When Amber asked for help finding a low-flow faucet to meet water restriction requirements for her new 1960s ranch, that was actually the smallest part of her saga. Local ordinances also meant her vintage pink toilet was destined for the dumpster. But Amber did not give up the pink without a fight — she set out to find a new pink toilet that would meet the county’s water restrictions guidelines. And she did! Read on for Amber’s hilarious hijinks in toilet trafficking. Yes, you heard that correctly: Amber’s adventures in acquiring colorful commode contraband… aka fancy forbidden facilities… cute covert can… handsome hijacked head… pretty pirated privy… pink pilfered potty… indeed, a tantalizing taboo throne.
Pam writes: Okay. So now, before we dive into the fun story, we gotta underscore: Of course, we do not approve of or encourage law-breaking. Renovate Safe and Lawfully, too! The way we read this story indicates Amber is in fact in compliance because the state of Georgia is regulating the sales standard, while the county is regulating the installation standard. So, we are just having fun with our silly wordplay. I will hypothesize that at some point in the not-too-distant future, the installation standards will catch up with the sales standards — once existing sales inventory is cleaned out; I presume that regulators usually provide for a transition period to give time for manufacturers and retailers to adjust their stocks and plan for ramping up new designs to new standards.
My husband and I recently bought a time capsule ranch house in Atlanta, built in 1960 and with only two previous owners. The most recent family owned the house for 49 years. After a frustrating search for the perfect house, and disappointment at being outbid on two other great homes in multiple offers, we finally hit the jackpot: gorgeous knotty pine in the kitchen and den, large picture windows in the living and dining rooms, lovely hardwood floors preserved thanks to decades under carpet, and TWO pink bathrooms. The master bath had a white toilet and sink, but the hall bath had pink everything – including the all-important pink toilet. The only problem was, our county requires that houses built before 1993 have all fixtures replaced with the “low-flow” variety before they will turn on the water. (Don’t get me started on the logic behind that requirement. Yes, we know what these low-flow fixtures are likely doing to our older, larger, cast iron pipes. That’s another rant for another time.)
While at first I thought maybe I could concede to putting a white toilet in an otherwise all-pink vintage bathroom, the more I thought about it, the more annoyed I became – and the more determined to find a solution. The home inspector had made the tantalizing comment, “You can still get pink toilets – you just have to special order them.” But that’s all he knew. So I started searching. As always, my first stop was Retro Renovation.
I came across this post, which indicated that Gerber had some colors available. I tried searching on Gerber’s web site as the post indicated, but came up with nothing, so I called Gerber’s customer service. They told me that YES, Bahama Pink is still available for the Viper round-front toilet (model number 21-502), and gave me the name of a Southeastern representative. This person gave me the name of a local plumbing supply company that could order the toilet for me. I called the company and was all set to order, until I heard, “Well, there’s just one problem. Legally, I can’t order this toilet for you. Last year, Georgia passed a new law: all new toilet sales must be 1.28 gallons. This one is only available in pink in 1.6 gallons.”
To be clear: a 1.6 gallon toilet was sufficient to pass the county’s ordinance, but apparently not good enough for the state! So I asked, “What are my options?” The reply: “Do you know anyone in Tennessee?”
No, but my mother lives near the South Carolina border, and among the many illicit things residents of Georgia travel over the border to acquire or partake in – fireworks, cartons of cigarettes, pornography, gambling – a pink toilet would be a positive addition. So I called my mother and asked if she would help me in my pink toilet trafficking; she agreed. I placed another call to the Gerber southeastern rep, who informed me there were no companies in North Augusta, SC who could order it; the closest was Columbia, SC (an hour away from where my mother lives). Well, I had come this far; what was a short road trip?
I called Gateway Supply Company in Columbia, SC, and spoke with Caroline – who was surprised and amused to hear that I wanted to order a pink toilet! She suggested I order a pink seat from Bemis, so I did. The order would take about two weeks to come in.
I called Caroline periodically to check on the status. When she told me the toilet would be arriving on that day’s truck, I made plans to head to my mother’s house the next morning. I was about 20 minutes out of town when I got a call from Caroline. The toilet was there, but the bowl was broken! They could hear the pieces rattling in the case. It would have to be reordered! Fortunately, I found out that the county would allow 30 days from the date of closing to submit a certificate of compliance – so we would not have to choose between water service on the day of our move-in and an out-of-place white toilet.
