The Toilet That Flushes a Bucket of Golf Balls

When you’re the geek around the house, technology is where you find it. Last week, I found it in the master bath, when I replaced the original toilet with a hi-tech wonder … the toilet that flushes an entire bucket of golf balls.

It started out as a little job … we just wanted to replace the floor as a temporary measure until we had the opportunity to do a complete renovation. But as they often do, that simple $100 flooring job turned into a bit more than initially anticipated.

Seizing upon the opportunity to turn moldy lemons into something else (not lemonade), I quickly decided it was time to replace the toilet.  Not with just anything, mind you, but an affordable variant of what Wired called American Standard’s King of Thrones.

Replacing a toilet is one of those rights of passage that ranks right up there with seeing your child being born. (Well, not quite …) Nevertheless, these are mysteries that many regular mortals can only speculate upon.

To flush away the mystery on toilet replacement, it’s two bolts, one simple plumbing fitting, and the all-important wax ring. With just an adjustable wrench (or better yet, set of sockets), a putty knife, and a screwdriver, you’re in business.

I’ve done the task twice … the first time was frightening (due to the fear of the unknown). But the second time was a piece of cake. While this isn’t a task you want to take on if you are unsure of your abilities, you have options.

If there’s a plumber in your family or circle of friends, be sure to give them a call before you take that leap of faith …