I keep seeing these walk in bathtubs advertised on tv commercials. They
have a side that opens like a door. THey are intended for the elderly.
The concept makes sense, because I am aware of how difficult it is for
elders with health issues. However, I find it hard to understand how
they can seal those "doors" on the tubs, to be water tight. And even if
they do have a good seal, how long do they last?

Like the door seal on a refrigerator, car door, etc, they all seem to
fail fairly fast. But for a bathtub, there is a lot of pressure against
that seal. I'm not sure of the water capacity, but even 25 gallons
weighs about 208 lbs (one gallon is 8.34 lbs). That's a lot of weight
against a gasket/seal. And I would think they hold more than 25
gallons.

Of course if the gasket fails, that's a lot of water to flow on the
floor and will cause a lot of damage.

1st off...you and I are too old to worry about such things. We should leave it to the engineers.
At my last job I maintained a Whirlpool with a door...they have a locking mechanism that compresses the gasket. The door also wedges into a groove that is smaller than the exterior tub dimensions.

On Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 4:23:02 AM UTC-4, wrote:
I keep seeing these walk in bathtubs advertised on tv commercials. They
have a side that opens like a door. THey are intended for the elderly.
The concept makes sense, because I am aware of how difficult it is for
elders with health issues. However, I find it hard to understand how
they can seal those "doors" on the tubs, to be water tight. And even if
they do have a good seal, how long do they last?

Like the door seal on a refrigerator, car door, etc, they all seem to
fail fairly fast. But for a bathtub, there is a lot of pressure against
that seal. I'm not sure of the water capacity, but even 25 gallons
weighs about 208 lbs (one gallon is 8.34 lbs). That's a lot of weight
against a gasket/seal. And I would think they hold more than 25
gallons.

Of course if the gasket fails, that's a lot of water to flow on the
floor and will cause a lot of damage.

IDK anything about the reliability of the door seals. But I wouldn't
worry about the pressure against the seal being some difficult design
problem. Those kinds of design typically don't rely on the seal material
to hold the pressure back. It would be logical to use the weight of the
water to your advantage by having the seal between the door and the area
of the door opening the door presses against. The more pressure, the
tighter it pushes against the seal. I haven't looked at one, but I
would think it's probably the design they would have. Over time the
seal might start to leak and need replacing, but I don't see some
difficult design issue or catastrophic problem. If it leaks, it's
going to start slowly, not a big flood.

On 3/21/2015 5:22 AM, wrote:
I keep seeing these walk in bathtubs advertised on tv commercials. They
have a side that opens like a door. THey are intended for the elderly.
The concept makes sense, because I am aware of how difficult it is for
elders with health issues. However, I find it hard to understand how
they can seal those "doors" on the tubs, to be water tight. And even if
they do have a good seal, how long do they last?

Like the door seal on a refrigerator, car door, etc, they all seem to
fail fairly fast. But for a bathtub, there is a lot of pressure against
that seal. I'm not sure of the water capacity, but even 25 gallons
weighs about 208 lbs (one gallon is 8.34 lbs). That's a lot of weight
against a gasket/seal. And I would think they hold more than 25
gallons.

Of course if the gasket fails, that's a lot of water to flow on the
floor and will cause a lot of damage.


Have you ever seen one? They are well made and I doubt they would have
a high failure rate and the chances are, never a catastrophic failure.

OTOH, I think they are a poor idea anyway. You have to get in before
you start filling and they you have to wait until it drains before you
can get out. We got rid of the tub altogether and made a large shower
and ut a shower seat in there.

The tubs are about $7,000 and up.

On 3/21/2015 7:51 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 3/21/2015 5:22 AM, wrote:
I keep seeing these walk in bathtubs advertised on tv commercials. They
have a side that opens like a door. THey are intended for the elderly.
The concept makes sense, because I am aware of how difficult it is for
elders with health issues. However, I find it hard to understand how
they can seal those "doors" on the tubs, to be water tight. And even if
they do have a good seal, how long do they last?

Like the door seal on a refrigerator, car door, etc, they all seem to
fail fairly fast. But for a bathtub, there is a lot of pressure against
that seal. I'm not sure of the water capacity, but even 25 gallons
weighs about 208 lbs (one gallon is 8.34 lbs). That's a lot of weight
against a gasket/seal. And I would think they hold more than 25
gallons.

Of course if the gasket fails, that's a lot of water to flow on the
floor and will cause a lot of damage.


Have you ever seen one? They are well made and I doubt they would have
a high failure rate and the chances are, never a catastrophic failure.

OTOH, I think they are a poor idea anyway. You have to get in before
you start filling and they you have to wait until it drains before you
can get out. We got rid of the tub altogether and made a large shower
and ut a shower seat in there.

The tubs are about $7,000 and up.

Good point. I hadn't thought about the problem of filling
and emptying it.

Bill

wrote in message
...
I keep seeing these walk in bathtubs advertised on tv commercials. They
have a side that opens like a door. THey are intended for the elderly.
The concept makes sense, because I am aware of how difficult it is for
elders with health issues. However, I find it hard to understand how
they can seal those "doors" on the tubs, to be water tight. And even if
they do have a good seal, how long do they last?

Like the door seal on a refrigerator, car door, etc, they all seem to
fail fairly fast. But for a bathtub, there is a lot of pressure against
that seal. I'm not sure of the water capacity, but even 25 gallons
weighs about 208 lbs (one gallon is 8.34 lbs). That's a lot of weight
against a gasket/seal. And I would think they hold more than 25
gallons.

Of course if the gasket fails, that's a lot of water to flow on the
floor and will cause a lot of damage.


