Looking for suggestions on good quality, not expensive, RELIABLE flush toilets for new house. I’m gonna need five of ’em. White is good, no funky designs. I don’t have the faintest clue about new toilets, other than being warned about low quality of Home Depot models, and scared off by ones from Toto etc. because of co$t.
Brand preferences are American Standard and Kohler, only because I can get them easily. Others will be considered. Thanks.
Replies
Ask here
http://terrylove.com/forums/
Phat
Never underestimate your ability to overestimate your ability
Thanks. Slowest site I've ever seen, though. A real drag, even with cable.
Thanks.
One vote for Kohler
I have been looking at one at Lowes recently that is an American Standard. It claims never to clog. The design is proper for good flush action and they claim something like a gazillion golf balls in one flush. It appears to be only in white and best of all is $138. However that is not including the tank which is $109. I didn't realize that until I just looked it up on the web. Here is the link.
http://www.lowes.com/lkn?action=productList&function=search&categoryId=TOILETS.CATEGORY&pad=true
My friend just moved in his new house, and he loves his toilets by Toto (I'm pretty sure that's the name).
He said you could flush one the size of a toddler's arm, and the lids go down gently.
ive installed tons of american standard and kohler and others. AS and kohler are the best imo. AS is less money. I always think when i install kohler that i am helping support a pga quality golf course that ill never be able to golf at. faucets i like chicago and delta and AS. kinda hard to screw up a lav but ive seen them.
the least expensive Toto's always rate high.
they're no more than any other decent brand.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA
Jon,
Beware of the Toto Drake. It is recommended on the Terrylove site. I just remodeled 2 bathrooms in my house, couldn't wait to replace the "crappy" toilets that needed many flushes and were always clogging up (Kohler) and nearly threw out my plunger. Good thing I didn't. The Toto Drake clogged up 3 times in the first 2 months. Now we flush after every wad of toilet paper. Geeze. The Toto Ultamax might flush better. If I had it to do over, I'd go with one of those power assist jobs ... noisy, but will flush anything. There is a hilarious posting on this site that you should read for a good chuckle ... about a guy who fools his wife about the noisy toilet he installs in his house while she's not home. :)
ckib
Terry Love does not have much good to say about (many) Kohler toilets.... Kinda wish they sold plungers styled to match their bathroom suites....
Your TOTO Drakes clogging up must be some other problem, like too much TP or something, because ours have never had a problem.
I installed the Toto Drake 'cause of Terry's site - I can't imagin why you'd be having trouble.
Never underestimate your ability to overestimate your ability
Phatbrain,
I wish I knew as well. In the first 2 months, the Drakes clogged 3 times, each time a different member of the family, one of the toilets clogging 2 times, the other clogging 1 time. So either we all use too much toilet paper, or ??? So, now we flush every time we put a wad of toilet paper into the toilet, and if there is anything solid, flush before adding any tp. I'm not sure how much tp other people use, but I'm not into counting sheets! With our new "flush multiple times" method, we haven't had any more clogging events. So much for saving water.
... can't help thinking you have something else wrong with the plumbing. If you went straight from a 1960s American Standard, at 40gallon per flush, it may just be that the previous hurricane forces masked a problem farther down the line. It is even worth lifting the toilets to ensure the outlets aren't half-blocked by a crushed wax ring.
We've previously replaced the full-gush models with toilets using 2and 3 times the water as Toto and that always required 2 flushes. But the Totos are always clear in one 'gulp'. The major brands are all rolling out new technology - great big wide - flush valves that work way better - you can expect them to work or something is wrong.
Here's a vote for the Gerber Ultra-Flush. Power flush, quieter than most others with power. Rated highest in Consumer Reports testing. I talked really hard to get put one in the master bath before she reluctantly agreed - was conderned about the noise. After two weeks she was lobbying to put one in bath #2.
I've installed a couple of those and they are pretty quiet for a power flush. But man do they flush! Don't want to be sitting on it when you hit the handle I bet. DanT
Another vote for Gerber, flushes fast and tank refills very quickly.
