May 7th, 2006
Disturbing Tech: The Toilet Tank Sink
By Alice Hill
RealTechNews
Where do I begin? Sometimes necessity is the mother of invention. And sometimes a good idea can be just plain creepy when you start to dig a little deeper. Case in point: the toilet tank sink. I can almost hear the developer’s thoughts: “some people don’t wash their hands after using the toilet, but maybe if they had a handy sink on top of the toilet, they would take a moment to clean up. Why not route the ‘clean’ tank water up thought a tank-top faucet and then down through the bowl afterwards? ”
With each flush of your commode, clean water that would otherwise go straight down the toilet is first routed up through a chrome gooseneck spigot to dispense pure water for hand washing. The Toilet Lid Sink installs easily without tools, is attractive for any bathroom and is a great space saver. Shuts off automatically. Porcelain-like white plastic replaces your existing tank top and adjusts to fit standard toilets up to 8in wide and 18-22in long. $89. Source: Real Goods
We Say: ARGGHHHH….that’s called washing your hands with toilet water. I know that toilets are cleaner than keyboards and all that, but have you looked inside the average tank? Not pretty my friends and nothing I would consider washing up with. Would you?
Timujin says:
Damn, you’re a moron. This doesn’t suck tank water up and then let it go back into the tank. When you flush the tank water drops to flush the toilet. Then the tank is refilled from the same fresh water the goes to your sink. This system diverts that water to the spigot before it goes into the tank and then lets it drain into the tank.
May 7th, 2006 at 9:25 am
Charles says:
What’s the deal lately with all the name calling in RTN comments?!
Timujin, is that really necessary? Especially since the quoted paragraph is vague at best. Who knows, maybe you’re good friends with Alice and she’s cool with it. But at face-value, you sound like a crappy person to deal with, who wouldn’t dare say that face-to-face.
Regardless of where the water comes from, who wants to lean over, or stradle, a toilet bowl to wash their hands? I have never seen a toilet that didn’t also have room for a small sink in the corner opposite the toilet.
Just lame this is…
May 7th, 2006 at 9:37 am
Mike VJ says:
First off - the water from this spigot is exactly the same as the water from your (sink) faucet. Second, since the toilet seat is an oval - there really is no front or rear (ha). Facing the room, or facing the new tank sink makes no difference.
I see it as a way for us to conserve water by using it for two purposes (1) to wash our hands and (2) to flush our waste.
Genius.
May 7th, 2006 at 9:46 am
Chris says:
These have been in Japan for years… and no, the water is not from the tank but rather fresh water used to re-fill the tank… might as well use it for something.
May 7th, 2006 at 9:47 am
Aaron says:
They’ve had these in Japan for awhile, nothing new, and while you may feel a certain “yuck” factor reading about the idea, when you actually use one it’s not bad at all. It’s actually nice because as soon as you flush water starts coming out of the faucet and your hands are already right there so you just stick em’ under quick and rinse off.
May 7th, 2006 at 9:51 am
Alice says:
Still seems gross when there is a sink a foot away in most bathrooms.
May 7th, 2006 at 9:51 am
Dumbass Alice says:
Alice, you’re an idiot - READ the articles you steal and you’ll see that it is NOT water from the tank . . . stupid, stupid, stupid.
May 7th, 2006 at 9:58 am
Aaron says:
Alice-What do you think is more gross: washing your hands in a sink on top of the toilet, or brushing your teeth in a sink that someone has touched immediately after wiping their ass?
The latter is what most of us do currently and to me it would seem a lot more sanitary to have a seperate sink to wash after using the bathroom and the main sink to use for brushing and shaving.
May 7th, 2006 at 9:59 am
Andy says:
Surely a kneejerk ‘gross’ reaction can be overcome by someone actually thinking about the technology for a little while before ranting about what a bad idea it is.
May 7th, 2006 at 10:01 am
Matty says:
Let me just jump on the hypocrisy bandwagon here, and point out that Charles, isn’t your calling of Timujin a crappy person tantamount to his calling the article’s author a moron?