Having eldersex in one of them tubs is for the birds.
Just sayin'.

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message
...
On 3/21/2015 5:22 AM, wrote:
I keep seeing these walk in bathtubs advertised on tv commercials. They
have a side that opens like a door. THey are intended for the elderly.
The concept makes sense, because I am aware of how difficult it is for
elders with health issues. However, I find it hard to understand how
they can seal those "doors" on the tubs, to be water tight. And even if
they do have a good seal, how long do they last?

Like the door seal on a refrigerator, car door, etc, they all seem to
fail fairly fast. But for a bathtub, there is a lot of pressure against
that seal. I'm not sure of the water capacity, but even 25 gallons
weighs about 208 lbs (one gallon is 8.34 lbs). That's a lot of weight
against a gasket/seal. And I would think they hold more than 25
gallons.

Of course if the gasket fails, that's a lot of water to flow on the
floor and will cause a lot of damage.


Have you ever seen one? They are well made and I doubt they would have a
high failure rate and the chances are, never a catastrophic failure.

OTOH, I think they are a poor idea anyway. You have to get in before you
start filling and they you have to wait until it drains before you can get
out. We got rid of the tub altogether and made a large shower and ut a
shower seat in there.

The tubs are about $7,000 and up.


Plus they advertise "same day installation" --- that is a laugh, as 99.9% of
the installation will require plumbing to be moved, electrical to be
installed and the walls retiled and possibly the floor redone because the
new tub is taller and looks to be shorter in length than most old tubs they
replace. These guys are not just tub sellers they are renovation sellers.
That must add a ton of costs to the job.

On 3/21/2015 12:53 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 21 Mar 2015 12:01:03 -0400, "EXT"
wrote:

Plus they advertise "same day installation" --- that is a laugh, as 99.9% of
the installation will require plumbing to be moved, electrical to be
installed and the walls retiled and possibly the floor redone because the
new tub is taller and looks to be shorter in length than most old tubs they
replace. These guys are not just tub sellers they are renovation sellers.
That must add a ton of costs to the job.

You got a good point there. And they probably only install the tub.
The homeowner then needs to hire a plumber, carpenter, tile installer,
etc. I dont think there is any need for an electrician though. (For the
tub). I dont believe they use electricity.

Some do. The ones I looked at to see what kind of door system they had,
also were jetted and offered in-line water heaters to maintain the
temperature.

I added the in-line heater to our standard American-Standard jetted tub.
Quite nice for long soaks in the tub.

On Sat, 21 Mar 2015 12:01:03 -0400, "EXT"
wrote:

Plus they advertise "same day installation" --- that is a laugh, as 99.9% of
the installation will require plumbing to be moved, electrical to be
installed and the walls retiled and possibly the floor redone because the
new tub is taller and looks to be shorter in length than most old tubs they
replace. These guys are not just tub sellers they are renovation sellers.
That must add a ton of costs to the job.

You got a good point there. And they probably only install the tub.
The homeowner then needs to hire a plumber, carpenter, tile installer,
etc. I dont think there is any need for an electrician though. (For the
tub). I dont believe they use electricity.

I also never thought about the need for the person having to get into
the tub BEFORE filling it, and cant get out until it's drained. But
that does make perfect sense. And that also means that if an elderly
person became ill while in the tub, they would not be able to get out
till the tub was drained, or else would have to crawl over the top,
(which defeats the whole purpose).

On Sat, 21 Mar 2015 08:51:47 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Have you ever seen one? They are well made and I doubt they would have
a high failure rate and the chances are, never a catastrophic failure.

OTOH, I think they are a poor idea anyway. You have to get in before
you start filling and they you have to wait until it drains before you
can get out. We got rid of the tub altogether and made a large shower
and ut a shower seat in there.

The tubs are about $7,000 and up.

I've only seen them on tv commercials. For $7000 they damn well better
be WELL MADE! I have no intention to buy one, I was just curious about
how they seal....

On Sat, 21 Mar 2015 12:27:41 -0500, Unquestionably Confused
wrote:

On 3/21/2015 12:53 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 21 Mar 2015 12:01:03 -0400, "EXT"
wrote:

Plus they advertise "same day installation" --- that is a laugh, as 99.9% of
the installation will require plumbing to be moved, electrical to be
installed and the walls retiled and possibly the floor redone because the
new tub is taller and looks to be shorter in length than most old tubs they
replace. These guys are not just tub sellers they are renovation sellers.
That must add a ton of costs to the job.

You got a good point there. And they probably only install the tub.
The homeowner then needs to hire a plumber, carpenter, tile installer,
etc. I dont think there is any need for an electrician though. (For the
tub). I dont believe they use electricity.

Some do. The ones I looked at to see what kind of door system they had,
also were jetted and offered in-line water heaters to maintain the
temperature.

I added the in-line heater to our standard American-Standard jetted tub.
Quite nice for long soaks in the tub.

That sounds more like a home Spa! But I'm sure they come with a lot of
options. When I do a "long soak", I just add more hot water

On Sat, 21 Mar 2015 03:22:06 -0600, wrote:

I keep seeing these walk in bathtubs advertised on tv commercials. They
have a side that opens like a door. THey are intended for the elderly.
The concept makes sense, because I am aware of how difficult it is for
elders with health issues. However, I find it hard to understand how
they can seal those "doors" on the tubs, to be water tight. And even if
they do have a good seal, how long do they last?

Like the door seal on a refrigerator, car door, etc, they all seem to

My refrigerator gasket seem pretty good at 36 years, but I don't have a
way to really test it.

