Mighty Toilet Warriors

[Highlander]

Ain't that a busted flush...

[drbassman]

OK, let's see some final toilet pics when all is finished!  My project took a wrong turn when I had to remove and reinstall the vanity top.  Seems my tape measure was off by a half inch.  Gonna have to get a new tape, this one doesn't work right!!!! 

[Pilgrim]

OK, let's see some final toilet pics when all is finished!  My project took a wrong turn when I had to remove and reinstall the vanity top.  Seems my tape measure was off by a half inch.  Gonna have to get a new tape, this one doesn't work right!!!! 

[TBird1958]

OK, let's see some final toilet pics when all is finished!  My project took a wrong turn when I had to remove and reinstall the vanity top.  Seems my tape measure was off by a half inch.  Gonna have to get a new tape, this one doesn't work right!!!! 

Maybe we should have a separate plumbing forum 
Here's me proud beauty! A two stage flusher 
And unlike my basses I do like black toilets....................

[Highlander]

We moved in here in Feb '92 and I ahd to redo (most) of the plumbing and electrics - rather oddly (for here) they had plumbed the central heating with two pumps, and all pipework overhead - rejigged the lot with one pump and a motorised valve to split the system, plus a towel rail in the bathroom - we've always kept the system on a contract with the gas supplier - I don't do gas... I replaced the cylinder and fitted a water softner but Jackie did not get on with soft water, so that went years back - cost me nothing so no loss... never did wire up the immersion heater...

The electrics were a mess - lots of radial lines from an old "storage" heaters - rigged it up as two "ring" mains - all the old radials as one and another as a primary - all new wiring, new comsumer unit, RCD amd MCB's... and a pyro run down to the shed...

The bathroom is a sore point - seperate wc is fine (excluding a broken cistern that I replaced and plan to box in if we don't decide to replace the lot) but we have the worlds smallest bathroom... one bath length (and they must have channeled the wall at one end to fit it in) + a sink width... its all an old pale yellow suite - I intend to replace with white, fit a shower pump (replacing the juicy 7KW electric one), and re-tile, if I'm ever given clearance...

[godofthunder]

Oh man that's gunna hurt! I hope your insurance covers it. I do my own plumbing and often it just opens up Pandora's box. I did the other week install a new pump for the utility sink without to much swearing

[drbassman]

Yikes Kenny, what a project!  Sounds like you've invested a lot of time and effort there.  My house is 21 years old and I'm starting to replace stuff all over due to normal wear and tear.  I don't envy what you've gone through.  You have my respect!

Wow, Mark.  dials and everything, what a masterpiece!

[TBird1958]

Yikes Kenny, what a project!  Sounds like you've invested a lot of time and effort there.  My house is 21 years old and I'm starting to replace stuff all over due to normal wear and tear.  I don't envy what you've gone through.  You have my respect!

Wow, Mark.  dials and everything, what a masterpiece!

Chickenhead knobs too!   

[Highlander]

Chickenhead knobs too!   

I think that's enough about your private life, imho...

Scott, the plumbing's never been a problem for me (even though I'm a sparkie by trade) as I was thrown in at the deep end some years back - my very first (solo) plumbing job involved connecting copper to lead - guy i was scheduled to work with that day went sick, so... I just looked at it logically, opened up the lead (didn't know what a turnpin was at that point), pushed in the 15mm/1/2" copper, added plenty of flux to the mix (no tallow, which is the preferred product plumbers tended to use) and used a kitchen rag (no moleskins) to wipe the softened lead round the pipe... once pressurised it had a slight leak... wiped it again and it was fine... the office freaked when they heard what I'd done as this was usually left for the pros... I got a "rep" pretty quickly that led me into 21 years of it... the last seven were some of the worst of my working career; dropped out of the business as the people I worked for were what you Americans call, "a piece of work..."
The plumbing in here was mostly "end-feed" (no pre-soldered joints), excluding a couple that were too close to timbers and could not be assembled then put in place, so I used compression fittings - I don't like this modern push-fit stuff - building up for lots of failed "O" rings in the future as the rubber deteriorates...

[Pilgrim]

Here's the dual-flush system I installed.  Not difficult at all....just needed some fiddling to get it to seal.  The top half of the unit on the right twists and unlocks, then can be lifted out of the way.  All that remains in place is the base with a large blue silicone seal.  With the top out of the way, it's not hard to align the bottom so no water gets through under the seal.

[drbassman]

Finished!  No more running upstairs every time!!!!!  Whew.   

[Highlander]

Well, this is day 5 of the bathroom rip-out I discussed earlier in the thread so thought I might as well use this instead of a new page...

I decided to try and fix a budget on this (we all know what that means ... ours is £1000/€1200/$1500) and so far it's sitting at approx 85% spent, so doing okay...