You sound like a big pee-pee-poo-poo head.
May 7th, 2006 at 10:05 am
Mark says:
Like it or not, you’re going to be seeing a lot more of them. There’s a fresh-water crisis coming, and utilizing potable water to flush toilets is wasteful. There’s no reason whatever that someone shouldn’t wash their hands with the water before it goes down the drain.
May 7th, 2006 at 10:10 am
Chernobyl says:
!!EXCLUSION ZONE!!
!!30KM!!
May 7th, 2006 at 10:10 am
Ieatpoo says:
You are all poo eaters! Why the hell would I was my hands with poo water. That’s nasty!
May 7th, 2006 at 10:17 am
Matt says:
The only problem I see with this is that the water will not be warm water, which, as we all know, is pretty essential to getting your hands clean.
May 7th, 2006 at 10:22 am
chad says:
Sunday rolls around and the idiots come out of the woodwork? The description of the lid on the website isn’t the best and does make it sound as if it goes through the sink from the tank by the wording. I had to do a bit of searching before I found a review or description of it that clarified that the water went through the sink before entering the tank.
Will all the trolls now go home and and pull the wings off some flies or whatever it is you do for fun?
May 7th, 2006 at 10:43 am
Chad says:
Matt-soap is essential to getting your hands clean, what does warm water have to do with it?
May 7th, 2006 at 10:54 am
Alice says:
I had to delete one comment that was really vulgar, and edit out some strong cursing in another. You can call me an idiot if you have to, but let’s keep it clean. There’s no need to be so rude to make a point, espeically if you are right. I learned a lot from this thread, and many commenters were dead on about the tank vs. water line - however the descritpion of how the device works was confusing.
But no matter where the water comes from, I still think most people see a sink on a toilet and think negatively, even though the actual sink nearby may be more germ-ridden. Not to mention the doorknob etc.
May 7th, 2006 at 11:05 am
Voice of Heaven says:
Please tell me that what you learned from this thread was to do at least a little bit of outside research and use of brainpower beyond EWWWWWW GRODY.
May 7th, 2006 at 11:10 am
Alice says:
Thank you Voice of Heaven. I repent.
May 7th, 2006 at 11:38 am
Fatass Bastard says:
My dear Alice,
While I wouldn’t go so far as to hurl invective like Mr. Penus, your lack of comprehension regarding the fact that, with this device, you wash your hands with the same water that comes from your standard sink faucet, is indeed stunning.
Yours,
F.A.B.
May 7th, 2006 at 11:41 am
T says:
Alice,
I think your wording in your article does attract and perhaps deserve the comments written by readers. Maybe you think it’s gross to have a toilet/sink combination, but you also have to keep in mind that not everyone comes from the same culture so you should be writing these “reports” a bit more objectively. Even if you have problems with something that comes from overseas, you shouldn’t write your article leading the reader in the same direction. Give people factual information and let them make their own decisions.
Now, as many other commenters have already written, these have been in Japan for a very long time. I’ve lived in Japan before and prefer this over what we have available in the States. Also, the average Japanese house does not have enough room for a toilet and sink in one room.
Perhaps another good point is…
For those people who don’t wash their hands after they use the bathroom, the sink over the toilet combination is a instant visual reminder that they should do so. No excuses.
May 7th, 2006 at 12:11 pm
pontiac says:
To anyone who thinks this isn’t a good idea: You obviously don’t come from a place that has ever suffered a water shortage. I live in New Mexico and it disgusts me the amount of water we waste here. We use potable water for so many things that it would make more sense to use “grey” water for. This is a great idea and it sucks that it will probably take some major cities suffereing from clean water shortages before it will be implemented, or we overhaul how we currently use/waste water.
May 7th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
degustibus says:
Now this is a tech site, and we generally assume that those who post have some working knowledge of the technology. I think it’s been established — emphatically by some– that Alice could probably benefit from a quick perusal of, oh, say, Plumbing For Dummies — before commenting on toilets and like devices (pretty low tech actually, since Crapper).