Finally the day arrived – the replacement pink toilet was in, and in one piece (well, two pieces: tank and bowl). So, I traveled to my mother’s house on a weeknight, and bright and early the next morning, we set out for Columbia.
When we got to Gateway Supply and I introduced myself to Caroline, she gave me another piece of information – this pink toilet was actually the third order to arrive for me! The first replacement had been the wrong color! But no one had told her that… they had just reordered it in pink. Apparently my pink toilet had become quite the story around the place. As Caroline walked through the warehouse with us, she simply called to one of her coworkers, “I need the pink bowl.” “Oh, the pink bowl? Got it!” Enough said… everyone just knew!
Big thanks to Caroline, by the way. She was awesome throughout the entire process – a real pleasure to work with. I would recommend Gateway Supply to anyone in Georgia looking for an illicit toilet! And I am happy to be the nutty Pink Toilet Lady whose story makes people laugh. All my coworkers followed the play-by-play with me. I told it to our loan originator and he told his whole office, too. And of course my plumber got a big kick out of installing a pink toilet!
For the record, the Gerber Viper round-front not only matches perfectly in terms of color, but aesthetically it blends seamlessly with midcentury design. It even has a cool retro-looking flush handle. If you didn’t know any better, you would think it was original to the house.
We still have a fair amount of work to do to the bathroom, as time and finances allow – paint, new hardware on both vanities, new light fixtures, and ultimately replace the sink and vanity with a vintage pink Crane wall-mount I’ve had stashed away for years “just in case.” But for now, I am content to know I have saved a pink bathroom!
Mega thanks, Amber, for sharing your story with us — and congrats on your pink potty victory.
Thank you also, Amber, for being the one who alerted us to the availability of this pastel toilet — which also comes in other colors. We wrote about it here. Which then prompted another reader to tip us to Gerber, which also has sinks in toilets in retro pastel colors. Six years into the blog, and we’re amazed to still be uncovering sources like this — thanks to our dear readers!
cellen10 says
Big government idiocy! Buy a toilet you need to flush twice to replace the one that only needs a single flush. If anyone needs a 100 watt incandescent light bulb, just let me know.
Nina462 says
I agree with you…..I’ve got stash of the old bulbs as well. Ooops, maybe I should say that too loud.
Nice story – I’m all for conservation too. That’s why we buy houses where the items can be repaired, not replaced.
Lynne says
After going in my local Re-Store so many times searching, I am now known as the “Pink Toilet Lady”. I go in and I hear, “Sorry, still no pink toilets” “Hey, Jim, (the manager) the PInk Toilet Lady is here!” One time I did find the perfect one, and when the kid went to move it aside, he dropped it and broke it.
Another suggestion, contact your local plumbers. Tell them what you need, and ask them to be on the look out. Then, when they pull them out of people’s homes who are remodeling, they will let you have them. One of the perks of living in a small town maybe, but its worth a try.
Jay says
Great Story! I knew we hadn’t heard the end of the saga. Still, as others have noted; the regulations seem over the top. This is the first I’ve heard of a requirement for a toilet with less water flushing then the standard 1.6 which was mandated by Congress. Which begs the question, how many manufacturers would supply a toilet for one state’s water regs. Limited production = $$$.
Allen says
I am a TN resident and GA is in a water crisis right now. They are trying to claim that part of TN (which has access to water) was originally part of GA and when the lines were drawn they were drawn incorrectly. I suspect this issue is one of the reasons for GA’s egregious guidelines on toilets.
Jenny A. says
What a saga! I’m so glad it all worked out for you, though. I just read this story out loud to my husband and he’s still shaking his head, ha ha. I agree with those above that think these ‘laws’ are a little over the top.
Justin says
I like the story, and am happy she got her pink toilet. I would have just installed the new toilet until the inspector passed the inspection and the water got turned on, then i would have switched toilets with a vintage toilet in pink. I also have some stories of couple things I had to do to pass inspection.
Douglas Camin @ House on Rynkus Hill says
Nice follow up from the original story about this. While I’m all for conservation, this still seems very draconian. Funny how the state and county aren’t in sync either…
Eartha Kitsch says
Hee! I love this story! I too am from the Georgia/South Carolina border and wholeheartedly endorse these shenanigans! Well played, Amber and Mom!
Amber Rhea says
Are you from Augusta, by chance? That is where I grew up!
