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Leaky American Standard Toilets?

NotaClue | Posted in General Discussion on April 20, 2006 09:08am

Hey, what’s up? Consumer Reports and the California Water District people did these great tests to figure out what low flow toilets are best at “evacuating” solid waste from the bowl. The best can move darn near 900 gms (about 2 lbs) of synthetic poop with one flush without clogging.
Wow.

So, take a list with me to the plumbing supply store and check with a plumbing buddy and lo and behold; learn that 2 part American Standard toilets aren’t being stocked or recommended by the local trade because they leak from the single tube that enters the bottom of the water tank. (Northern California region)

Really?

Anyone have any insight into this?
Sound true?
Or is this just distributor/wholesaler flim-flam stuff?
NotaClue

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Replies

  1. BoJangles | Apr 20, 2006 03:09pm | #1

    I just installed two of them in my home.  I had the leak problem you describe with one of them.  I yanked them both and installed Kohler Pinoirs, which are a much better toilet in my opinion.  They are better looking, much quieter, and flush perfectly every time.

    1. NotaClue | Apr 20, 2006 06:51pm | #3

      I'll be darned.
      Thanks!
      Well that has to be unwelcome.
      There's two words you never want to see next to each other;
      "Toilet" and "problem"
      NotaClue

  2. User avater
    JDRHI | Apr 20, 2006 03:51pm | #2

    I've installed two American Standard bowls in my house over the past year and a half.

    No problems at all.

    NYC area. (If that makes any difference)

    J. D. Reynolds

    Home Improvements

  3. glatt | Apr 20, 2006 07:29pm | #4

    I have two American Standard toilets that are just a few years old. They don't leak. Work just fine. Flush well. No complaints. Don't know what model they are, but they were the cheapest, or close to it.

  4. User avater
    zak | Apr 20, 2006 10:11pm | #5

    Toto

    If you want a good toilet, Totos are the one to get- unlike other toilets, almost every model in their line works excellent.

    zak

    1. BillBrennen | Apr 20, 2006 10:25pm | #6

      Newsflush!Toto's not made in Kansas anymore. ;-)

      1. User avater
        JDRHI | Apr 21, 2006 05:09am | #10

        Can I get some crackers with that cheese?

        J. D. Reynolds

        Home Improvements

        Edited 4/20/2006 10:10 pm ET by JDRHI

        1. Mooney | Apr 21, 2006 06:28am | #11

          One of these days when I get rich , Im gonna buy me a Toto. MS says they are the real deal. I keep hearing about them on this board so I checked the price . 500.00. I understand yall like to mark up materials so Im closer to figgureing it out . . So far my only real life experiences are with the grand toilet to go versions at 49.00 per set which comes with bolts and a wax ring. Im currently running 15 houses on them and I get the problem calls from the renters. Not a problem in two years . Before that 2 in the last 6 years. Im saving my money for a Toto. Ive just got to know .

          Tim  

           

          1. User avater
            RRooster | Apr 21, 2006 06:56am | #12

            I've installed one toto.  Didn't seam any different than anything else. 

            Grunge on.  http://grungefm.com

             

          2. NotaClue | Apr 21, 2006 07:23am | #13

            So we put in a Toto in the Master bathroom.
            I'm impressed, inspite of myself.
            Handles everything with aplomb, looks good, hasn't clogged once yet.
            Wife made me order another for another bathroom in the house to replace the Kohler that clogs in the guest bath all the time (rather embarrassing for guests).
            Decide to skip over the American Standards; thanks for everyone's help.NotaClue

          3. User avater
            zak | Apr 21, 2006 07:54am | #14

            http://www.easycarts.net/ecarts/cgi-bin/terrylove/order.cgi?order

            I paid a little over $200 for my toilet.  Didn't seem like such an extravagant expense for something you use every day, but I don't have 15 of them.

            zak

          4. Mooney | Apr 21, 2006 01:21pm | #15

            ADA Ultramax elongated, 16-1/2" high bowlMS854114SL-01 for $469.00 in Cotton White

            In the store they are well over 500.00. You got a deal.

             

          5. User avater
            bp21901 | Apr 21, 2006 08:00pm | #17

            I have been paying about $158 for Toto ADA toilets from local plumbing supply house. They are their most basic model, but I have put in about 10 of them over the last two years for ourselves, family & church and have had no problems at all. The ADA and standard height are about the same price.

        2. BillBrennen | Apr 21, 2006 11:51pm | #18

          Wry crackers OK?

    2. djj | Apr 21, 2006 04:04am | #9

      I second the toto toilets. We put in three Drakes and they work a lot better than the American Standard Cadet we had at the old house. Not to mention that the Depot doesn't carry any parts for the Drake (even though they sell them)

      Regards,

      Dennis

  5. xxxxx | Apr 21, 2006 02:30am | #7

    Recently installed two AS commander toilets.  Two piece, 6l. flush, top rated, great flushers.

    Toilet #1-no problems

    Toilet #2-somebody messed up the tank fill hole punching it out of the soft clay during manufacture.  The extra little groove on one side was enough to keep the fill valve gasket from sealing.  Quality control not that great in Brazil.