As for the yuk factor, I m’self am far more squeamish when facing (if that’s the apt term), um, faced with — or in the presence of a bidet. But that’s just me. Technologically I think they’re charming.
May 7th, 2006 at 1:23 pm
Aaron says:
These comments show how little the average person knows about water. Anyone here ever see the inside of water pipe in their house? They are much dirtier than the average toilet bowl. The only “stuff” inside a toilet bowl is the same stuff in your drinking water pipes; if you don’t let your water run for at least two minuets before you wash your hands than it’s just as “dirty” as the water in the toilet tank. You all need to overcome these common misconceptions… please spend a little brain power thinking about something before you comment. All considered this is a great space saver and very conservative.
May 7th, 2006 at 1:30 pm
Chris says:
For the people saying “But you shouldn’t wash your hands with cold water”:
Have tank filled from the hot water line.
May 7th, 2006 at 2:11 pm
Charles says:
Matty writes,
‘Let me just jump on the hypocrisy bandwagon here, and point out that Charles, isn’t your calling of Timujin a crappy person tantamount to his calling the article’s author a moron?’
Well if we want to split hairs, let’s do it. I said that, “at face value”, he “sounds” like a crappy person to deal with. Maybe he is, or maybe he isn’t. Either way, it’s his comment that I am referring to and the image it is projecting.
As for the toilet… water source aside, there are still issues..
> great for new installations, but bad for existing toilets (Kohler anyone)
> Go stand in front of your toilet and pretend to wash your hands over the tank. How is your lower back feeling?
> Trust me, people do not forget to wash their hands. They either always do, or always don’t. (Unless someone is in the bathroom with them.)
> I understand that it converses water, but how much could it possibly be saving?! How long would it take to break-even on that?
The thing is a space-saver and that’s it. But just because it saves a couple gallons a day, doesn’t mean it’s worth doing.
May 7th, 2006 at 2:18 pm
MarcosV says:
Yup. This idea has been around a very long time. When I lived in Japan for a year back in ‘88 this sort of thing showed up a lot. When you consider how little water pressure and physical room there can be in some places, it makes sense. I usually see it in small, very expensive low-end apartments in the Tokyo area.
When you consider how “contaminated ” anything that’s in the same room as the toilet can get — including your toothbrush — having a small separate room for the toilet makes sense. These rooms can be so small, you don’t want to waste space for a separate sink. It also makes sense to have a separate room for the bathing area and if someone is soaking in the tub, it’s nice to be able to wash your hands without going to the kitchen, etc.
Note that back in ‘88, Japan already had those high tech bidet attachments for the toilets. Those things are too freaky for me and so that’s were I personally draw the line. (^_^)
May 7th, 2006 at 3:21 pm
Nancie says:
It does have a “yuck” factor to it. After all, we are so engrained with how dirty toilets in general are.
Actually it is a good concept. The water that would normally go straight to the tank goes through a faucet instead Then drain into the tank. That way, no water is wasted.
The only problem with that is that the water would be cold. Here in VT, the definition of “cold” would be “1 degree above freezing”. Most places here heat with wood and washing your hands with cold water on a cold winter’s morning isn’t really a good idea. Especially if you plan on snuggling with loved ones.
The water should be warmed. Perhaps by an on demand water heater or something. I certainly don’t enjoy having iceblocks for hands.
May 7th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
SoldierInTheWarAgainstTurds says:
I work for the wastewater management department in Tucson as a chemical engineer and must say that this is an excellent idea and something that all areas could use to help conserve valuable water resources.
While the uneducated or ignorant might find the concept “yucky” an innovation such as this is what we all need to embrace. The next major wars (after we nuke Iran, anyway) will be fought over drinking water, not oil. Think about it…
May 7th, 2006 at 3:39 pm
MarcosV says:
Comment to #28:
On demand heating of water was pretty much how water was heated in that apartment I was living in Japan. You just didn’t get a whole lot of it — lack of water pressure in the area I was living in. The main way you controlled how hot the water came out was to adjust water flow. Boiling water was a trickle.
