Gerberit/Duravit Install

[emd36]

This forum was crucial when I was planning our master bath remodel. I bought a steam shower that was a bit wider than I anticipated so had to move the toilet across the room. Thought I would post the info here to share the success of the transition.

Bought a Stark3 Duravit toilet and Gerberit carrier, both online. With shipping came to about $850. So kind of expensive but not your average bathroom.
Had to figure out where the sewer pipe went but the sensor I rented was broken so I just used a pipe snake and noticed that the drain crossed the concrete floor to the opposite wall. Lucky me. So returned the sensor and rented a concrete saw instead.

Cut a hole in the floor near the vent pipe and uncovered the drain pipe under only about 3 inches of concrete. I had purchased the offset drain pipe and the hardest part of the install was fitting in all the pipe connections above floor level. I planned for an elevated seat but figuring the finished seat height was tricky and the final height is 20" not the 19" I had planned.

The quality of the Gerberit carrier seems high and well-engineered except for the flush mechanism which consists of spindles that press into the dual flush paddles that are pressed by the buttons on a pricey chromed plastic cover. The system seems like it could be improved.
The Duravit Stark 3 bowl has the Sanigloss finish so we swipe out the bowl with an extra wad of TP every week or so and have not cleaned it much more in the 6 months it has been installed. We have alkaline water that stains other plumbing fixtures so this feature seems worth the extra cost.
The whole system is heavy but I only used single 2x6 casing around the carrier. It seems plenty strong and there is zero movement in the wall or fixture. I braced it a bit more than shown in the photo though. The vent pipe was 2" so that was just reconnected with a couple of 45 degree elbows.
The water connection is over the top of the carrier. Brought the water over with a flexible stainless hose instead of copper pipe and added an extra shutoff in the wall over the carrier just in case. Access will be from the closet wall if ever needed. The only photo I have is of the sweated join though. The rest of the connections are sharkbite.

Almost all of this work was done solo except for lifting the toilet onto the bolts and tightening. I got an extra $35 kit for "mounting" that I didn't need. Hard to determine all the parts needed from the info on the websites. But it did have chrome bolt covers instead of the included white ones, so those are our $35 bolt covers although you can't see them in the photos.

I think it was worth it to take a chance on these relatively unknown products sight unseen. But I like a challenge. If you are a stickler for flushing action this is probably not the strongest flush on the market. The trap is larger than average, 2" I believe, and the water level is very low, looks like a cup in the bottom of the bowl. I can't flush TP with the small flush, but it works like a urinal. The flush seems to require holding the button for the duration of the water flow. Press and release doesn't work for us. I have tried adjusting the water spindle mechanism but that hasn't really helped. But there is no problem getting a flush down in one action most of the time.
The whole installation took several weeks but we are happy with the results. Definitely stylish, and matches the tub/steam shower combo.
Posted more photos in the album with these too. I'm not seeing the photos in this post though so the album is at: http://www.terrylove.com/forums/album.php?albumid=55
Thanks to this forum for inspiration!

[Peanut9199]

Once the wall are up and insulated maybe you can tell the forum how quiet it flushes.
Some people are afraid because the tank is inside the wall it will make a lot of noise and my experience it is a lot more quiter flushing than a regular toilet.
The actuator you purchaed is the least expensive model they have, if you went up to a solid brass model you would pay at least double or triple than the one you have.

[emd36]

Hi,
I agree with you that the flush is not noisier than the floor mount toilets we have. Definitely not noisier than the old Kilgore or the newer low flush Kohler in the other bathrooms. We don't have insulation in the room walls but the toilet backs up to the closet and a layer of hanging clothes. I can't flush and walk away to listen to the noise because the flush requires that I stand at the toilet until it is finished. Some people might dislike that extra time spent flushing.
I did buy the "noise reduction gasket" that is installed between the toilet and the wall. I'm not sure that really was essential to reduce noise but it was recommended and I think the price was another $50-- seemed high for a piece of foam to cushion the china from the solid surface. The actuator was the least expensive dual flush and is chromed plastic, the extra cost for a metal one was at least double as you point out. I don't think the metal would have improved the flush action as the mechanism still requires a continued press until the flush is complete. I guess that controls the amount of the flush in some way too though so that a smaller flush can use less than a full tank of water.
Thanks for your comments, they might help folks learn more about this particular type and installation (also thanks to Terry for putting the photos in.) Now if I could only spell Geberit right! I noticed other folks want to spell the brand Gerberit too though. The trap is closer to 2.5", and Duravit makes Wondergliss, not Sanigloss--don't think they are the same, but it is the same idea.