Loo, where are you?

November 8, 2005 5:57 PM

This story made me wonder a bit. I'd never thought to wonder where all those old toilets disappear to. Maybe some lost tribes are out there right now hunting with the remnants of these devices, which seem to have a rich history. Disclaimer.
posted by IronLizard (16 comments total)

Pre low flush toilets are worth too much money to crush.
posted by caddis at 6:31 PM on November 8, 2005

That's reminiscent of the Seinfeld showerhead episode. You did know that you can mod a low flow showerhead just by removing a rubber washer, right? My last apartment has such high water pressure the thing felt like a sandblaster. Wonder if something similar can be done to the new toilets? Certain places use a plastic 'tub' within the ceramic tank to hold less water (maybe a retrofit?).
posted by IronLizard at 6:47 PM on November 8, 2005

I have to wonder about any writeup that fails to mention Cloacina, the Roman Goddes of the Sewer Pipe. Deifying your sanitation just makes good urban sense.

Classic books on the subject:

The Porcelain God: A Social History of the Toilet

History of Shit (AKA Histoire de la merde)
posted by meehawl at 6:47 PM on November 8, 2005

IronLizard - So you want to have less water flushing the bowl or more water flushing the bowl? Less water - stick in a 1 or 2 L plastic bottle filled with water. More water is a little harder, but you could bend the floater-ma-bob up so that it doesn't stop the refill of water into the tank until there's more water in the tank.

Thanks for the tip about showerhead waterpressure, I'll have to keep that in my head somewhere =)
posted by PurplePorpoise at 7:08 PM on November 8, 2005

See caddis's remark. More water=powerful flush=Cleaner bowl. I was thinking you could remove the 'water saver' device in some of them, but who knows. The old style, with the tank up high, were the best at both conserving water and power flushing.
posted by IronLizard at 7:24 PM on November 8, 2005

Buy a good low-flow toilet and your fears will flush away. It's far more to do with design than sheer water volume. Check out Toto brand especially.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:33 PM on November 8, 2005

My own feces is not the problem. Mine comes out like chunky iced tea. It's my wife that I worry about. Hers are 3-4 inches wide and about 6-8 inches long. Dense as granite. Sometimes they don't get all the way down.

I am using a 1950's toilet.

Please help.
posted by Balisong at 7:42 PM on November 8, 2005

Impressive.
posted by IronLizard at 7:55 PM on November 8, 2005

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one made from old toilets,
And that has made all the difference.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:02 PM on November 8, 2005

Impressive

When I read that observation about Balisong's wife's fecal fortitude I couldn't stop hearing it in this voice.
posted by CynicalKnight at 8:31 PM on November 8, 2005

Balisong, you're looking for this toilet reviews page. Looks like you want a Toto with G-Max pressure-assisted flushing.
posted by five fresh fish at 8:49 PM on November 8, 2005

And, for that matter, maybe an impeller, like they have on in-sink-erators!
posted by five fresh fish at 8:54 PM on November 8, 2005

Toilet pundit alert.
posted by IronLizard at 9:55 PM on November 8, 2005

.1883 AD: First Ceramic Toilet by Thomas Turiferd for Queen Victoria.
Is this name the source for the word, turd?
posted by hortense at 10:12 PM on November 8, 2005

Everyone should consider a toilet that is vandal- and suicide-resistant.
posted by brain_drain at 7:51 AM on November 9, 2005

Loved the primitive technology website! That one goes out to my teachers who teach about Native Americans.
posted by ancientgower at 8:55 AM on November 9, 2005