What sucked was traditionally how cold the bathroom was with respect to the rest of the apartment. No central heating and there was no heater in the bathroom at all. Electricity was pretty expensive. Of course, where I was living/visiting didn’t get a lot of snow throughout the year, which probably factored into things. I remember a story in the paper about how cold bathrooms were really hard on the elderly and their stiff joints. Imagine having to use a traditional Japanese / Chinese toilet instead of a western style one in the *COLD*.
I think we take it for granted how much energy and other resources we consume here in the U.S. compared to the rest of the world. It’s a good thing that modern technology can be used to make everyone more comfortable while keeping energy consumption in check.
May 7th, 2006 at 3:54 pm
Mark says:
CLean water goes through the faucet, down the sink drain, and then fills the tank. You’re not washing your hands with the toilet water, you’re flushing the toilet with the waste water (assuming you washed your hands) from the sink.
May 7th, 2006 at 5:18 pm
Jerry says:
Genius…pure and simple genius! I’m sure you folks who think this is in some way gross, won’t delay for a second to drink directly FROM the toilet bowl if need be when our fresh water supplies dry up in the not too distant future.
May 7th, 2006 at 6:11 pm
Mike says:
Hot water isn’t really all that necessary for getting your hands clean. In order for it to be effective against most types of germs, it would have to be about 140 degrees farenheit (60 celsius), and even then it is not assured. Very few people ever let the water reach this temperature, and even if they do fewer people follow proper handwashign procedures. The fact of the matter is cold water with a little soap (and please NOT anti-microbial) we’d all be fine.
May 7th, 2006 at 7:59 pm
ProudAmerican says:
well you can say all you want but it is still gross because i as a proud american would never drink water from the toilet but for the rest of the world it is ofcourse completely normal to drink from the toilet thats why we americans are civilized and the rest of you are not.
do you think elvis would drink from the toilet ? i think not.
May 8th, 2006 at 12:49 am
Jeff says:
Wow I can’t believe what a simple article about a toilet fixture can bring out in people. There is no need for all this name calling, and wild speculation.
I have lived in Japan for two years, almost every toilet has one of these fixtures. In Japan often the toilet is kept in a seperate room from the bathtub and sink, because they believe it is cleaner that way. Since the toilet is seperate from the sink it is a good idea to have this small water saving device on top of the toilet. It takes water directly from the main water source and allows you to rinse your hands BEFORE the water enters the tank. Often in Japan these small sinks have a small soap dispenser and hand towel on hand. It is a very clean efficient system that saves water and space and has been in effect for years over here.
May 8th, 2006 at 2:54 am
hocus says:
when you flush the sink starts running. you wash your hands with soap and the soapy hand-wash water goes down the drain and refills your tank. now you’ve got a toilet filled with cloudy, soapy and dirty handwash water. so every time you go to use the toilet you have to deal with a bowl of dirty soap scum water? no thanks.
May 8th, 2006 at 3:19 am
John says:
Boy, there are some really foul people on here lately. That is a shame. If you don’t like what you see simply leave. Why make degrading comments that include name calling?
Alice, you are great!! I enjoy your site on a daily basis, and have done so for a long time. I do agree with you that this is a gross concept. The water is probably clean but I need hot water, soap to wash my hands.
Keep up the great work Alice, and ignore the negativity.
May 8th, 2006 at 4:28 am
Mr. Poo says:
The water is fresh; it would be fine to wash with it. My concern would be filling up the “clean water’ tank with dissolved hand soap, which of course ends up in the bowl as well. Wouldn’t this lead to a build-up of suds, and/or eventual clogging of the pipes?
May 8th, 2006 at 5:23 am
Charles says:
ok, ok, ok people… we get how it works! But please explain again if you don’t think the previous 12 explanations covered it.