    Toilet #2,tank #2-How many bad tanks can there be?  This time it was a little blob of glaze right next to the fill valve hole that kept the gasket from sealing.  Of course I didn't know that till after installation..........and removal...........and disassembly.  Again!   Now, I'm peeved.  (That's the polite word)

    Toilet #2,tank #3-You can bet I took tools along to Home Depot to disassemble and inspect that sucker before I took it home.  Did manage to keep my cool with HD, after all, it wasn't their fault.  Didn't get any grief from HD either, kind of like they weren't surprised.  Oh, tank #3 still hasn't leaked.

    I guess it's only fitting that AS went off-shore to try to make more money and ended up with such poor quality crappers.

     

    Paul

     

    1. chascomp | Apr 21, 2006 04:28pm | #16

      Yer first mistake was going to HD, but that subjects been beat to death, I swear HD gets the bottom of the line or the rejects from all manufacturers. I did install an AS in an emergency and have had three call backs. The biggest complaint was that the solid waste seems to not was off the side of the bowl, maybe synthetic waste doesn't leave skid marks, but the real stuff does. My customer and I split the difference on labor and she bought a kohler and I haven't seen her toilet since.

      1. BoJangles | Apr 22, 2006 12:23am | #19

        That is a big problem with the toilets with the 3" flappers.  They dump all the water in one big swoosh and leave the bowl dirty.  Kohler and almost everybody else offers a tank with the 3" flapper just to please the folks who want to flush 28 ping pong balls down the toilet.

        A much more practical toilet has a large trap (usually about 2 3/8- 2 1/2"), a large water surface area, and a quiet flush.  All of the toilets with the 3" flappers are very noisy in my experience. 

        1. chascomp | Apr 22, 2006 02:39am | #20

          Right, I hadn't considered that. Kohler make the Cimmeron, Cinnamon, or something, and it flushes in a flash, is guiet, but the more I install the more I don't want one. My first install loved it, no comments from the next seven and then bam! "I hate it! Get it out of my house!" no explanation. They paid for removal, disposal, and re-install. Comfort height, low boy, 3 gal, 1.6 gal, I need a supply house that can allow clients to do their business in private on all 100 toilets they sell, right!American pottery supposedly makes a great toilet- ahem - WC, I can't find a supplier in my area. All I ask is that a WC flushes on the first try, leaves the bowl free of skid marks, yellow bubbles and floaters, and meets code. If you know of one post it, I'll sell the s*** out of it.

          1. BoJangles | Apr 22, 2006 03:18am | #21

            Try the Kohler Pinoir...they'll love it!   Model K3465

            Edited 4/21/2006 8:30 pm ET by BoJangles

          2. DonK | Apr 22, 2006 04:10am | #22

            Two American Standards here that I put in, no real problem. (Both were low water units, elongated. One was an older model that would clog occasionally - once every six months.)

            Just got a Crane from plumbing supply and the flapper was leaking from the get go. Need to see if the replacement flapper is going to do the trick.

            Don K.

            EJG Homes      Renovations - New Construction - Rentals

          3. User avater
            BillHartmann | Apr 22, 2006 04:47am | #23

            I put in a $69 Crane toilet to go and had to replace the flapper the first thing.Then after about a month the tank started leaking. Around the flush valve. Still did not want to replace the mess so I replace the fush valve assembly. It leaked even more. Seems that there was a low spot in the cast prevent the flush valve to gasket to seal. Put in enough RTV to choke a horse. It still leaked. There was a small crack in the bottom of the tank. Probably caused the factory tighten up the orginal flush assembly to keep it from leaking. It was on so tight that I had to cut if off.Returned it and got a $100 AS TOG. Installed it and the tank leaked immediately. Bad flaw in the tank casting.At least this was new I was able to just get Lowes to swap out the tank.

          4. DonK | Apr 22, 2006 05:44am | #24

            If price is any indication (usually not) I should have the "better model". Mine cost about $150 wholesale. I'm going to check it out next week, tied up right now with other projects.

            Don K.

            EJG Homes      Renovations - New Construction - Rentals

          5. Mooney | Apr 22, 2006 07:34am | #25

            Im surprized here by the responses. I know they are everyones experiences so it makes it difficilt to understand  for me. If I had problems with a 150 dollar toilet I would be whizzed .  I never have problems with a 50 dollar toilet . Honestly I cannot understand why anyone would want more. DW and I both set on one apiece. Theres another one in  my basement . The one upstairs is a 7 gallon original thats seen a couple rebuilds from me because its Brown in color. If I thought we needed more I would buy a better one. I also put them in all the rentals as well as the houses I sell. The new ones Ive built got them too. As much as DW gripes about other things , shes never mentioned her commonde and believe me she would if she didnt like it . She wanted a nice faucet set in her bathroom and she got it that day. Pretty much the same with other things , but not a word on the toilet.

            Tim

             

  6. migraine | Apr 21, 2006 03:11am | #8

    Thanks for the heads up.  I was going to be buying one of these in the next day or so.

    Think I take a look at that recomendation of the Priniors from the other poster.  I have used quite a few of the Wellworth toilets in the past.  Maybe a time for a change.

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