Our parking lot flooded 3 years ago, and I moved my car, but I wonder
how well the door seal would have kept the water out. A neighbor
decided she needed a new car, although I can't imagine that the carpet
coulnd't be shampood clean.

fail fairly fast. But for a bathtub, there is a lot of pressure against
that seal. I'm not sure of the water capacity, but even 25 gallons
weighs about 208 lbs (one gallon is 8.34 lbs). That's a lot of weight

It's the depth that determines the water pressure.

against a gasket/seal. And I would think they hold more than 25
gallons.

Of course if the gasket fails, that's a lot of water to flow on the
floor and will cause a lot of damage.

Well, it has to be empty when the bather goes in and empty when he
leaves, so I guess he should pay attention while he's in there. Maybe
some water alarm would be a good idea, but it wouldn't have to be loud.

On Sat, 21 Mar 2015 11:53:21 -0600, wrote:

On Sat, 21 Mar 2015 12:01:03 -0400, "EXT"
wrote:

Plus they advertise "same day installation" --- that is a laugh, as 99.9% of
the installation will require plumbing to be moved, electrical to be
installed and the walls retiled and possibly the floor redone because the
new tub is taller and looks to be shorter in length than most old tubs they
replace. These guys are not just tub sellers they are renovation sellers.
That must add a ton of costs to the job.

You got a good point there. And they probably only install the tub.
The homeowner then needs to hire a plumber, carpenter, tile installer,
etc.

Maybe they do it all.

I dont think there is any need for an electrician though. (For the
tub). I dont believe they use electricity.

One advertisement says they'll throw in free a heated seat, so that's
electric. I take baths all the time, in a regular bathtub, and I've
never noticed that the tub bottom was cold. Of course I've put water in
already.

As to jets, I personally wouldn't want that. I want peace and quiet.

I also never thought about the need for the person having to get into
the tub BEFORE filling it, and cant get out until it's drained. But
that does make perfect sense. And that also means that if an elderly
person became ill while in the tub, they would not be able to get out

I'd thought of the first part already, but not this part.

till the tub was drained, or else would have to crawl over the top,

That's good exercise. It will make him appreciate all the times he can
just open the door.

(which defeats the whole purpose).

On Sat, 21 Mar 2015 03:22:06 -0600, wrote:

I keep seeing these walk in bathtubs advertised on tv commercials. They
have a side that opens like a door. THey are intended for the elderly.
The concept makes sense, because I am aware of how difficult it is for
elders with health issues. .....

I don't want to hijack your thread, but I assume anyone who wants to
answer on topic will still be able to. ;-)

I don't like my tub in part because it's not deep enough**. So I called
Bathfitter to find out if they could put a deeper tub on top of mine,
without moving the hot and cold valves, and if it woudl be strong enough
that I could still sit on the edge of the tub. That is, would the part
above my original edge be strong enough hollow, or could they reinforce
the side of the tub where it was taller than my own tub?

So far, they have refused to say a thing unless they can send out a
salesman, or whatever they call him. The guy says only the technicians
know and they are all out looking at bathrooms. I think I asked if I
could leave a messsage so that one of them could call me, but if I did
he said no.

After some diligence, I found a competitor, ReBath. I should call them
next.

But I'm going to call Bathfitter back and come up with some story why I
need an answer in advance. There's no reason they can't answer my
question on the phone.


**When I lived in what had been a luxury apartment building in Brooklyn,
the tub was so deep and big I could float in it, with only about 1
square inch of my butt touching the bottom. The faucets were on the
side too so I barely had to move to adjust the temperature.

On Sat, 21 Mar 2015 08:51:47 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Have you ever seen one? They are well made and I doubt they would have
a high failure rate and the chances are, never a catastrophic failure.

OTOH, I think they are a poor idea anyway. You have to get in before
you start filling and they you have to wait until it drains before you
can get out. We got rid of the tub altogether and made a large shower
and ut a shower seat in there.

The tubs are about $7,000 and up.

There are mechanical lifts for these tubs. A matter of what a person's
needs are.

On Sat, 21 Mar 2015 08:51:47 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 3/21/2015 5:22 AM, wrote:
I keep seeing these walk in bathtubs advertised on tv commercials. They
have a side that opens like a door. THey are intended for the elderly.
The concept makes sense, because I am aware of how difficult it is for
elders with health issues. However, I find it hard to understand how
they can seal those "doors" on the tubs, to be water tight. And even if
they do have a good seal, how long do they last?

Like the door seal on a refrigerator, car door, etc, they all seem to
fail fairly fast. But for a bathtub, there is a lot of pressure against
that seal. I'm not sure of the water capacity, but even 25 gallons
weighs about 208 lbs (one gallon is 8.34 lbs). That's a lot of weight
against a gasket/seal. And I would think they hold more than 25
gallons.

Of course if the gasket fails, that's a lot of water to flow on the
floor and will cause a lot of damage.


Have you ever seen one? They are well made and I doubt they would have
a high failure rate and the chances are, never a catastrophic failure.

OTOH, I think they are a poor idea anyway. You have to get in before
you start filling and they you have to wait until it drains before you
can get out. We got rid of the tub altogether and made a large shower
and ut a shower seat in there.

The tubs are about $7,000 and up.

Seems to me it would be a lot easier and cheaper to just put a
handheld spray in a shower, put a shower chair in there and just
handle it that way, presuming the old folk can step over a 4" shower
pan edge.

On 3/21/2015 9:15 PM, Ashton Crusher wrote:

Seems to me it would be a lot easier and cheaper to just put a
handheld spray in a shower, put a shower chair in there and just
handle it that way, presuming the old folk can step over a 4" shower
pan edge.


