The Reliable Loo

It can be a homeowner’s worst nightmare:  A quick ‘flush’ after visiting the john and nothing’s making its way ‘down the toilet’.   Worse case scenario, your trustworthy potty’s apparently so clogged up, its ‘contents’ are now overflowing onto your bathroom floor!  Yuk! How untimely and beyond embarrassing if you have guests using your bathroom and the ‘old reliable’ failed to do its job!  Of all the plumbing nightmares a homeowner might experience, a malfunctioning toilet has to top the list.    

Yes, there are preventative measures you can take to help avoid this. Items that are absolute no-nos to flush:

·      wet wipes

·      cotton balls

·      paper towels

·      tampons and facial scrubs

While these are the most common offenders, I’ve found truth in the fact that it really comes down to the toilet itself!

Many homes have the newer, ‘environmentally friendly’ low-flow units that use only 1.6 gallons per flush vs. older models consuming 3.5 gallons every time you hit the lever.  Yet in my experience out in the field, the inefficiency of low flow toilets has caused people to “double or triple flush”, minimizing or eliminating the actual water savings. These toilets don’t force the solid waste far enough into the drainage system. The accumulation of solid waste in drainpipes can lead to backups, blockages and burst pipes.

Pressure Assist Toilets

A more reliable toilet is one that uses air pressure to produce a much more powerful ‘flush’.  Unless you looked under the lid you’d never know from a quick glance there was a difference from the standard ‘gravity toilets’ typically used by homeowners. Compressed air vs. the force of gravity can make all the difference.

Unlike gravity toilets, pressure assist toilets contain a sealed inner tank. When water comes into the tank from the water line, the air in the tank gets compressed. When flushing, the water is actually forced out by pressure of the compressed air  - instead of relying on the (typically inadequate!) force of gravity to get the job done.  It’s much more efficient – as all manner of waste is washed away in ‘one fell flush’!  And please be aware that pressure assisted toilets do cost more, but avoiding the hassle of a clogged, dirty loo might be well worth it!

Below are highlights of several of the ‘pressure assist’ toilets I highly recommend, which also rank in the top 5 by Consumer Reports:

The American Standard Champion-4 Toilet:

•   Offers a powerful yet quiet flush

•   Greater water flow per unit

•   Maximum Performance rating (Plumbing industry terms!) that means no clogging experience whatsoever!

The Toto CST454CEFG-01 Drake II Toilet: 

•   Creates a more forceful centrifugal action to scour the bowl and rim

•   Pushes a significant amount of water into the siphon to activate it – meaning it pulls waste matter most efficiently!

•   Ranks best in the class by Kohler

•   Offers tremendous water volume flow per unit time to the bowl

•   High performance cleaning action

•   Smooth flushing actuation using optimal water usage