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Factory rejects and big box

Chucky | Posted in General Discussion on September 6, 2009 03:53am

Bought three American Standard Cadet 3 toilets the other day at Home Depot.  $210 each. They are supposed to be good toilets with a good rating.

I installed one and didn’t find any problems with the toilet before installation.  Mind you, I wasn’t looking that closely either.

As I was installing the second one, I happened to look under the bowl and noticed some filler had been used to repair cracks in the porcelain.  Its hard to see from the picture but you can see where the filler is used.

The third toilet is the same.  The first one probably was too but i didn’t notice.

Is this normal for a toilet or do the big box stores typically carry the factory rejects ?

Should I be concerned ?

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  1. windwash | Sep 06, 2009 04:19am | #1

    I'm not a plumber but have installed quite a few toilets. If I saw this it would be going back for a refund and a talk with the manager (hopefully for a discount on new ones).

    In my mind, a crack in porcelain is like a crack or chip in a windshield. Sooner or later its going to spread out and cause problems.

  2. DanH | Sep 06, 2009 04:20am | #2

    First off, are you sure that's filler, and not repairs to the mold?

    Secondly, if you knew how toilets are put together (they're not cast as one piece) you'd know that during assembly they might smear a little extra clay here and there to close up gaps. Since this would be done before firing and glazing, it doesn't (if done properly) affect the integrity of the unit. Presumably they didn't take the time to make it neat-looking here because it's somewhere where no one would ever look.

    As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
    1. Chucky | Sep 06, 2009 05:17am | #3

      definitely a filler.  Different color and applied like caulk...but cured hard.

      1. DanH | Sep 06, 2009 05:20am | #4

        If it's "cured hard" (ie, glazed) then it's something that was done during manufacture.
        As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz

  3. ponytl | Sep 06, 2009 05:57am | #5

    that's not a second or a defect... that is added clay before fireing...

    it's part of the manufacturing process... it's not like it was patched After it was fired... that would be an issue

    p

    1. Chucky | Sep 06, 2009 08:10am | #6

      there are a few spots where this stuff was used.  It is on top of the glaze.  I can pull it up with a finger nail where there is only a thin layer of it. 

      I tried to get a good picture of it but they all come out washed out.

      1. PatchogPhil | Sep 06, 2009 08:19am | #7

        I tried to get a good picture of it but they all come out washed out

        Try standing further away from the subject, and use your zoom. Try again without the flash.

         

        Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?

    2. Chucky | Sep 06, 2009 03:37pm | #8

      I took a closer look at the third toilet.  The putty is not as hard as on the other.  I can actually sink my nails into it.  I decided to return this one to Home Depot this morning.  

      While there, I took a look at their other toilets (complete kits and individual bowls).  I looked at 3 other bowls for the same make/model (American Standard Cadet 3).  All three had the same putty at the same location.  In one case, there is a small crack that they forgot to fill.  It would look like they are using this stuff to fill shrinkage cracks and that happen during the clay firing.

      These toilets are #### (pun intended).

      I'll visit a plumbing store on Tuesday to see if their American Standard Cadet 3 suffer from the same issues.

      1. ponytl | Sep 06, 2009 04:42pm | #9

        several months ago I purchased HD's house brand toilet in a box... not sure of the model but it was the taller one... think i purchased about 40-50 of em... other than a few that were broken from shipping and that the supplied wax rings were hard as bricks... I haven't had an issue with any of them... I'm not so sure "brand" means all that much unless you are spending $400 & up... pretty sure the cost to manufacture any toilet is within dollars of the next...good luck
        p

        1. DanH | Sep 06, 2009 04:52pm | #11

          Probably their is a significant cost difference for toilets that have features that would require more parts and more assembly time/skill. And likely some designs result in more manufacturing failures than others, due to complexity. Finally, there's a difference in the type/quality of glaze used (colors will be more expensive, especially since it's harder to get an even color with some), and likely a difference in the quality of the clay.
          As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz

      2. DanH | Sep 06, 2009 04:48pm | #10

        I kinda wonder if that isn't a vent (for air/steam to escape during firing) that's being closed. Remember, there are several hollows in the bowl.
        As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz

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