Pretty much what I did, with two exceptions.
1. It is only a 2" ledge
2. More than just a cheap handheld. They fetch a nice price for
brushed nickle fixtures.

On 3/21/2015 3:11 PM, micky wrote:
On Sat, 21 Mar 2015 03:22:06 -0600, wrote:

I keep seeing these walk in bathtubs advertised on tv commercials. They
have a side that opens like a door. THey are intended for the elderly.
The concept makes sense, because I am aware of how difficult it is for
elders with health issues. .....

I don't want to hijack your thread, but I assume anyone who wants to
answer on topic will still be able to. ;-)

I don't like my tub in part because it's not deep enough**. So I called
Bathfitter to find out if they could put a deeper tub on top of mine,
without moving the hot and cold valves, and if it woudl be strong enough
that I could still sit on the edge of the tub. That is, would the part
above my original edge be strong enough hollow, or could they reinforce
the side of the tub where it was taller than my own tub?

So far, they have refused to say a thing unless they can send out a
salesman, or whatever they call him. The guy says only the technicians
know and they are all out looking at bathrooms. I think I asked if I
could leave a messsage so that one of them could call me, but if I did
he said no.

After some diligence, I found a competitor, ReBath. I should call them
next.


Without changing the existing plumbing? If the faucets exit the wall
above the existing tub I suppose that could be done. Most I have seen
are mounted through the tub wall so filling above that point would not
be a good idea. Not to mention the overflow outlet which must be through
the tub wall to be of any use. No plumbing work at all would seem
unlikely here. Something like a free standing claw foot tub maybe.

Frankly, I wouldn't do all that work without replacing the valves,
overflow etc. with new anyway.

No wonder they didn't want to commit without an on sight inspection.

John

On Sun, 22 Mar 2015 08:40:46 -0400, John wrote:

On 3/21/2015 3:11 PM, micky wrote:
On Sat, 21 Mar 2015 03:22:06 -0600, wrote:

I keep seeing these walk in bathtubs advertised on tv commercials. They
have a side that opens like a door. THey are intended for the elderly.
The concept makes sense, because I am aware of how difficult it is for
elders with health issues. .....

I don't want to hijack your thread, but I assume anyone who wants to
answer on topic will still be able to. ;-)

I don't like my tub in part because it's not deep enough**. So I called
Bathfitter to find out if they could put a deeper tub on top of mine,
without moving the hot and cold valves, and if it woudl be strong enough
that I could still sit on the edge of the tub. That is, would the part
above my original edge be strong enough hollow, or could they reinforce
the side of the tub where it was taller than my own tub?

So far, they have refused to say a thing unless they can send out a
salesman, or whatever they call him. The guy says only the technicians
know and they are all out looking at bathrooms. I think I asked if I
could leave a messsage so that one of them could call me, but if I did
he said no.

After some diligence, I found a competitor, ReBath. I should call them
next.


Without changing the existing plumbing? If the faucets exit the wall
above the existing tub I suppose that could be done. Most I have seen

Yes, they do exit the wall above the tub.

They are the limiting factor on how high I'd want to go with the new
tub. I need to measure again but it's 4 or 5 inches.

Only the overflow/drain lever is below the top of the tub.

are mounted through the tub wall so filling above that point would not
be a good idea. Not to mention the overflow outlet which must be through
the tub wall to be of any use.

I've already inverted the overflow/drain lever to be able to fill the
tub between 2 and 3 inches higher. This makes the fill level so high
that it's easy to slosh water on the floor. Raising the tub would
alleviate that. But IIRC I wanted to raise the tub 4 inches, and I
would want to raise the max water level 2 to 4 inches too. That is the
point, not to stop splashing water out but to have deeper water. . For
final questions like that, I'd want them to come out to the house, but
my first question doesn't require them to visit. (Plus I'm annoyed at
how they're treating me.)

The overflow isn't clogged but it doesn't really prevent overflows, in
the tub or in the sinks, in my experience. Even if the water is
running say 3 or 4 out of 10. Certainly not if it's running faster..
Has anyone else ever verified that their overflow really works?

The overflow drains so slowly, that I've considered splurging and
letting it drain while I'm using the tub, replacing the water lost with
hot water. I sort of have to do that anyhow, because the water feels
colder as time goes on, even though it's not colder. It just seems that
way.

Or I could block the overflow completely and rely on myself to never let
it overflow. I did that in Brooklyn and in the 10 years I used that
tub, I never forgot to turn off the water. And I remembered the week
before I moved out, to take the tape off the overflow pipe, so the new
tenants would have the overflow working again. (Had I forgotten, I
woudl have called my roommate who was still there for 2 weeks and had
him do it, or I'd have written the new tenants.)

(This luxury tub didn't use the usual method, but one I've only seen in
some old, nice hotels: a pipe sticking up a couple feet outside of the
tub, with a tube inside the pipe and a porcelain handle to lift the tube
and rotate it a bit. In one positiion, it falls down and plugs the
drain (except the overflow which works because there are big holes neear
the top of the tube, that lets the water go from outside the tube to
inside the tube and down the drain). In the other position, it's held
up and the water drains out of the tube at floor level. I put 3M
magic tape around the big holes and the tape worked for 10 years too,
even though it was under water whenever I took a bath. When I removed
it, it wasnt' perfect anymore, but would have lasted another 10 years. )

..

No plumbing work at all would seem
unlikely here. Something like a free standing claw foot tub maybe.

Frankly, I wouldn't do all that work without replacing the valves,
overflow etc. with new anyway.