Just because it’s all the rage in Japan does not mean it’s better than sliced bread everwhere else in the world. Sure it saves water, but what makes this popular in Japan is their lack of living space, and idea of putting the toilet in a separate closet.
In the U.S. why would I put a sink over my toilet when I already have a sink 3 ft. away. Oh right, to save water. And after it pays for itself in 20 years… my water bill will be SO much lower.
When you factor in the cost to the environment for manufacturing, does this thing really produce a net gain to the environment?
Just how much water would it save on average per person?
May 8th, 2006 at 6:49 am
Josh says:
I suppose if you need this its a good idea. Personally, I would rather live somewhere that water is plentiful (which I do) and where there is enough space to have a full-size sink (which, again, I do). Regardless of whether the water is in the tank first or if it comes right from the water line, I find the idea of using a sink in such close proximity to the toilet rather unclean. But I guess if its been used for years without problems then it must not be unsanitary. In any case, I never plan on having to use one of these devices. To everyone else…enjoy washing your hands in the toilet.
May 8th, 2006 at 7:24 am
Bob Mackay says:
OK, so if it is a good idea, where can I actually buy one, here
in the US of A? Or are they really only available in Japan?
May 8th, 2006 at 8:02 am
MarcosV says:
LOL! It really is interesting to see where this topic has gone (aside from the personal attacks).
Personally I think if you are overly concerned about washing your hands in a basin that’s in such close proximity to your toilet, consider the concept of fecal matter contaimenating your toothbrush if both are in the same room.
I personally like the idea of the bathroom sink and tub/shower in a different room from your toilet. I’m not bothered enough by this issue to want to move though.
As for manufacturing a toilet with a built-in basin on the top, it’s an extremely simple design and is thus inexpensive option to have.
In the U.S., some urban areas have much bigger problems about drinking water (e.g., Phoenix in the nearer term; state of California in the next 50 years). Fortunatelly we waste so much water as it is, that there’s lots of things we can do first.
If it ever did get so bad that we do have to consider such a device, we would have gone through so much by then that maybe the idea would be more easily accepted. At least we know that other industrialized nations have perfected the concepts already.
May 8th, 2006 at 8:06 am
Hotrod Tommy says:
Yeah, these have been in Japan for a long time. I was hoping they would come to the US because they’re a great idea. Only problem is you’re not supposed to use soap with ‘em. Good for #1, but stick to the soap and warm water from the sink for a #2!
May 8th, 2006 at 8:45 am
Charles says:
Watch the show MythBusters sometime… It doesn’t matter if you’re toothbrush is on top of the toilet, in a cabinet, or out in the living room; your toothbrush will be just as ‘infected’. WooHoo!
May 8th, 2006 at 11:51 am
Gord says:
There is something about a forum or a chat room or a channel that encourages people to make a-hole comments, no gross pun intended. Seems to be a problem on the whole www. People will use words the way children do, to knock people over the head, just because they know they’ll get away with it. Would any of the name callers dare to talk to Alice (or anyone) in this way face to face? I doubt it. Lots of petty anger and cowardice combined. Maybe some people have watched too much South Park over the years.
Just a theory.
May 8th, 2006 at 12:33 pm
Gord says:
oh just to add, why I said all that in the last post. I’ve done it. I’ve posted kneejerk angry comments at forums and regretted it later. It was easy. There didn’t appear to be anyone at the other end. Or, I had an idea in my head about who was at the other end, which was probably way off the mark.
Gord
May 8th, 2006 at 12:40 pm
BlogCadre says:
Toilet Lid Sink: Wash your hands with ‘clean’ toilet tank water
For just $89 you can be the proud owner of the Toilet Lid Sink…
With each flush of your commode, clean water that would otherwise go straight down the toilet is first routed up through a chrome gooseneck spigot to dispense pure water for hand washing.
