wants a standard toilet, he will have to fool with it and put a line back down to the baseboard level.Fourth, check the flange on the bottom of the bowl. Many are odd sizes, and not the standard 4"Finally, the low flush requirement can be an issue. If the home is an historic home on the National Register, then you probably can get a variance. Here in SoCal, our city code allows old toilets in historic homes.Assuming this is not an historic home, there are two ways to get around this issue, legal and illegal. The legal way would be to order one of the modern replicas of historic toilets from one of the antique toilet dealers. They are reproductions, but look nice, and are low flow. The illegal way is to simply install a cheap HD toilet, get inspected and re-install the historic toilet. Here in SoCal, the inspector generally requires the toilet to be glued down for final, but if it is installed on tile, that is generally not a problem getting it up.Good Luck!

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 11, 1999 08:07pm | #3

   *Whoa !....Scooter, you blew me away......great post !

2. 
   joss | Jan 09, 2000 09:21pm | #4

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   On the topic of old toilets, any ideas about what our toilet
   might be made of? I tried stripping it as it was painted
   black, and was mouldy to boot. Underneath was a brown oily
   fibrous substance that did not respond well to scraping.
   Needless to say, I gouged it before I realized that it
   wasn't the solid material I thought it would be (wood, metal
   etc). I painted it over with a very heavy coat of oil
   enamel, which seems to have done the trick f

3. 
   Tom_Wagener | Jan 09, 2000 09:21pm | #5

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   A homeowner wants me to install an antique pull chain type toilet. The center of the flange to the end is only 10". I have never installed one of these before. What will some of the issues I should be on the lookout for.