Saturday was mostly resting up and picking up the final items -about 10m/yds of tiles and stuff - sink + taps, cupboard and stand was in a sale at Ikea a month or so back 1/3rd off list, (German) Bette bath was from eBay and (delivered) price was less than 1/2 rrp - planning to use mostly existing plumbing fittings bought approx '93 during the house replumbing so that's not in the budget; mixer taps for bath are from the sixties and still in good order so (hopefully) reusing them...

Sunday was another visit to Ikea for some final items for the works - the wall cupboard is a bit of fun in itself - as I noted earlier the space is somewhat limited so planning is to cut a slot in the wall to inset the cabinet partly in and partly out - if I were redecorating the hall I'd probably cut right through and sit it right in, but...

Monday...
Hammer-and-chisel and off from all four walls came the tiles; unfortunately so did quite a bit of plaster, but that's been the story of this place... I'll post pics and update when I can so you can see the carnage... also ripped out the panelling around and beneath the bath and sink, which was boxing and non storage capable - all the old corner racks were chucked - Jackie want's a "TARDIS" so as much as possible will be hidden...



Our existing 500/700mm towel rad was looking somewhat shabby so a new, slightly larger (600/700mm) was eBayed for next-day delivery (late, so for Wednesday) for £27 - excellent and delivered price...!
Day ends with a wee dram and a soggy in the tile-less room, post clearing all the bags of smashed sixties tiles and plaster...



Tuesday...
Starting to cut the slots in the wall for the pipes - all the plumbing here was "dropped" from above (we live in a bungalow) rather than beneath floor boards so a number of pipes used to be in rather ugly visible boxing - the bath pipes, both heating and water, were oddly run and have some "up-hills" which I fitted bleeds to years back; also, the boxing was approx 300/100mm 1'x4" all for two pairs of 22/15 - 3/4-1/2 pipes...  
Cut the drop for the heating pipes (runs the bath and hall rads) adjacent to existing bath rad and for the bath/sink on the wall at the end of the bath to run pipework under/beside bath...



This was started by using an SDS drill and lots-and-lots of holes and lots-and-lots of chiselling, which was murderous in its own right - the walls are 60's "block" which is not like modern "breeze-blocks" which can be cut with a hand-saw, but looks like they are old compressed "slag" - some drills easily; some is like cutting iron...
[moment of madness] My circular saw needs a new blade and it was getting past 1900 and I had still not got the slots for the bath done and... five minutes and three 40mm/1.5" slots cut and chisel cleared by 2000 [/moment of madness] - not a recommendation but, boy, was it so much quicker and neater...
Day ends with a wee dram and a soggy in the still tile-less room, post clearing even more dust and rubble and detritus...

Wednesday... The Slot...
I seriously underestimated this bit of the works... well, I checked the blade on the circular saw (I can hear Scott's teeth grinding from here ) and there was still a little bit of life in it so set the cut to about 2"/50mm for a first pass and got nearly all for edges cut before it gave up the ghost...
Off to the hire shop for a 10"/250mm angle-grinder - first one was faulty...! back I went... used two discs cutting the slots and criss-crossing before the dust got so bad I could not see my hand right in front of my nose - ever been in a shop when the "fogger" has gone off...?!?! I've installed and worked on them so know how effective they are at stopping criminals...



Cleared the debris post dust settling and out came the drill and the hammer-and-chisel...







1900, work done, debris cleared and a quick trip to a "home" shop to check out some paper for the ceiling and new lighting, plus a couple of 22mm to 3/4BSP flexible "tails" for the bath taps...






[First Blood] DON'T PUSH ME...!!! [/First Blood]

The cabinet will sit exposed to the same distance as the old one but inset in the wall by approx 2.5"/70mm and is a third taller so lost more storage - also will be fitting a "shaver" point for the tooth-brush charger within the cabinet...
The day ended with another wee dram, some pain killers, and another soggy then crashed out...

Thursday... today...
Woke at five and did some typing...
We have the car going in for an MOT (annual mandatory road checks) and service so grounded - I'll be in the loft clearing the areas for the plumbing, and all being well will get on with the heating plumbing works...

[Pilgrim]

Bill - beautiful work, and no doubt a great "relief" in all senses of the word.

Kenny - my gawd man, are you building a new home or updating a terlet???  (That's the Archie Bunker pronunciation from the TV series All In The Family.)   I have trouble following all the steps, but you clearly have a major project going on, even if it didn't start as a major job. 

I wish you the best!!

[Lightyear]

Dear God Kenny!  You have my deepest sympathies!

My last house had mid seventies builders grade bathrooms when we bought the house.  They were worn, grungy and FUGLY!  By the time we left I gutted them both, to the studs for the most part, and started over.  They both came out great but I confess I still have nightmares 10 years later.  From the sound of it your remodel makes mine seem like nothing more than changing a light bulb.

Post some pics so that we may share in the carnage.......

[TBird1958]

I'm not showing up in my French Maid's outfit until the heavy work is all done Kenny