May 8th, 2006 at 3:10 pm
John says:
When you flush a toilet, it turns on the filling water. As the tank fills, a seperate line from the fill unit is normally run into the center tube. This water is used to fill the bowl and comes directly from the supply line. If you remove this line from the center tube and attach it to a sink line (with another return line dumping the water from the sink into the center tube,) you’re using fresh water for the sink.
I’m sure that this is the method used by this system. So, it sounds clean to me.
May 8th, 2006 at 8:00 pm
Alice says:
Wow - what a thread. I may know my CPUs and graphics cards, but I sure learned a lot about plumbing. And thanks for helping to keep the flames to a minimum. I thought there were some good points made, and while I get the whole toilet water is just tap water concept, I still think this device in plastic is cheesy looking and not really going to help all that much in the average bathroom.
May 9th, 2006 at 11:32 am
Ben says:
globally if this were required, there is 298,716,149 people in the USA. 1 gallon of water is used every time hands are washed, so if a person washes their hands 3 times/day that works out to: 896,148,447 gallons. new york uses 1.35 billion gallons per day
so if everyone had this, not only would it be a space saver to make your bathroom smaller and use the space for a different room perhaps, if everyone in the USA used this, the leftover water could supply new york for most of a day. with a world population of 6 billion, if EVERYONE used this(also assuming they washed their hands 2 times a day[i lower the average to account for undeveloped countries]) This would supply new york for almost 9 days. Or houston for 63 days.
May 11th, 2006 at 10:34 am
dd says:
i understand the concept of why it was developed, and that its sink water would be clean, but still just the idea of it is sickening. guess, if a person has grown up using such a device they would feel differently about it … anyway! someone mentioned about a toothbrush, i believe that i understand your meaning correctly, and if so, always close the toliet lid before flushing. if still feel uneasy about toothbrush not being sanitary, then could keep it in frig. but wonder how clean and sanitary the ?clean? hand towels, bathroom fixtures (faucet, etc) and so on would be, if someone flushed a toliet before closeing its lid? wonder when someone will invent “a safe,” but still a flusher toilet.
June 24th, 2006 at 10:42 am
Elisabeth says:
First of all, I guess I don’t need to re-hammer the point home that WHAT YOU SAID IS NOT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE TOILET. The water doesn’t “come up through the toilet” from the tank. It’s brand new clean water that hits the faucet BEFORE it enters the tank. But people already said that.
What I want to know is where can I get one of these? I’ve been looking for a long time. It’s really quite obvious and brilliant to use post-hand-washing water to go down the toilet rather than brand new potable water.
Anyone know?
August 1st, 2006 at 9:43 am
Richfrog says:
O.k. folks. Gosh! For those of you who think this is gross,- switch on your brain! Just go look at you toilet and observe how it works. After installing this unit clean water goes down through the fawect over your hands then into the toilet tank. Your hands do not come into contact with turd water.
I wouldn’t wash my hands in the toilet tank either. But I would wash my hands in water BEFORE it goes into the tank, which is exactly how this unit works.
August 24th, 2006 at 6:15 am
Maria (Denmark) says:
You guys are funny…. Yes sir!!!! I have been searching for that toilet. Where can I get it? Does anyone know where to buy it. Elseway I´ll make one myself. My toilet (room) is less than 1 square-meter. And I find it more dirty to clean my hands in the kitchen. If you do not need it, why bother having an opinion about it. The world is more than black and white. That is why special things are invented. It is not always what you find the best solution, that works in other places.
Besides that is a global responsibility not to over-consume the resources of the world. Sometimes people forget that this is not our world, we are just borrowing it in time and space.
Kindly regards Maria
September 25th, 2006 at 3:28 am
Karen says:
I like it. I have found a place that sells the toilet lid, but I am not sure where to get the tank for it.
Currently there are a ton of different shapes and stuff for tanks. The place I found was:
http://www.gaiam.com/retail/product/02-0334
I have not purchased it yet because I want to find a tank for it first and then buy the lid.