You really wonder why whoever chose the 1.6 gal capacity why they chose that number.
seems like going to 2.5 and 10 years later going to 1.6 would have been better.
i know 1.6 was used in Europe, and I know on a 1996 trip thru Germany airport i only had to flush 4 or 5 times per "sitting"like someone said --so much for saving water.I also think Kohler and AS "fought" the new standard hoping bad flush toilets would cause an uproar and get the law/regulation changed.
"fills quickly"
Another benefit of the low-flows - you can flush then shower immediately.
It could be you have another problem with your drain lines. Maybe not enough pitch to them. I kniow of a house with a nearly level line for twenty feet that clogs two or three times a year with TP. It is not always the family member who has teh TP abuse problem that sees the overflow, It is the next one in line.No - not me.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I've never clogged my drake, but I have done so with plenty others, including the Mansfield power assist which sound just like an airplane toilet. No exaggeration, it's wake up people sleeping anywhere on the same floor.
I'll take the Drake any day.
Entry-level Totos are reasonably priced and work too well not to pay attention (plus bragging rights). Don't need to pay for the fancy-close seat (well, maybe just one for show in the most public powder room). Negotiate on price for 5. Our municipality gives cash rebates for installing low-volume toities, including Toto. No clue if your area will have anything comparable.
-H
Edited 4/1/2005 6:02 pm ET by hacknhope
Toto Promenade. That thing about the toddler's arm... it's true.
Another vote for Toto.
The American Standard Champion will flush anything short of a human head, and costs about $250. I've installed several with good results. The manufacturer has successfully flushed 32 golf balls down the thing.
Interesting article here: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.03/toilet.html
i dunno if anyone knew this but golf balls sink. lets see how many ping pong balls will blush.
I vote Gerber. When we started 5 years ago we installed AS and Kohler as I always believed they were the industry standard. Had a few call backs because of the need to double flush.
My local plumbing supply house talked me into trying Gerber. About 80 bucks for the basic model. Must have installed 100 of them and never a call back or complaint. None! DanT
I can understand the todler's arm. Although I am not a camibalist so I will substitute a leg of lamb.But passing 32 golf balls, WHY?
I have no idea why they chose golf balls. They've also tested with various types of cylindrical materials that are at least partially bouyant. I guess maybe it's because no one ever knows just what form Mr. Hankey will take when he comes to visit.
One more vote for TOTO.
I'm slowly replacing all the toilets in a 65 suite apartment for seniors (HUD style program) with the contractor grade Toto 703 models. I just installed a Drake in a friend's basement suite.
No clogs yet, and these older women really can chew the forests. I hate getting up at 2:30 am to plunge a toilet after driving for 20 minutes to get there, and do the mopping.
Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR Construction
Vancouver, Canada
I`m a carpenter by trade, so take it for what its worth.
American Standard is it.....great quality at a reasonable price and parts are easily accessed.
Kohler if you`re looking for a specific design and don`t mind payin` a bit more. Parts aint always easy though.
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We had 2 Kohler Wellworth toilets installed. They flush well and (as my father-in-law recommended) have the higher seat height. We went with the "concealed trap" where the outline of the discharge isn't visible from the side view. My wife insisted upon that - it's typically a "special order" item.
We insisted upon a ductile iton waste stack and glad we did. Did you ever visit someone's house where a 2nd floor toilet was flushed and heard the "wave" as it progressed downstream? I'd go with ductile iron horizontally into the basement to the outlet.
Toto
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Gerber is a veteran in the toilet industry while Kohler introduced intelligent toilets to the public.
Terry love is good for advice. a great website
Toto is great. My plumber likes Gerber
I've been getting recommendations from Terry Love's website for almost two decades, I think.
The Toto Ultramax is close to an unnatural marvel. My DD clogged her toilet pretty much weekly. Put in the Ultramax and it happened once.
Installed a whole series of Champions from HD at a college I worked at. The problems stopped.
The question we always ask when getting a new appliance, "Can it hold a turkey?"