I don't see the point to that. They work fine. I just replaced the hot
and cold stems with new. The first stems lasted 35 years and in
another 35 years, I'll be dead. (Actually, I think the stems would
have lasted a lot longer if I had used flat washers like it seems I was
supposed to. I used beveled ones and the plumbing guy said that forced
the washer to bulge sideways, and damage the brass band around the
washer. And one washer screw head broke off, but I probably could
have done a better job of getting it out, or alternatively, putting
another screw in.)


(I've saved all the old parts in case I get desperate for parts. People
here said I woudlnt' be able to get new stems for a 35 year old fixture,
and it's true that the new stems are 1/4 or 3/8" longer than the old
ones, and stick out that much farther than the shower/tub diverter knob,
but it's not a problem. Oh, and they both used to be right-handed
but now the hot water is left-handed. That's okay too.

But I'm sure Bathfitter will try to sell me new fixtures and more, and
that's why they want to come out.

No wonder they didn't want to commit without an on sight inspection.

John

On Sun, 22 Mar 2015 08:40:46 -0400, John wrote:

On 3/21/2015 3:11 PM, micky wrote:
On Sat, 21 Mar 2015 03:22:06 -0600, wrote:

I keep seeing these walk in bathtubs advertised on tv commercials. They
have a side that opens like a door. THey are intended for the elderly.
The concept makes sense, because I am aware of how difficult it is for
elders with health issues. .....

I don't want to hijack your thread, but I assume anyone who wants to
answer on topic will still be able to. ;-)

I don't like my tub in part because it's not deep enough**. So I called
Bathfitter to find out if they could put a deeper tub on top of mine,
without moving the hot and cold valves, and if it woudl be strong enough
that I could still sit on the edge of the tub. That is, would the part
above my original edge be strong enough hollow, or could they reinforce
the side of the tub where it was taller than my own tub?

So far, they have refused to say a thing unless they can send out a
salesman, or whatever they call him. The guy says only the technicians
know and they are all out looking at bathrooms. I think I asked if I
could leave a messsage so that one of them could call me, but if I did
he said no.

After some diligence, I found a competitor, ReBath. I should call them
next.


Without changing the existing plumbing? If the faucets exit the wall
above the existing tub I suppose that could be done. Most I have seen

Yes, they do exit the wall above the tub.

They are the limiting factor on how high I'd want to go with the new
tub. I need to measure again but it's 4 or 5 inches.

Only the overflow/drain lever is below the top of the tub.

are mounted through the tub wall so filling above that point would not
be a good idea. Not to mention the overflow outlet which must be through
the tub wall to be of any use.

I've already inverted the overflow/drain lever to be able to fill the
tub between 2 and 3 inches higher. This makes the fill level so high
that it's easy to slosh water on the floor. Raising the tub would
alleviate that. But IIRC I wanted to raise the tub 4 inches, and I
would want to raise the max water level 2 to 4 inches too. That is the
point, not to stop splashing water out but to have deeper water. . For
final questions like that, I'd want them to come out to the house, but
my first question doesn't require them to visit. (Plus I'm annoyed at
how they're treating me.)

The overflow isn't clogged but it doesn't really prevent overflows, in
the tub or in the sinks, in my experience. Even if the water is
running say 3 or 4 out of 10. Certainly not if it's running faster..
Has anyone else ever verified that their overflow really works?

The overflow drains so slowly, that I've considered splurging and
letting it drain while I'm using the tub, replacing the water lost with
hot water. I sort of have to do that anyhow, because the water feels
colder as time goes on, even though it's not colder. It just seems that
way.

Or I could block the overflow completely and rely on myself to never let
it overflow. I did that in Brooklyn and in the 10 years I used that
tub, I never forgot to turn off the water. And I remembered the week
before I moved out, to take the tape off the overflow pipe, so the new
tenants would have the overflow working again. (Had I forgotten, I
woudl have called my roommate who was still there for 2 weeks and had
him do it, or I'd have written the new tenants.)

(This luxury tub didn't use the usual method, but one I've only seen in
some old, nice hotels: a pipe sticking up a couple feet outside of the
tub, with a tube inside the pipe and a porcelain handle to lift the tube
and rotate it a bit. In one positiion, it falls down and plugs the
drain (except the overflow which works because there are big holes neear
the top of the tube, that lets the water go from outside the tube to
inside the tube and down the drain). In the other position, it's held
up and the water drains out of the tube at floor level. I put 3M
magic tape around the big holes and the tape worked for 10 years too,
even though it was under water whenever I took a bath. When I removed
it, it wasnt' perfect anymore, but would have lasted another 10 years. )

..

No plumbing work at all would seem
unlikely here. Something like a free standing claw foot tub maybe.

Frankly, I wouldn't do all that work without replacing the valves,
overflow etc. with new anyway.

I don't see the point to that. They work fine. I just replaced the hot
and cold stems with new. The first stems lasted 35 years and in
another 35 years, I'll be dead. (Actually, I think the stems would
have lasted a lot longer if I had used flat washers like it seems I was
supposed to. I used beveled ones and the plumbing guy said that forced
the washer to bulge sideways, and damage the brass band around the
washer. And one washer screw head broke off, but I probably could
have done a better job of getting it out, or alternatively, putting
another screw in.)


(I've saved all the old parts in case I get desperate for parts. People
here said I woudlnt' be able to get new stems for a 35 year old fixture,
and it's true that the new stems are 1/4 or 3/8" longer than the old
ones, and stick out that much farther than the shower/tub diverter knob,
but it's not a problem. Oh, and they both used to be right-handed
but now the hot water is left-handed. That's okay too.