September 27th, 2006 at 2:55 pm
Karen says:
Oh, I also want to add that I have a closet that I want to convert to a 1/4 bath and I ONLY have room for a toilet there. This solves a HUGE problem for me.
I think it is great. I am in the process of ordering a lid (just need to find the proper tank it will fit on).
Also, I think that using “dirty soapy water” would be great in the toilet. The soap will keep it cleaner than you think.
And to the person worried about the soap messing up the pipes and drains: Would be be surprised to hear that pipes under your sink goes to the same drain.
September 27th, 2006 at 3:04 pm
Clark Cox says:
I grew up with one of these in my house. One of the “bathrooms” in the house is no bigger than a closet or toilet stall. This allowed us to have a sink and a toilet in that small space.
October 17th, 2006 at 6:14 am
yum yum poo poo says:
is there a way to have the poop come out of the toilet and go onto a plate or maybe into the fridge for a snack for later?
October 17th, 2006 at 10:31 am
billyevil says:
interesting concept.. in regards to the person posting about looking for a tank before buying the lid.. you can put it on top of your existing toilet tank as it will fit and replace the existing lid..
i don’t know exactly how the lid hooks up, but from how it works it sounds like you would just open your tank and attach the small black tube that normally fills it with fresh water..(usually clipped to a large tube in the middle of the tank)
i like the idea and i don’t see why a little bit of soap would hurt anything with your plumbing.. i’ve never had to call the plumber over a hand soap bubble..
the added soap in the bowl water might keep the bowl cleaner.. which would save time..
on a more disturbing thought.. i wonder how much cooler it would look to put one of those blue led faucet lights on it?
http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/8122/?cpg=cj
October 17th, 2006 at 6:09 pm
STLteacher says:
I am interested in purchasing this. I saw it on the Home & Garden Television channel.
Not only is it eco-friendly, saving water, but it is also great for those of us who live in older houses in urban areas.
My house has only one bathroom, downstairs. The bedrooms are upstairs. We have a hall closet that would be great to convert to a bathroom. It is right above the current bathroom, and could be easily hooked up to the plumbing stack. We haven’t done it to our house yet, because we thought it was too small.
However, an innovation such as this will be perfect. We’ll have a powder room in a 3×3 room! No more fumbling down the staircase at night!
I think we could learn alot of lessons from the rest of the world on effieciency of design (especially Japan and Scandinavia).
November 25th, 2006 at 10:35 pm
Bunyip says:
Lots of comments, and there is a yuk factor, but it makes so much sense. AND we could keep our toilets really, really clean.
I have a tiny bathroom with no room for a sink and going to the kitchen to wash hands is yuckier.
I found a website for purchase called and intend to buy one now. I just wish they were made of true porcelian and not plastic.
April 25th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Denis Foley says:
I have a Cat and keep his litter Box in the bathroom across from the “throne.” Since I got one of these Toilet Lid Sinks and since I use a flushable Wheat-based litter (Which I scoop whenever I go) I haven’t had to clean the toilet in 6 months. The soapy Hand-washing water in the bowl, and the mild abrasive action of the litter keep everything sparlking clean. So I figure I’m using the same water for four things: 1-Hand-washing, 2-flushing my waste, 3- flushing the Cat’s waste (also, thus relieving the local land-fill) 4-cleaning the toilet bowl without any chemicals. A clear win all the way around!
June 16th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
Voiceofreason says:
I know I’ll take some bantering for this but, this thread is full of misinformaton!
Lets set a few things right.
First, the water supplied IS freshwater normally diected to the toilet bowl (not the tank) while the tank is refilling the water drains from the sink through the overflow tube, water that normally rinses the bowl while the tank fills (plumbing 101) there is an excelent video of the entire process @www.sinkpositive.com
Second, proper hand washing depends on the FRICTION! of your hands rubbing together not the temperature of water (pre-med 101).
