OT - toilets

Re: OT - toilets

Mark Nowicki

OT.

No s*^t.

Re: OT - toilets

Henry (Raleigh NC)

I just purchased 2 for church in the spring, and did so following my Brother in law's (plumber) recommendation. Mansfield Alto was I believe what we got.

Although it was not available locally through normal channels, I purchased online and had free shipping to my local Do-it-Best dealer (who happens to be my local lumber yard) - closer than my local big box stores. Picked up from there. Had to order bowl, tank (1.6 or 1.28 gallons, we went with 1.28), and seat separately. We did installs on both without issue (at least w/o issue related to the toilets - we did have a cracked flange that needed attention, but that had nothing to do with the toilets).

Cost was about $165-185 per toilet if I recall correctly.

Install and performance has been good so far.

Henry

Re: OT - toilets

Howard Pollack

I use Toto toilets. They work very well.

-Howard

Re: OT - toilets

Ron Pemberton

Our last two upgrades are Kohler. Water savers and good flushes. On a well and septic tank.

2d TOTO

Gary Smyth

Given the fastidiousness, of the Japanese to personal hygiene, I got Toto as well. I don't recall ever having to double flush -- water saving and efficient. Mine are eight years old now, so there may have been improvements by other companies, but i'd buy TOTO again if necessary.

Re: OT - toilets

Yonak

We got Gerber because they were rated high for flush action. They're a heck of a lot better than the American Standard we used to have that we had to hold the handle down.

Re: OT - toilets

John K Jordan

Toto, best we've ever had. Bought three for this house. Not cheap.

JKJ

Ours are Kohler too...

John in NM

They got very good reviews when we built 10 years ago and since we've had no trouble with those we're installing the same in our current remodel.

Cimarron is the model we've got.

Re: OT - toilets

Barry Irby

A friend and I flip houses. Between us we have installed dozens of the less than $100 "toilets in a box" from Home Depot. Taller seat height and elongated bowl are available at a slight cost, but still under or close to $100. Dual flush also. No complaints on any of them. Just put two in his daughter's house. No idea the brand, but I could look.

Re: OT - toilets

Larry Clinton At Frankfort, (Central) Indiana

I too like the Kohler. They are moderately priced and work well. All the standard repair valve and seat kits do work in them.

+ 1 on the Kohler

Mike Farinella

well designed

Re: + 2 on the Kohler

Brad Chenoweth

I just installed a Kohler Cimarron. Works very well. One thing I like about this model is that there are no bolts going through the bottom of the tank. Just my .02

Brad

Kohler

Lee Schierer in McKean, PA

When I redid our bathroom we went with a Kohler. We also have a septic with minimal slope to the tank. The Kohler uses minimum water and has not clogged or had any issues.

We also went with a slow close lid, which is also easily removable for cleaning.

Lee

Thanks all.

JL

A lot of good responses.

Right now, the LOML wants a Toto - probably because of her experiences with them at church (that's the brand that they have there). I just have to check on the available colors. It will be a special order around here anyway.

One Word of Caution

Don

If you have two bathrooms that back up to each other, more than likely the toilets back up to each other as well. Some of the low water consumption toilets flush with greater force in order to clear the waste. If the toilets empty into a wye connection in the stack, no problem. But in older homes where back-to-back toilets often empty into a Tee connection into the stack, when one toilet is flushed, the other toilet can loose water. Maybe a little or maybe a lot, depending on the installation. You may want to check this out. No, I'm not a plumber. But, I have two Toto Drakes installed back-to-back. So, ask me how I learned about this.

Re: One Word of Caution

Barry Irby

I wonder if that is not a venting problem? If there is not sufficient air flow to vent the lines, then you get syphoning. Or maybe it's a combination of poor venting and poor arrangement of the fittings.

OTOH, the early low water consumption toilets did not flush well and left material in the bowl. To improve the flush, the manufacturers enlarged the passages and increased the rate of flow, but not the volume. So this might increase the "suction" on the adjacent fixtures. There have been cases where the toilet flushes with such ferocity, it syphons the water out of other fixtures such as tubs and lavatories.

Life's not so simple any more

Don

Nope. It's not a venting problem. Check out the conversation at the below address or just do a Google search for the problem as described. It's become a common problem.

http://www.contractortalk.com/f9/back-back-toilet-install-sanitary-tee-153401/

Re: Life's not so simple any more

Barry Irby

I learn something every day. Thanks.

I have also heard that in some locations the extreme low flow fixtures are creating a problem for the cities. Not enough flow to carry the waste all the way to the sewage treatment plant and they are having to dump truckloads of water into the sewers to finish flushing.