But I'm sure Bathfitter will try to sell me new fixtures and more, and
that's why they want to come out.

No wonder they didn't want to commit without an on sight inspection.

John

On Sat, 21 Mar 2015 22:13:16 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 3/21/2015 9:15 PM, Ashton Crusher wrote:

Seems to me it would be a lot easier and cheaper to just put a
handheld spray in a shower,

This would not saisfy me, since for me, the goal is to put one's body
under the water. However the walk-in tubs don't do much of that
either, I think, since people are sitting up and the water only comes,
it seems to me. up to one's ribcage, or nipples. And you can't slouch
down and get it up to your neck or the top of your head.

put a shower chair in there and just
handle it that way, presuming the old folk can step over a 4" shower
pan edge.

My memory is fading, but I think my mother at 88 could still do that.
She was losing weight without trying then.

The back up plan though is to make a shower bench, long enough to have
half of it inside the tub and half outside. The person sits on the
outside and slowly slides to the inside. Lifting each leg while
sitting, so that falling is not likely. With a comfortable back at
least for the part in the tub.

I don't think they sell such things so I should a) patent it and get
rich; b) start making one of them so I'lll have one when I need one.

I'm still naive enough to think I'll never get so weak I need one.

And what I'd rather make for myself is some sort of crane, so I can sit
in the tub, on the bottom, like I do now, and crank something that will
stand me up, using gears so it won't require a lot of strength on my
part. Maybe like those hoists that helipcopiters use when rescuing
people. Once I'm up, I can walk out of the tub myself.

Pretty much what I did, with two exceptions.
1. It is only a 2" ledge
2. More than just a cheap handheld. They fetch a nice price for
brushed nickle fixtures.

On Sun, 22 Mar 2015 23:41:08 -0400, micky
wrote:





Raising the tub would
alleviate that. But IIRC I wanted to raise the tub 4 inches, and I
would want to raise the max water level 2 to 4 inches too. That is the
point, not to stop splashing water out but to have deeper water. . For
final questions like that, I'd want them to come out to the house, but
my first question doesn't require them to visit. (Plus I'm annoyed at
how they're treating me.)


My guess is the inside people don't have a clue. They are merely
appointment makers. The outside people know the answer and they will
give you the hard sell. If you order today . . . .

On Sunday, March 22, 2015 at 10:55:27 PM UTC-5, micky wrote:

The back up plan though is to make a shower bench, long enough to have
half of it inside the tub and half outside. The person sits on the
outside and slowly slides to the inside. Lifting each leg while
sitting, so that falling is not likely. With a comfortable back at
least for the part in the tub.

I don't think they sell such things so I should a) patent it and get
rich; b) start making one of them so I'll have one when I need one.

They do make wide shower seats for the obese...problem is...there's no way to seal a shower curtain and the floor floods.

On 3/23/2015 8:34 AM, bob_villa wrote:
On Sunday, March 22, 2015 at 10:55:27 PM UTC-5, micky wrote:

The back up plan though is to make a shower bench, long enough to have
half of it inside the tub and half outside. The person sits on the
outside and slowly slides to the inside. Lifting each leg while
sitting, so that falling is not likely. With a comfortable back at
least for the part in the tub.

I don't think they sell such things so I should a) patent it and get
rich; b) start making one of them so I'll have one when I need one.

They do make wide shower seats for the obese...problem is...there's no way to seal a shower curtain and the floor floods.


No need for curtains. We have 3/8" thick glass doors, about 30" wide.
I've also seen showers with just one panel, but they are not as easy to
reach the controls unless you are in the shower already.

On Monday, March 23, 2015 at 10:31:23 AM UTC-5, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 3/23/2015 8:34 AM, bob_villa wrote:
On Sunday, March 22, 2015 at 10:55:27 PM UTC-5, micky wrote:

The back up plan though is to make a shower bench, long enough to have
half of it inside the tub and half outside. The person sits on the
outside and slowly slides to the inside. Lifting each leg while
sitting, so that falling is not likely. With a comfortable back at
least for the part in the tub.

I don't think they sell such things so I should a) patent it and get
rich; b) start making one of them so I'll have one when I need one.

They do make wide shower seats for the obese...problem is...there's no way to seal a shower curtain and the floor floods.


No need for curtains. We have 3/8" thick glass doors, about 30" wide.
I've also seen showers with just one panel, but they are not as easy to
reach the controls unless you are in the shower already.

Keep up with the conversation...he's talking about using a bench-type seat half in the shower! You sit and move into the shower from the floor side.

On Sun, 22 Mar 2015 23:55:22 -0400, micky
wrote:


Seems to me it would be a lot easier and cheaper to just put a
handheld spray in a shower,

This would not saisfy me, since for me, the goal is to put one's body
under the water. However the walk-in tubs don't do much of that
either, I think, since people are sitting up and the water only comes,
it seems to me. up to one's ribcage, or nipples. And you can't slouch
down and get it up to your neck or the top of your head.


Same here. For me, taking a bath is not only to get clean, but to soak
in hot water and relax. A lot cheaper and healthy form of relaxation
than drinking alcohol. I also like to soak for softening callouses on my
feet so I can scrape them off afterwards.

Standing in a shower is something I dont even consider as an option.
You cant relax while standing, and I do not enjoy bathing at all, if I
have to stand. A few times a year I may take a shower just because I
have an appointment in a half hour and just want to freshen up. But that
is rare. I could go without a shower, but not a bathtub. Yea, I know one
can install a shower chair in a shower, but that is still not relaxing.
Not to mention that I like to take a bath in winter when I have been
outside, and am cold. To shower, I would have to set the house (or
bathroom) temperature to about 80deg. before showering. But if I get
into a tub of hot water, the house can be 60deg, and I'm fine.

