 | Braden Peak is the manager of Roto-Rooter Sewer, Drain, Septic and Grease Trap Service in Pittsburg, KS. A Girard native and a graduate of Pittsburg State University, he is a licensed sewer contractor and has been with the company since 2002. He can be reached at 620-231-5630 or by emailing kpp_rotorooter@yahoo.com. You can also become a fan of Roto-Rooter of Pittsburg on Facebook.
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Plumbing
2012-10-02 15:18:20
A royal flush
Q- We are remodeling our bathroom and we are trying to decide whether to keep our existing toilet which needs a tune up or to just replace it with a new unit. All of our other fixtures are going to be replaced and new plumbing installed. What recommendations do you have?
A- That’s a great question on a not so appealing topic, but believe it or not, what you decide now can literally save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in efficiency over a long period of time. First off, I would need more information about your current toilet to properly answer your question, but I can give you general information that will make your decision easier.
If your toilet was produced prior to the 1990’s, it most likely uses 3.5 gallons of water or more per flush. Since 1995 all toilets are federally mandated to use a maximum of 1.6 gallons of water per flush. These are known as low consumption toilets. Unfortunately some manufacturers did not incorporate new designs and stayed with the technology of the higher consumption toilets. What this means is a poor flush by the end user. Keep in mind, not all toilets are created equal. If you plan to purchase a new toilet, do your research or simply call a few qualified professionals and ask their opinions. Modern, well-designed low consumption toilets actually out-perform most of their older water wasting counterparts. You get a better flush and save money on your water and sewer bill. Of course, those that have a poorly designed low consumption toilet might disagree with that statement.
If you have an older style toilet, I would definitely recommend replacing it. Although there are tricks out there to lower the water consumption of these toilets (lowering the amount of water these use per flush can reduce their performance) and replacement parts are available, in the long run you will save a decent amount of money by installing a new, quality toilet.
If your toilet is a newer low consumption unit and you are happy with the performance, by all means give it a tune up and reinstall it. Since the bathroom is being revamped, now is the time to completely disassemble, replace all internal parts and gaskets, and give it a good cleaning. You can clean mineral buildup in the jets by using a calcium and lime remover chemical and a metal coat hanger or ice pick, etc. Flush out the bowl and tank with a garden hose and make sure the entire unit is free of debris and scale buildup. Now is also a good time to replace the tank to bowl gasket and bolts along with a new flush valve and fill valve. If the toilet handle rod is rusted or corroded, replace it as well. All of these items can be purchased at most hardware stores or through a plumbing professional for a reasonable price. Once the toilet is ready to install, inspect the floor for water damage and the mounting flange for cracks and then install a new seal and mounting bolts. Once installed, enjoy your newly refurbished and efficient toilet!
If you do not feel comfortable in trying to do this type of work yourself, do not hesitate to call a professional. It is very important to properly install components and the toilet itself. That’s it for this month. The holidays will be here before we know it and I will have some tips to avoid a plumbing disaster during your family gatherings. Thanks for reading.
