Hello all, long-time lurker, first-time poster. As my username says, I've bought my first home. It is in pretty good shape, but there are some things that definitely need to change. One of the first is the toilets. The current ones are, how shall I say it, underpowered.
I'm looking for something as clog-proof as reasonably possible. I think I have narrowed it down to either the Caroma line or the American Standard Champion 4. The dual-flush water savings of of the Caroma is nice, but not essential - I'm looking for performance.
Which do you prefer (over the entire lifecycle), and are there others I should be looking at?
Thanks,
FirstHome
First of all, make sure the brand you buy has nationwide support. You will undoubtedly need parts or service sometime in the future and you want to make sure you have a brand that has parts readily available. American Standard is a well known brand with nationwide parts availability. I've never heard of the Caroma brand. I'd steer away from any made-in-China and/or store brands that may not be in business when you need to buy repair parts.
All manufacturers make several model lines of toilets and usually higher prices buy you better flushing performance. Most major brands are starting to offer the dual flush option. I'd check with local plumbers to see what brands and models seem to work best in their opinions. Some home improvement stores are offering flush ratings in their toilet ads, which might be helpful, but I'd take them with a grain of salt.
Beachboy: Thanks for the advice. For what it is worth, Caroma has been around over 60 years and advertises themselves as Australia's leading bathroom brand. Your point about locally supplied parts is a good one.
Thanks.
Caroma may be a fine Australian product, but are the toilets you're looking at designed for the U.S. market? There may be differences in plumbing standards between the U.S. and Australia such as the distance from the wall to the drain line and the size and location of the inlet water line.
Also, even though Caroma has been in business in Australia for 60 years, is the U.S. distributor planning on staying in business too? Importing repair parts directly from Australia might be a bit frustrating if the local distributor goes out of business!
One thing about the Caroma you may not like is that it has a small water spot and you will find yourself using the bowl brush much more often to remove skid marks than with a toilet that has a larger water spot.
Toilets account for approx. 30% of water used indoors. By installing a Dual Flush toilet you can save between 40% and 70% of drinking water being flushed down the toilet, depending how old the toilet is you are going to replace.
If you are serious about saving water, want a toilet that really works and is affordable, I highly recommend installing a Caroma Dual Flush toilet. They offer a patented dual flush technology consisting of a 0.8 Gal flush for liquid waste and a 1.6 Gal flush for solids. On an average of 5 uses a day (4 liquid/ 1 solid) a Caroma Dual Flush toilet uses an average of 0.96 gallons per flush. The new Sydney Smart uses only 1.28 and 0.8 gpf, that is an average of 0.89 gallons per flush. This is the lowest water consumption of any toilet available in the US. Caroma, an Australian company set the standard by giving the world its first successful two button dual flush system in the 1980’s and has since perfected the technology. Also, with a full 3.5#8243; trapway, these toilets virtually never clog. All 47 floor mounted models are on the list of WaterSense labeled HET’s (High Efficiency toilets) Product Search | WaterSense | US EPA and qualify for thel toilet rebate programs available in the US. They are available in round, elongated, regular height and ADA compliant chair height in white and biscuit. Please visit my blog What you should know about toilets Water conservation and Sustainable living
to learn more or go to Caroma: Quality bathroom products | Caroma to learn where you can find Caroma toilets locally. Visit eco Transitions to see how we flush potatoes with 0.8 gallons of water, meant for liquids only. Best regards, Andrea Paulinelli, owner ecoTransitions Inc.
Excellent advice Beach Boy.
First Home, this may also help you decide. Check out the scores from the independent MaP test of toilet bulk removal performance developed by John Koehler and Veritec Consulting. Used by water utilities in the US and Canada, the maximum amount tested is 1,000 grams or more than 2 pounds of solid waste. The best toilets are in the 1,000 grams club and virtually eliminate clogging. Access the free report here: California Urban Water Conservation Council
Also, Furd is correct, small water spots mean more bowl scrubbing. A good rim wash and large water spot will eliminate staining just as a large outlet or trapway will eliminate clogging. The solution is to look for a dual flush toilet that uses a siphonic flush instead of a washdown flush. The shape of the bowl is different with a siphonic flush. It is less steep, so it has a larger water spot and is also less likely to splash. Also look for dual flush that scores well on the MaP test for bulk removal.
Let us know if we can answer any other questions.
Jeannette Long
American Standard Brands
Do not buy the American Standard Champion 4 toilet. I have one and am trying to resolve issues I have with the bowl. It does flush well if you hold the handle down. That's it. There is always water left in the upper tank. This permits the growth of various stringy things. You can't clean it properly without removing it. The bowl loses its Everclean coating in a year. I cannot scrub out the ring. The bowl retains skidmarks and must be cleaned after every use. I have tried draining the bowl and scrubbing with automotive polishes and waxes to no avail. I am single and use softened water. Oh for the old days of real porcelin.
Tags: caroma, american, standard, champion, American Standard, water spot, American Standard Champion, dual flush, Standard Champion, toilet that, average gallons, average gallons flush
