toilet choice with no elevation drop

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cabman334

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I've been called upon to update the toilet as a part of a bathroom remodel project. The room sits at grade and discharges to a septic system not more than 30 feet from the house with, I would estimate, little more than a two foot drop in elevation to the tank's inlet.

The client has asked for a low-flow toilet but I am concerned that there will not be enough water flow (without elevation and gravity to help) to push waste to the septic tank.

Any advice as to the best toilet choice (or even to not go with a low flow toilet)?

Thanks in advance
 

JohnjH2o1

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You have more then enough pitch. As far as the toilet goes they must be 1.6 gal. or less.

John
 

WJcandee

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Solid waste doesn't run all the way to the septic tank in one flush, anyway, at least not since the 1950s. Flow from other sources, like the shower, help move things along.

Typical pitch for a septic line is 2%, or about 1/4" per foot. A 30-foot run would thus drop 7.5 inches. You have 24 inches. That's practically a water-slide if anyone graded it that steeply, which nobody would.

So don't be worrying about the low-flow toilet. It will do fine.

As to brand, we here generally like Toto very much, for the reasons stated in the toilet reviews in the green box above, and because of the high quality at comparable price to the big box products. Start by looking at the Toto Drake CST744S or CST744E (1.6 or 1.28 toilet), and get fancier from there.

One thing your client will thank you for is a reliable toilet with no defects that flushes without clogging, without excessive noise, and is easy to repair when the time comes. The Toto Drake, and the more-expensive Totos, will fit that bill very nicely.
 
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cabman334

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Thanks

Thank you both for your help. Actually I installed a Drake in my home 18 months or so ago and have been very happy with it. Having more expert opinions to back up my recommendation for the client to buy a Drake as well will help alot. I'm not sufficiently knowledgable about pitch and flow for plumbing to know if the low flow toilets would function in this application so for your help on that toopic I thank you also.
 

WJcandee

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Our pleasure! If you click on the Drake owner review thread [ click here for Drake reviews ], there are over three hundred testimonials you can show your client, going back several years. (That thread alone has been read an incredible 328,620 times, which is a testament to how respected Terry's forums have become.)

My favorite online review of the Drake was the guy who put it one in the guest bathroom to replace an early low-flow which always clogged. Apparently, he had been teased about it a bit. Family and guests were coming for some event and he didn't want to be embarrassed anymore, so he did research and installed the Drake. He is so delighted by having something that just plain works that every time he flushes it, he yells out "TOTO!". He realizes that his family is getting tired of that, but he can't help himself. Gotta love it.

If your client is looking for something a little more aesthetically-advanced, the Drake II is a little more money, but features the non-stick CEFIONTECT finish, a higher "universal (ADA) height" seating position, and the double-cyclone flush (which swirls the water around the bowl using two jets instead of holes), all standard. That's a 1.28gpf toilet that would qualify for a Watersense rebate if there are any in your jurisdiction, although it doesn't look like there are any in Ohio. (EPA list here: Watersense List )

As you read the Drake review thread, realize that it goes back a few years, so some comments about certain feature availability may have changed for the better. For example, CEFIONTECT used to not come on the colors, now it does (except for Ebony), there didn't used to be a 10-inch rough-in Drake, now there is, etc. So don't take that stuff as gospel. (Also, there's no variable flush, as alluded to in the first review; what she is saying is that if you hold down the handle, you can get more water in the flush if you have a ton of paper or whatever in there, which is true, but it's not a dual-flush toilet, as you know because you own one.)
 
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WJcandee

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I was assuming that one wasn't actually starting two feet above the inlet, but that he only needed 7.5" in there to accomplish a 2% pitch, and that everything else was gravy. Maybe I didn't say it very well. I appreciate the correction.
 
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