A Tour of Antique Plumbing and the Toilet of the Future | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House Richard Trethewey examines historic items from the history of his family’s plumbing company and takes a look at the latest toilet technology
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Richard dives into a history lesson about plumbing and shows off new toilet technology.
Cost: $3300
Richard displayed some plumbing heirlooms from his family business, Trethewey Brothers of Boston [tbros.com/], including a custom toilet bowl, an overflow cover, and an antique fixture catalogue from American Standard [www.americanstandard-us.com/].
Richard also showed a futuristic toilet that featured an automatic seat lift, seat warmer, built-in bidet, UV sanitation, and a remote control. It was the Veil Intelligent Skirted Elongated Dual Flush Toilet, manufactured by Kohler [www.us.kohler.com/us/].
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A Tour of Antique Plumbing and the Toilet of the Future | Ask This Old House
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[@peter.hernandez]

Where are the 3 seashells?

[@ujacka55]

Once you go bidet, you will never go back. Refreshing. You will use less TP. Spray runs on existing water pressure. Not much electricity usage if you don't warm seat and water. Got one at Costco few years ago.

[@jimmyschmidt14]

Wakes you up too in the morning. lol. jk.

[@Burps___]

Yes, there's a fine brush, like the kind used to clean test tubes in a high school Chem lab, that is inserted eight to twelve inches inside you and then it's spun at 7500 rpm, or approximately the speed of a modern computer hard drive.

[@Burps___]

ujacka55 Agree. And, Besides aiding with a clean dookie, this marvel will brush one's teeth with the water jet for those willing to place their kisser six inches above the bowl (tip: brush teeth before dropping the kids off at the pool unless willing to clothes pin nose).

[@cantcurecancer]

@@Burps___ Bro ur trippin

[@mikezeke7041]

watching before I go to work... as a plumber. love history of the trade.

[@baniqua133]

I purchased my house 8yrs ago and I still have the pink tub & shower, along with the pink toilet. So ready to change it out to a more relaxing tub.

[@Jermster_91]

The more technology that gets put into a simple thing, the more headaches to fix or repair it.

[@SuperGamingeek]

good thing there weren't people like you when the toilet was invented while people were perfectly happy with their pits in the ground......

[@BLUELEADER78]

@@SuperGamingeek, there is a point of diminishing returns.

[@allentoyokawa9068]

Made in Japan, it will last

[@charliep5139]

Bidets are great. We got one in late 2019 because our elderly grandfather was coming for a wedding. I was skeptical of it and had never used one. Grandpa didn't ended up not coming because of the lockdowns, but the bidet is still going strong 4 years later. We felt like kings when no one could find TP and we were golden at our house with a roll that lasted for weeks! It's on the main toilet in our house so it gets used at least 5-10x per day. I am religious about using the hard water filter and changing it out every few months. I've never had any issues or problems with it. We ended up getting another one for our master bathroom! it's a Brondell that has a front and back washer, heated seat. I think it was around 200-300 USD back then. You can run a heavy duty, up to 3 foot, extension cord from the wall with these; note, you can't do that (or at least not supposed to) with all bidets so check the manual before you buy one. thankfully, the walls of those bathrooms are easy to access, electrically, so we eventually had an electrician add GFCIs to those toilet areas so we didn't need the extension cord! Loved the video with the history and his family. It's kinda depressing of thinking of how back then everything was made locally and you knew who was making what and the people in your community. I'm sure stuff was way more expensive back then because of the lack of economy of scale but just saying...

[@paulco4145]

Awesome video, loved it, thanks!

[@blitzen0619]

"Have you been sitting on that?" Lol!!

[@kevinhornbuckle]

I like it. But I'm gonna stick with my custom wall mounted toiled with a stick shift flush lever and high mounted tank.

[@PlayingwithPawz]

Are you talking about a truck? Or a toilet

[@plumbingstuffinoregon2471]

I love antique toilets! This was cool!

[@plumbingstuffinoregon2471]

Just think. One of those antique Tretheway toilets could still be in use in someone's house or building to this day!

[@MajesticBaldEagle96]

Just saw and liked this video myself! I hope one day the KZbin plumbing community can find one of these, perhaps in the Boston area?

[@plumbingstuffinoregon2471]

@@MajesticBaldEagle96 That would be pretty cool! I bet there's all sorts of awesome antique plumbing stuff in Boston.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

Saw such a branded toilet on ebay for $10k

[@dalesworld1308]

So cool his grandpa could get customized fixtures with his name in them!

[@adisharr]

You still can! Just simply place an order for 50,000 pieces and bingo!

[@aaronwilkinson7477]

😂😂😂 funniest old house I’ve seen

[@ROGER2095]

I have a 50+ year old American Standard toilet, and when it breaks (which is seldom) I can fix it quickly and cheaply with parts available at any hardware store or big box home center. I don't think the same would be true of this toilet of the future.

