“Constipated Feces” Problem

[Stranger9]

2-20-11, 3:57 PM CST, Continuing this thread of mine:
My wife may have 1 to 4 feces at a time, typically. The size may vary from about 1” to 3” in length and about 1” in diameter. She is 5’ 1” and 125 lbs. She may go once in 2 days. Her brain may be that of a “6 months old baby” and is incontinent. Therefore it is hard to communicate or control her. I take her to bath every 1 to 3 hours throughout the 24-period everyday. I have broken the feces with a stick for several days which helps. Sometimes, 1 of the feces may slip by my stick and clog the Eclipse toilet! According to the plumber, who installed Quattro, it has 3” flapper and a trapway to match! 2-1/8” trapway is not close at all! We have cross-sectional areas of 7 sq inches versus 3.5! Irrespective of the geometry, wouldn’t one expect to have the same cross-section of the trapway as the 3” flapper orifice? I have not seen but I was led to believe that Quattro has 3” dia opening at the bottom of the toilet too! Has anyone seen if Quattro has 3” opening at the bottom or is it about 2”? I feel the question here is about flushing “constipated feces” which sooner or later we may all have at least once in a lifetime! Every comment of each one of you has been a help in some way. Please accept my gratitude for the help all of you have given so far. Thanks.

[Stranger9]

2-20-11, 4:08 PM CST, Continuing this thread of mine:
The feces (or stools) are usually not flexible for my wife. One was found several days later at the inspection-window 60’ away several days later still intact! The property-manager thought it was grout used for installing tiles in my house since I had asked them to remove all the carpets and install tiles before my taking the possession of the house. Once again, every comment of each one of you has been a help in some way. Please accept my gratitude for the help all of you have given so far. Thanks.

[Terry]

The flush valve is 3" between tank and bowl.
The trapway from the bowl to the drain in the floor is 2"

A 3" flapper that drops water into a bowl, is not the same as a drain for the bowl. They are on opposite ends.
One fills the bowl, the other drains the bowl

The bowl has a 2" drain.

It eventually drops into a 3" floor drain.

[jadnashua]

Your problem is not whether it is a 2 or 3" water valve that dumps the water into the bowl, but the outlet of the toilet (the trapway), which on those you've tried is 2" (no relation to the flapper valve that dumps the water in). The Caroma has a 3" trapway. Lots more room for things to flow without getting plugged up.

[Jerome2877]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESOwyMAf-mk

Caroma is what you need, check this video out.

[hj]

The usual difference between a residential and commercial toilet is the building it is going into. I use the same ones for either application, although flushometer models are usually all commercial, except in some high rise apartment buildings.

[Briandl]

You might also want to consider continuing to use that toilet paper but throwing it in a trash can instead. I'd rather do that than to use something that's too thin to keep your hand clean. Just a suggestion.

[Terry]

If someone wants cleanliness, then they should have a bidet seat.
Washing with water is the only way to go.
I don't rub my body down with a paper towel, I hop in the shower.

[Stranger9]

2-21-11, 10:47 PM CST, Continuing this thread of mine:

“Power-assist” and “washdown” technologies may be the answer for flushing “constipated-feces” successfully every time.

Power-assist may push the waste to 60’ versus 30’ for most other common technologies. Considering that the location of the inspection-window at my home is 60’ from the toilet, I assume that the drain is larger there to get the waste into the city sewage line without the problem. The concern with pressure-assist is if there is enough pressure to break/push the feces through the typical 2” trapway knowing that feces are impacted enough to be overly hard!

Therefore, washdown technology with 4” trapway of Coroma’s Sydney model may be the only answer! None of my wife’s stools have been as large and hard as the potatoes shown in the demo! But there may also be a concern with this technology! The concern is of collection of the waste in the drain line! Why? It is because the drain-opening at the flange on the floor has inside diameter of 4” in my house. I’m afraid that the little water used in these HET toilets may simply pass by after the washdown leaving the waste behind; thus, causing the collection of waste in the drain-line!

Does anyone out there has any experience of these concerns with both of these technologies?

Once again, I thank all of you for very valuable information you have been providing on this common problem for the purpose of helping a stranger and without expecting anything in return.

[jadnashua]

It's farily common for waste to not make it all the way to the sewer on the first flush. As long as the line has the proper slope and no low spots, it really doesn't matter. Subsequent flushes, showers, washing machine uses, etc. move it along. A pressure assist and the other 'fast flush' technologies only give it an extra push that quickly peters out once it gets into that much larger line.

[schipperke]

This looks like a wash down toilet?
Large opening to closet flange, but they specify 2" trapway, is that correct? http://is.gd/xqgezV

[woodcycl]

Hey there!

I've done a lot of research reading and re-reading posts on this forum over the past few months. One of our family members has a health issue whereby his stools are very large in diameter and very hard. Our original Mansfield contractor grade toilet would clog almost every other day and after nearly 3yrs of this, I finally Googled the problem and found this forum.

After all my research here, I chose the Toto Drake II in hopes of an improved (i.e. less clogs) toilet experience. All in all, we now only have approx. 1 clog per week w/ the Drake, but these clogs are much more difficult to unclog. I KNOW how to unclog a toilet after 3 yrs of (and have confirmed my method after reading a few posts here) unclogging our old Mansfield.

These clogs are harder to unclog however. To the point where our auger/snake (or whatever it is called) doesn't get the job done along with 15 minutes of solid plunging. This is what is happening tonight. I'm wore out.

I didn't choose the Caroma brand toilets due to the streaks/markings I've read about. But, now I wonder if I should have.

Bottom line, my wife and I simply need a toilet that works ... better or the best possible. At this point, we'd go up to $500 for the convenience. I understand there will be clogs now and then. And, our family member knows to ask before flushing just in case, etc. But, it still happens.

What should we do? Get a Caroma? And, put the Drake in our master bath? Is there another solution?

We really really appreciate your suggestions.

Signed,
All Plunged and Snaked Out ...

[schipperke]

Well, looks impressive..

[Basement_Lurker]

In your specific case, you should have gone with a caroma unit. They're not as nice looking as the Toto models, but the wider trapway would be better for your installation.

Did you install your drake with a kantleak flanged wax ring? If so, perhaps try re-installing the drake with a non-flanged wax ring and see if that solves the problem.

[schipperke]

I should have one in shortly , after one month with another brand, tonight makes 4 plunges. Heck , worse than the old American Standard I pitched.. I will say the one I'm replacing flushes water very well..