Hey there,

I was trying to find out if there is any engineering advantage to having a toilet tank cover that is not only heavy but made out of a material that if dropped cracks and breaks.
I looked on the web didnt find anything conclusive.

 

Cheap castable ceramics with a nice glaze. Last one I replaced was when my youngest son dropped it into the tank and broke the tank. Never have figured that one out.

 

Maybe to keep the dog out?

 

Until replacing the broken (plastic) link between the valve and the button, I kept the cover dutifully upright against the wall. To move it had to lift it.
Went a second time to the shop who sold the link, to buy a new cover. Costed me dearly, maybe because of the stupid weight.

 

When I read the topic headline I thought you were asking about these -
But it seems you are asking about the tank lid instead.

 

OMG. My MIL did that. She even had a soft seat and carpet around the bowl. Disgusting.

When I am there, I am not interested in reading James Michener's Hawaii (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_(novel) ). At least, not cover to cover.

 

I hated those things and never let one darken my doorway. The lid would never stay up when trying to take a leak because of that darn fluffy stuff! I think it was a plot against manliness!

 

If you have a factory making ceramic, glazed parts don’t you think it would be a good idea to use that material for everything you make? At least that’s how I always thought about it. A separate shop making carbon fibre tank covers? That might be a hard sell to management. The ceramic lids don’t need anything to keep them closed that’s for sure. Think of all the hassles of keeping a lightweight cover shut.

 

You'd think that they'd sell the parts separately at a reasonable price.

If you break a cover, you'll likely end up replacing the whole toilet because the cost for the cover alone will be outrageous. Same goes if you have a cracked tank with intact lid.

 

Sorry, but what planet did you say you came from? Vendors sell things to make money, not for your convenience. If you feel a need to buy some individual parts (of anything) I suggest the internet or your local flea market. In my area (SF Bay area) there are several. Given enough time, (and gas) you will learn which ones are better sources of what items on what days. With more experience you can make friends with different sellers who will be on the lookout for items you need. You may need to buy some things you don’t really need in order to achieve this level of service. This process can take a year or more as it did for me while building up my calculator collection.

Or just buy the new toilet and stop complaining. I mean, seriously.

 

When I read the topic headline I thought you were asking about these -
But it seems you are asking about the tank lid instead.

Oh yeah and i have had to deal with those toilet carpets in the past too, where the material is so think that it keeps the lid from staying in the upright position sometimes. There is often little clearance between the lid and the tank top which overlaps the tank and makes the gap smaller too.

 

You'd think that they'd sell the parts separately at a reasonable price.

Sorry, but what planet did you say you came from? Vendors sell things to make money, not for your convenience.

Take your pick - https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=replacement+toilet+tank+lid

 

Oh yeah and i have had to deal with those toilet carpets in the past too,

One of the first things my first/third wife had to agree on, those would never grace our commode>.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commode

 

Same goes if you have a cracked tank with intact lid.

In fact, I bought an entire toilet for less than the price of a replacement tank.

 

In fact, I bought an entire toilet for less than the price of a replacement tank.

That has been my experience too.

 

Take your pick

As they say “who’d a thunk it”? I’d still rather hike around a flea market with scant hope of finding the right thing but always hope of finding something special than looking at a screen. To each his own I suppose.

 

... It would seem that the actual reason for a heavy tank lid is noise abatement.
The more mass, the less noise. ... The same reason that cast iron pipe is preferred to light weight PVC pipe. ... There might be a relevant equation ... implying a decrease in vibrating natural frequency.
\( ... ω_0=\sqrt{K/M}\)

 

Really, I thought it was for matching looks. Like why do chairs match the table? Why do cast iron pots have heavy lids? (cooking type)

A secondary advantage would be if the fill tube ever came off, it would not blow the lid off and flood the bathroom.

 

I can't recall how many gas station toilets I've encountered over the years with a piece of "specially crafted" plywood covering the tanks... Which says something for the quality of gas stations in the southeastern USA or maybe their down-home craftsmanship. They might, at least, have painted it... At least they didn't have "Fresh Pee-cans" as the old joke goes!

 

I can't recall how many gas station toilets I've encountered over the years with a piece of "specially crafted" plywood covering the tanks... Which says something for the quality of gas stations in the southeastern USA or maybe their down-home craftsmanship. They might, at least, have painted it... At least they didn't have "Fresh Pee-cans" as the old joke goes!

To allow the bad guys to leave and retrieve weapons and undecipherable substances without complications. Cheap replacement if necessary.