[@augnkn93043]

ROGER2095 That’s nothing. I have a 200 year old chamber pot. When it’s full I just open a window and throw the contents out onto the heads of people passing below. No moving parts, nothing to go wrong. You can keep your new fangled “American Standard toilet” thingy. Not having that in my house.

[@adamguymon7096]

I like this. If it could use a half of a gallon to do the entire process this would be sweet.

[@ceretomer5987]

The Cadillac of toilets. I want one.

[@foxfiresidechats5227]

“But wait a minute, there’s more!”

[@NicholasPeters1]

I wonder if the back of that new toilet is the tank.

[@PeterYacono]

Richard is that bidet connected to full city water pressure ?

[@NicholasPeters1]

lol imagine if people could increase the pressure what would happen, LOL...and what about people who have streaks after sh*tting--wouldn't a wet a** without enough of it cleaned after s*itting cause streaking instead?

[@XzTS-Roostro]

Japanese toilets finally coming to the US

[@Burps___]

XzTS What's next, kimonos and chopsticks?

[@hausmaus5698]

That model was in the 2000s standard for japan xD

[@waminette]

Why does anybody need that? It seems like a gimmick to me.

[@Razzman70]

Wam I spent 9 months in Japan, the opening thing isn't as common and more of gimmick, but remember the country is all about being clean and not touching the toilet helps with that. The heated seats are really nice in the winter months, and the bidet is amazing since it drastically cuts down on tp usage, and gets you cleaner than regular TP.

[@erics3886]

@@waminette think about the amount of toilet paper saved by a country like Japan alone. Its easier on the drain system and water treatment plant.

[@emilianosimpao]

you know what i dont get is why isnt the biday at the end of it all is it not cleaner?. Love you guyes been watching for over 30 years and now on you tube

[@erikbrickman4461]

Because the bidet is the toilet!

[@erikbrickman4461]

Also you have bad spelling

[@SoddyMcWombat]

Too fancy and too many things to break for me. But I did retrofit both my toilets with inexpensive bidet units that fit under the seat and never looked back. My butt is so clean now you could eat your dinner off it. Less TP usage, and even though mine does not heat the water, even in winter it is quite comfortable as the water it uses is still at room temperature. I hate having to clean myself now with just paper--you never get really clean. Do you enjoy walking around all day with skid marks in your drawers?

[@DM7817]

This sounds like a personal problem on so many levels

[@15leahbailey]

Toilets like this have been in Japanese and Korean households for a decade.

[@cjwharton1]

yeah but if they said that then they couldn't call it the "toilet of the future" ;)

[@Burps___]

So have chopsticks, but we're not all running out to buy those either.

[@allentoyokawa9068]

Japan makes them

[@kalijasin]

Toilet with a remote? 😳

[@claudesmoot1880]

You need a plumber and electrician for that installation.

[@Marcel_Germann]

The toilets have a plug, so you just need the electrician if there's no outlet in the near of the toilet. The outlet should be RCD/GFCI protected.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

@@Marcel_Germann Most bathrooms won't have an outlet at the lower end of the toilet stall which is where they need to be. Usually only find a plug at the sink level. Also, the ones that use on-demand heating have very high current draw when its running so something to further consider if using a shared power line circuit. On a shared circuit may be better off using a tank-based storage as these will cost more operationally over time but will not have those wild swings in watts drawn.

[@s.e.1454]

Can you use this toilet without electricity during a power failure?

[@Burps___]

S. E. Only if you are willing to scrub your soiled backside in the nearby sink.

[@Googaliemoogalie]

I guess it would just be a normal toilet without power to it. Without a bidet

[@peppeddu]

Now all we need is the fake flushing sound to help you "go"

[@sittingontoilet2774]

antic sitting on toilet :-)

[@giulianoroma506]

I've seen these in Italy 5 years ago

[@ElijahMan001]

America is so far behind Japan. Japan has had these toilets for many years already.

[@I_WANT_MY_SLAW]

but they still use chopsticks instead of forks.

[@Nimbleturkey]

To be fair we just stab our food. Have you ever met someone from Japan who doesn't know how to use a fork?

[@allentoyokawa9068]

@@I_WANT_MY_SLAW Both are used

[@azmrblack]

Nice toilet, but can it take down my big turd?

[@louietheplumber3609]

A night light so you can find it

[@brendonmorfe7073]

Bidets are the way to go! If you stepped in dog poop barefoot outside, would you just wipe it off with a napkin and put your foot back in your sock?!

[@jimlahey5798]

Why does he ask the same question 3 times like he answered it and he repeatedly asked

[@ChiRickyboy]

Hold on now, so does this mean toilet paper will become obsolete? No more fighting for it during the pandemic times?