Eartha Kitsch says
Hartwell, Georgia / Anderson, S.C. originally but I have kinfolk in August too. : )
Eartha Kitsch says
Augusta that is. : )
Erin in Ohio says
From the Nutty Blue Sink Lady to the Nutty Pink Toilet Lady — Well done! Your dedication is both admirable and relatable (at least to readers of this blog). 🙂
Janet in CT says
Great story! I know some others don’t like the Gerber toilets but we have one and we really like it. The 1.6 gallons is stamped right behind the toilet seat and I wonder if it is so inspectors can immediately tell what it is? But I do have a question – how do they KNOW, if you replace it months after the sale of the house, what you put in? Do they come out and inspect regularly to make sure you haven’t indulged in an illegal toilet? Do they monitor your water usage and how many times the toilet flushes? I am all for water conservation but this seems more than a little absurd to me. How many people run water in their sinks when rinsing dishes or run the dishwasher every day instead of every other day or run laundry for just a few items? All kind of ridiculous.
Jeanne says
I was thinking this, too. Why not install the cheapest compliant toilet available and then install a new toilet later. Or do the toilet police show up? There must be a National Toilet Purchase Registry that all plumbing supplies register any toilet purchases, and an Alert System is prompted when a switcheroo takes place. LOL.
On a side note: UPS Stores will except package deliveries (with a small fee and usually advance notice). Windsor is across the river from Detroit and some Canadians ship their online purchases to the states – drive over and pick them up – then declare them at the border. (The duty fees must be less than going thru customs I guess.)
I love this story, btw!!! That pink toilet is beautiful!
Amber Rhea says
When we bought our first house in 2009 (same county), they had inspectors from the water department that would come out and check to make sure all the fixtures were low-flow before turning on the water. Now, they have done away with that, but require a plumber or home inspector to sign a Certificate of Compliance that has to be mailed to the water department within 30 days.
Technically, yes, we could have installed the cheapest possible toilet, gotten the certificate signed, and then re-installed the old pink toilet. We considered it. But we didn’t want to pay for twice the labor (neither my husband and I are willing to DIY it!) and ultimately I just decided that I wanted something new but compatible with the home.
Robin, NV says
My thoughts exactly! What about all those people who take 2-3 showers a day? And how is this policed? The laws seem easily circumvented – although those of us seeking vintage-look fixtures may be the only ones who stumble into problems with these particular laws.
Joe Felice says
Not to worry. Low-flow shower heads are required, too, as are low-flow faucets in all bathrooms & kitchens. I think the flow control is achieved via the aerator (and the little metal washer with a dot for an opening). If you’re thinking of changing the aerator, forget it. The low-flow one is a unique size, not interchangeable with the old ones. I guess the government does what it can to encourage water conservation, but it cannot be omni-present, and people who want to waste will always find ways to do so. The newer toilets are no longer an issue, as they were when they first came out in the ’90s. Last year, I bought a new Jacuzzi toilet (1.28 gal/flush), and it flushes better then the old 3-gal. ones. These new toilets have “siphon-jet” action, that creates suction that just pulls everything straight down. They also have larger valves and trapways. These amount to minor alterations to the age-old toilet flushing action. By the way, a few years ago, I bought a new Moen kitchen faucet. The flow was controlled by 3 TINY holes inside the valve. These holes were so small that they were constantly clogging, not just with debris in the water system/pipes, but from little pieces of black plastic from inside the faucet mechanism itself! What a perfect example of planned failure! (And some engineer with a degree designed this?) The faucet stem had to be disassembled and the little holes cleared with a pin about once a month. Obviously, that didn’t sit well with me, so I started bothering Moen at its headquarters. They sent me replacement parts on a couple of occasions, but that never solved the problem, so I finally said “Well, since Moen can’t provide me a faucet that works for more-than-30 days, I’ll just have to go buy a Delta.” Which I did, but within ONE day, a new Moen faucet arrived by overnight express! I returned it to Moen with my thanks for the effort, but I didn’t even want to go through the trouble of trying it. Now another thing I have noticed with the low-flow faucets in both the kitchen and bathrooms is the noise they make as they struggle to limit the amount of water I’m using. It’s almost funny–the noise is like a harmonic vibration that changes pitch as I adjust the flow with the handle. Oh, and both faucet handles have limiters, which allow them to be turned up so much, then they stop. I guess I’ve gotten used to the noise, but I always wish I could get just that little, extra burst of water.
thatmidcenturyfella says
Amazing applicable alliterations, my friend!