On 3/23/2015 3:26 PM, bob_villa wrote:


I've also seen showers with just one panel, but they are not as easy to
reach the controls unless you are in the shower already.

Keep up with the conversation...he's talking about using a bench-type seat half in the shower! You sit and move into the shower from the floor side.


Yea, that does not mean you need a curtain. Keep up, the world of
bathroom design has changed. The single panel would work with it.
http://www.dullesglassandmirror.com/...er-screens.asp

On Monday, March 23, 2015 at 6:43:31 PM UTC-5, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 3/23/2015 3:26 PM, bob_villa wrote:


I've also seen showers with just one panel, but they are not as easy to
reach the controls unless you are in the shower already.

Keep up with the conversation...he's talking about using a bench-type seat half in the shower! You sit and move into the shower from the floor side.


Yea, that does not mean you need a curtain. Keep up, the world of
bathroom design has changed. The single panel would work with it.
http://www.dullesglassandmirror.com/...er-screens.asp

You mean when it hits the seat and sprays on the floor?

On 3/23/2015 5:25 PM, wrote:

Same here. For me, taking a bath is not only to get clean, but to soak
in hot water and relax. A lot cheaper and healthy form of relaxation
than drinking alcohol. I also like to soak for softening callouses on my
feet so I can scrape them off afterwards.

Standing in a shower is something I dont even consider as an option.
You cant relax while standing, and I do not enjoy bathing at all, if I
have to stand. A few times a year I may take a shower just because I
have an appointment in a half hour and just want to freshen up. But that
is rare. I could go without a shower, but not a bathtub.

I can understand the relaxing. I just don't feel as clean coming out of
a tub of soapy water as I do after a shower that rinsed all the dirt
away. Enjoy your choice.

On Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 7:51:43 AM UTC-5, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

OTOH, I think they are a poor idea anyway. You have to get in before
you start filling and they you have to wait until it drains before you
can get out. We got rid of the tub altogether and made a large shower
and ut a shower seat in there.

The tubs are about $7,000 and up.


I looked at these last Fall and they had many models and sizes to choose from. The going price starts at about $4,000 but by the time you add all the extras they are about $7,000. The showroom here states they do it ALL but I do have the feeling it would be more like a 2 day or perhaps a 3 day job..

Yes, you do have to be IN the tub before it starts filling and remain in it while it drains. I did see where one company (Jaccuzi?) had an extra pump that could be purchased that guarantees to empty the tub in 90 seconds. They are nice if a person does have mobility problems such as stepping over a tub, but golly they are expensive!!

Co-workers aunt was SERIOUSLY considering having one installed which included a complete bathroom remodel but the final price quoted her was $11,000. (Gulp)

On Mon, 23 Mar 2015 19:57:08 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:


I can understand the relaxing. I just don't feel as clean coming out of
a tub of soapy water as I do after a shower that rinsed all the dirt
away. Enjoy your choice.

If I was really dirty, I have used a hose shower that connects to the
faucet spout, and just rinsed off while the water was draining. As long
as you stay seated, and keep the spray pointed at yourself (not outside
the tub), your dont really even need a shower curtain. That suits all
needs.

On Tue, 24 Mar 2015 12:48:45 -0700 (PDT), ItsJoanNotJoann
wrote:



Co-workers aunt was SERIOUSLY considering having one installed which included a complete bathroom remodel but the final price quoted her was $11,000. (Gulp)

If that was for a complete remodel, is was not a bad price. I did two
bathroom in the past year and with minimal outside labor, buying
supplies at the wholesale price, I spent more than that in each one.

On Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 6:53:24 AM UTC-5, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On Tue, 24 Mar 2015 12:48:45 -0700 (PDT), ItsJoanNotJoann
wrote:

Co-workers aunt was SERIOUSLY considering having one installed which included a complete bathroom remodel but the final price quoted her was $11,000. (Gulp)

If that was for a complete remodel, is was not a bad price. I did two
bathroom in the past year and with minimal outside labor, buying
supplies at the wholesale price, I spent more than that in each one.


I'm looking at doing a complete bathroom remodel on the original 1920's bathroom in my house. I replaced the toilet about 2 or 3 years ago with an American Standard Cadet (?). Sorry, I can't remember the exact name but it's the one that will effortlessly flush 18 golf balls; HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Anyway, I'm sorta dreading the remodel as I know it will be expensive. That's one reason I had looked at the walk-in tubs, toying with idea of one in case I should need something easy to get in and out of in the future. But also sorta looking forward to a brand spanking new bathroom as well.

On Mon, 23 Mar 2015 05:59:31 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On Sun, 22 Mar 2015 23:41:08 -0400, micky
wrote:





Raising the tub would
alleviate that. But IIRC I wanted to raise the tub 4 inches, and I
would want to raise the max water level 2 to 4 inches too. That is the
point, not to stop splashing water out but to have deeper water. . For
final questions like that, I'd want them to come out to the house, but
my first question doesn't require them to visit. (Plus I'm annoyed at
how they're treating me.)


My guess is the inside people don't have a clue. They are merely
appointment makers. The outside people know the answer and they will
give you the hard sell. If you order today . . . .

I think you're right.