[@stephensnell1379]

No that isn't true Toilet paper will always exist no matter what

[@repairdrive]

Forget all that. When are we going to get toilets that clean themselves?

[@graufuchs88]

repairdrive he did say it cleaned itself

[@zzing]

Seth Gaertner it was the bidet that cleaned itself

[@theblogofsingh]

Legend has it we already have toilets that clean themselves

[@Burps___]

repairdrive Try less lactose and more fiber...considerably less splatter, with woodsy odor a secondary bonus.

[@hausmaus5698]

Ultraviolet light kills germans? I thought they were zombies. xD

[@vladtepes97]

future? five or six years ago i watched a video of a modern japanese with a probably more advanced model than this toilet.

[@Burps___]

Chris R Yes, the modern Japanese binjo features perfume jets to spritz the t'aint, as well as a user-controlled vibration probe that, when inserted near the prostate, promotes orgasm.

[@Nill757]

Infomercial

[@williamsmith9026]

pick one up at your local box store dump today. not!

[@tchevrier]

the only thing it doesn't do is Wifi.

[@IAmNotAFunguy]

Not long though till we have ones that do.

[@Burps___]

Snapchat the emerging turtle?

[@PtrOBrn]

it comes with Wifi and 4g options.

[@DuncanCunningham]

Richard is sounding tired.

[@missinghood]

Duncan Cunningham He sounds downright sick! His eyes are swollen, he looks puffy. Give the guy a sick day.

[@MarioDragon]

If that's anything like Kohler's fancy toilet it'll only use a gallon or less to flush

[@hotsauce2007]

Duncan Cunningham yah, but this guy is amazing, probably one of the best plumbers in US and world, not because he know everything about plumbing but because he loves what he does.

[@diazjd93]

Duncan Cunningham it's a day after saint patricks day, he was drunk the night before

[@Pure_KodiakWILD_Power]

the future toilet prpbably gave him bad dreams that kept him up the night before.

[@Mr.Pop0]

still wont wipe my butt

[@kenabi]

no paper needed, that's what the bidet does :P wash and dry in the same function! cue most of america getting weirded out in .. 3... 2...

[@I_WANT_MY_SLAW]

kenabi how? it's just a weak stream of water.

[@jimmyschmidt14]

It actually sprays hard. They usually have the pressure turned down on TV so the water doesn't shoot out everywhere.

[@Mr.Pop0]

does it have aim? Is there a sweet spot for sitting and not soaking your gooch and gonads?

[@Burps___]

Yes, there's a fine brush, like the kind used to clean test tubes in a high school Chem lab, that is inserted eight to twelve inches inside you and then it's spun at 7500 rpm, or approximately the speed of a modern computer hard drive.

[@SpellDreamsDOTCOM]

I would not touch that lead pipe without gloves!

[@SpellDreamsDOTCOM]

Lead act by contact; so if you touch it and happens to lick your fingers afterward you just introduced lead into your system. A quick google search shows than even a tiny amount is dangerous, particularly in kids.

[@SpellDreamsDOTCOM]

That's no way to think. You have asbestos in your body too and it is harmful. Knowing that don't go around and put it in your mouth you'll develop problem in the long run and you won't understand where they come from. If you know something is toxic take precautions. Take care of yourself my man.

[@r3d0c]

lmao, the tool guy, you're hilarious, as in a laugh at you way

[@Burps___]

SpellDreams I eat lead sprinkles on my cereal each morning, and other than my feet becoming floppy at the ankles and losing my sense of smell, I've experienced no untoward effects.

[@charliep5139]

lead cant get into your body unless your breath it in or via mucus membranes. it's totally fine to touch and then go wash your hands. just don't go around touching it and then go eat your lunch!

[@joyg2526]

The future of toilets will hopefully be toilets that don't use fresh water or water at all.

[@Burps___]

Joyce G The future of shitting will be combustible feces in handy pellets.

[@kingjames8283]

I like this and want one but they cost thousands of dollars. So unless your bathroom is clad in gold, you can forget it and just hire a personal toilet assistant like at those fancy hotels. Hey it's a job and people need jobs.

[@erics3886]

You can find one that will connect to the existing toilet in your home. Just tie a line into the water supply line already going to the toilet and plug it in. Probably find one for around $600-800 dollars.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

You can get a quality one for under 500 bucks. However, you need an electrical outlet near the toilet itself as you don't want to be running extension cords in some weird way. Depending on your bathroom this could be already there or could cost a lot to bring in.

[@workingshlub8861]

the governemt needs to get out of the plumbing bussines...they will demand toilets with a half gallon flush soon not realizing the sewer systems in this country are not designed for such low flow..everything is clogging up..not enough water flow.

[@erics3886]

Working shlub this is great news for plumbers like myself. Endless supply of work and water conservation.