Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Old plumbing

No, not mine.

For a few years, now, I've felt badly that I couldn't get our commode really clean. We've been planning to replace it for some time, and this week it was finally time. We looked up how to qualify for the low-flow rebate, and headed off to find a new one.

But first -- to get the old one out. The rusty bolts holding the tank to the wall might have been a problem:


But they weren't; they were just funny-looking.

This made me feel a lot better about trying to scrub an 81-year old toilet bowl clean and failing spectacularly.


Even the floor bolts weren't pretty. They came loose easily, though, and now we have a new, clean, low-flow toilet. Of course, given the vagaries of our house, it's 6" away from the wall in back, and long enough that I can rest my forehead on the sink if I should feel the need.

I really didn't do anything except hang out and help a little bit during installation. It was all Eric. In my defense, it would have been a little difficult to fit us both in there in any active way, and I did replace my sister's toilet mostly alone. And I'll keep it clean.

11 comments:

esperanza said...

Oh my god, you just gave me a much needed laugh.

S said...

My god, your toilet survived the Great Depression,only to be brought low by the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. What times we live in. Actually, I think an autobiography of your toilet could be a good read. It certainly has an interesting perspective.

Katherine said...

That cracked me up - What an odd title for a post, I thought. And the comments made me laugh all over again. Well, good for you for trying to keep an 81-year-old toilet clean. Yikes.

Lara said...

I am thoroughly impressed by the age and experience of your toilet.

My parents replaced their 1985 vintage toilets this week. It makes me fear for my 1981 toilets.

amanda j said...

They just don't make them like they used to. Thank goodness.

(The verification code I got is tridefit. Do you think this is a message?)

Ruby Louise said...

There's a TV show called "If These Walls Could Talk" about older homes and their history. What we need now is the spin-off show "If These Fixtures Could Talk". As s pointed out, this fixture experienced the Great Depression, among other historic events. :-)

bfmomma said...

Oh, I *totally* get your excitement! Ours wasn't THAT old, but ours was a strange orangey-pink color and it was also impossible to keep clean.

I love our new one. Is that really odd to say?

suzee said...

Hee hee hee. You're funny.

Congrats on a toilet that has seen no butt but yours.

allisonmariecat said...

Hee! I was thinking, huh, that's sort of TMI :) If that toilet could talk, think of the poop it could share! Seriously, I don't know what's wrong with me today. Should have left off commenting till I was caffeinated and Lilah was napping...

Darryl Iorio said...

An 81 year-old toilet fixture? Wow! That was old! But fixtures this old cannot be good for your plumbing system. It would be best to replace them with a new one to prevent any problems with the plumbing system. You may want to check the pipes, too, as there are some parts that need repairs or replacement.

Gayle Manning said...

1927! Oooh…You really had it for such a long time. It may be hard for you to let go of this old toilet sink, but it just really needs to be replaced. With the way it looks, no matter how hard you try to scrub it, the rust will never be removed. Likewise, having a new one means that it’ll have a better plumbing system. :)