On 3/25/2015 3:03 PM, ItsJoanNotJoann wrote:


I'm looking at doing a complete bathroom remodel on the original 1920's bathroom in my house. I replaced the toilet about 2 or 3 years ago with an American Standard Cadet (?). Sorry, I can't remember the exact name but it's the one that will effortlessly flush 18 golf balls; HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Anyway, I'm sorta dreading the remodel as I know it will be expensive. That's one reason I had looked at the walk-in tubs, toying with idea of one in case I should need something easy to get in and out of in the future. But also sorta looking forward to a brand spanking new bathroom as well.


Do you have another bathroom? Ours was down for some time to do the work.

In our case, shower access was a major factor so we eliminated the tub.
They make shower pans that line up with the drain so that portion of
the plumbing was easier. We used Swanstone shower pan and sink. The
shower is 32 x 60 so there is plenty of room and we have a chair in
there too.

We did ceramic tile about 5' up except in the shower that goes all the
way. Floor is tile too. Everything is good quality. Kohler faucets,
rainhead and handheld, glass door, Bertch vanity. We spent about $13000
on each but I had a lot of free labor.

It is the only bath remodel we'll ever do, so I wanted it to be first
class.

On Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 3:16:39 PM UTC-5, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 3/25/2015 3:03 PM, ItsJoanNotJoann wrote:


I'm looking at doing a complete bathroom remodel on the original 1920's bathroom in my house. I replaced the toilet about 2 or 3 years ago with an American Standard Cadet (?). Sorry, I can't remember the exact name but it's the one that will effortlessly flush 18 golf balls; HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Anyway, I'm sorta dreading the remodel as I know it will be expensive. That's one reason I had looked at the walk-in tubs, toying with idea of one in case I should need something easy to get in and out of in the future. But also sorta looking forward to a brand spanking new bathroom as well.


Do you have another bathroom? Ours was down for some time to do the work..


Yes, I had an addition built onto the back of my house almost 8 years ago and that was one of the requirements. Very large bathroom compared to the 1920's 5 x 7 bathroom that needs to be remodeled.


In our case, shower access was a major factor so we eliminated the tub.
They make shower pans that line up with the drain so that portion of
the plumbing was easier. We used Swanstone shower pan and sink. The
shower is 32 x 60 so there is plenty of room and we have a chair in
there too.


I want to keep a tub in the remodel, just have to look around for a short one.


We did ceramic tile about 5' up except in the shower that goes all the
way. Floor is tile too. Everything is good quality. Kohler faucets,
rainhead and handheld, glass door, Bertch vanity. We spent about $13000
on each but I had a lot of free labor.


My sister-in-law is a class A tiler and she said she would do this for me if I chose tile.


It is the only bath remodel we'll ever do, so I wanted it to be first
class.


Even though it's a small bathroom I still want it to look spiffy. Just haven't gotten my head wrapped around the idea yet that it all needs to be ripped out.

On 3/25/2015 4:57 PM, ItsJoanNotJoann wrote:


My sister-in-law is a class A tiler and she said she would do this for me if I chose tile.

That will save you a bundle. The guy that did mine worked cheap, but it
was still $2000.





Even though it's a small bathroom I still want it to look spiffy. Just haven't gotten my head wrapped around the idea yet that it all needs to be ripped out.

We visited a couple of plumbing supply showrooms. We avoided the lower
quality stuff at Home Depot and opted for a couple of levels up. Tuern
the handle on a faucet and you can tell the difference.

Be sure to get a comfort height toilet unless you are very short, and a
slow close lid.

On Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 6:29:02 PM UTC-5, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 3/25/2015 4:57 PM, ItsJoanNotJoann wrote:


My sister-in-law is a class A tiler and she said she would do this for me if I chose tile.

That will save you a bundle. The guy that did mine worked cheap, but it
was still $2000.


She does a fantastic job and cuts her tiles precisely.


Even though it's a small bathroom I still want it to look spiffy. Just haven't gotten my head wrapped around the idea yet that it all needs to be ripped out.

We visited a couple of plumbing supply showrooms. We avoided the lower
quality stuff at Home Depot and opted for a couple of levels up. Tuern
the handle on a faucet and you can tell the difference.

Be sure to get a comfort height toilet unless you are very short, and a
slow close lid.


I'm going to keep the new toilet. I would like the vanity top to continue over the top of the toilet tank. Of course it wouldn't be the same depth of the vanity, just a narrow shelf over the john. That is one drawback to the new toilets that their tanks are narrower and don't fit close to the wall like the old 5 gallon toilet tanks used to. Thus the need for a narrow continuous shelf over it.

On 3/25/2015 10:36 PM, ItsJoanNotJoann wrote:


She does a fantastic job and cuts her tiles precisely.

Good. John did a perfect job. We used epoxy ground but there is some
new urethane grout that may be better and easier to use.



I'm going to keep the new toilet. I would like the vanity top to continue over the top of the toilet tank. Of course it wouldn't be the same depth of the vanity, just a narrow shelf over the john. That is one drawback to the new toilets that their tanks are narrower and don't fit close to the wall like the old 5 gallon toilet tanks used to. Thus the need for a narrow continuous shelf over it.


Narrows down what you can use for the top but there are still many
choices. You just have to have easy access to the tank innards.

Our vanities are 48" so we just have a framed marror and a cabinet over
the toilet. Plenty of storage space with the drawers and under sink..

im going to keep the new toilet. I would like the vanity top to continue over the top of the toilet tank. Of course it wouldn't be the same depth of the vanity, just a narrow shelf over the john. That is one drawback to the new toilets that their tanks are narrower and don't fit close to the wall like the old 5 gallon toilet tanks used to. Thus the need for a narrow continuous shelf over it.

leave enough room so the toilet can be serviced. removing tank lid and access to the workings