Third, this device IS an American invention! it has been widely adopted in all parts of the world lacking the space and plentiful water that we take for granted. It has been availabe here for nearly thirty years but not widely marketed in the U.S. due to the Yuk (smug) factor., and high cost of marketing in the U.S.
In this country we install multiple water wasting devices in oversized bathrooms that could house entire families in other countries! bidet’s whirlpools, saunas, his and her sinks and showers with multiple deluge shower heads, a regular niagra falls in one room! I won’t even discuss our landscape watering.
Most of our “global warming” types have completely ignored the water crisis that is upon us NOW. We should listen closely to poster Soldierinthewaragainstturds and do what we can to conserve a neglected resource.
I work for a large west coast city that processes more than 330 million gallons of wastewater a DAY!, we supply our 3.5 million residents free low flush toilets and free cfl bulbs in our conservation efforts. Is this the next big idea?
Also I have two remote mountain cabins overlooking the mojave desert on 10 acres supplied by wells and I am keenly aware of the value of water and the waste loads on my septic systems, I use a biofuel generator to fill my potable and fire water reserviors.
I have installed these sinks on the six toilets there @ $100 ea. conserving my water, waste systems and biofuel. I’m sure this invesment will pay for itself many time over. I will install my next ones here at my weekday home and have suggested them at work for the next conservation program!
At the $100 price you definately will not pay for it in water savings but if you are pressed for space or truly concerned about conervation this is a winner!
July 14th, 2007 at 11:33 pm
Bob says:
For some years I have had a similar apparatus installed in a rental property. It always inspires shock/curiosity/fascination in those who see it for the first time, similar to all the reactions expressed by readers of this website. Later on, everyone loves it.
It does not have to be such a trauma. As soon as you understand that you are not using water from the toilet tank, but instead are saving water by letting sink basin water work twice by operating the toilet, the picture seems so much rosier.
For those who want to wash their hands in warm or hot water, why not do what I did: mount your hot and cold water on the wall above the toilet top wash basin, and flowing directly into that basin. Why, I even have a mirror on the wall for shaving and - can even wash my face and brush my teeth - just like a real sink! All that water then flows directly into the toilet tank and later is used again to flush the toilet - great, no?!
This mounted cold water faucet and automatic shut on/off, high price is unnecessary. All you need to make this work is a toilet tank top designed like a wash basin.
You save space, save water, and can have a toilet space separate from your bathing area – providing privacy and making more efficient use of your bathroom facilities, which I find a lot more civilized.
August 4th, 2007 at 10:53 am
Shazz says:
For what it is worth…this guy is a lifesaver for me, but I found a different version that I like better…
Why? Because I have a toilet in my basement and for some reason the previous owner did a reno that can’t be undone and the sink is across the hall. My walls and floor are concrete so I can’t add a sink without a MAJOR hassle. So this gives me a way to put a sink in the same room as my toilet.
http://www.tapsbath.com/taps1/Pages/DCatalog-St-spec-uniq3-Neo_Co.htm
January 14th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Ed says:
ok i have an idea for all that likes dislikes this idea of the toilet sink combo you want to save water and not put the sink on the john bend over the john wash hands on john a lot of the homes in us have the sink on same wall as the john if you had toilet that had a hookup for a 1 1/4 sink drain in the tank you could have the sink water run out the sink in the toilet tank and when the toilet tank gets full the overflow pipe in tank would send extra water to bowl and down drain that would keep some happy : )
March 19th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Gene says:
Ours is a little different problem. We have no room in our bathroom for a sink, nor anywhere closer than the kitchen or another bathroom. All that is in the bathroom is the toilet in an old house. This looks like it might be our solution.
June 16th, 2008 at 4:17 am
marshgirl says:
I have one of these and it’s great! The water comes from the pipes same as the sink, clean, just as many of you have mentioned.
I have a really bad video of it in operation at my myspace page. I think it’s a great water saver. I’m going to have it installed on my other toilets too!
August 24th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
marshgirl says:
http://www.myspace.com/pool2pond
August 24th, 2008 at 7:08 pm