new commode

[trailer]

We're thinking about replacing one of our 1970's era commodes in one of our bathrooms. We have 3 commodes in the house and will probably replace all of them eventually. Each commode is of the older (6 gallon?) flush type.

Years ago I was told to hang on to the older commodes because the newer ones didn't flush well and were prone to a lot of noise.

How do the new commodes sold today work? We are looking to save water, even though just two adults live in the house.

Also, are the newer commodes quite? I don't think I would accept a commode that made a lot of flush noise.

Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks

[trailer]

toilet might have been a better term...

Years ago I was told to hang on to the older commodes because the newer ones didn't flush well and were prone to a lot of noise.

How do the new commodes sold today work? We are looking to save water, even though just two adults live in the house.

Also, are the newer commodes quite? I don't think I would accept a commode that made a lot of flush noise.

Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks

[ransley]

Consumer reports tested most of them, subscribe I guess or maybe the review can be googled. Get a glazed large trap. They now work well, even HDs 59.95 glacier bay unit, I had a apt converted to them in 07 and had had no complaints and they are quiet, I put in 12 of them. Im sure many new ones dont flush well, the pressurized tanks are real noisy, like a jet taking off, but there should be alot out there that have the bugs worked out that save water. The reason to read a review like CR is money spent doesnt determine what is good.

[Stormin Mormon]

Please take the old ones out gently, and list them for sale, used. Used toilets have a real place in the world. Some folks hate the 1.6 galon "flush twice, or clog the drain" models.

If you put in 1.6, be sure to wash your hands after, to send more water down the drain.

Quite? Quite, what? The ones I've used have been quite inadequate.

[Steve Barker]

I've never heard of a "noisy" toilet. And i've had real good luck with the american standard 'wellworth' model of toilets. If you want extra water down the hatch (which our 6 have never needed) you just hold the handle down.

s

[Frank]

I've had 3 of mine replaced. All three were an improvement and are not noisier. I suspect the bad reputation of the low water consumption toilets was probably due to the first ones that came out many years ago.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Some of the old ones were terrible. The new ones, however, work well and flush fairly quietly. American Standard has a Cadet line with 4" trap that is supposed to be very good (I've seen demos on TV) and Kohler makes a couple of good ones. We have Kohler at work and no problems in over two years now.

[olddog]

You mean "quiet" not "quite".

I replaced 2 old toilets with LF toilets in my house in Abq. The new toilets worked much better and were not noisy. You maybe referring to the power flush toilets which are more expensive and in my situation not necessary.

I wonder if altitude has anything to do with the function of toilets?

od

[RicodJour]

Reading into that, does that mean you don't wash your hands afterwards?

You've obviously never had a Toto. Lumping all low-flush toilets together is like lumping all softwoods together - you know, meaningless.

R

[Ed Pawlowski]

Maybe he means "the seat is quite cold in the morning"

[Ralph Mowery]

I put in one about 2 years ago. It was a high dollar one and it flushes well. Main thing is it does not swirle the water like the older ones and leaves solid waste stains above where the water is if you miss the water already in it.

[RicodJour]

A new toilet cost a buck or a buck and a half, and you've put up with this for how long...?

If you have that much of a freezing problem, a little more water will freeze up in the waste line every time something flows through it. Even with a six gallon flush you'd end up getting a frozen blockage. Drain lines should be run below the frost line whenever possible. It sounds like you need a redesign.

Poop in the evening. ;)

R

[cshenk]

"trailer" wrote

Perhaps the earlier ones were. I dont know. The new ones (even cheaper models) work just fine and are quiet.

Here's an aspect the others didnt mention. The footprint may be different so you may end up with a tile/flooring issue. Generally the newer ones are smaller footprint than the older larger models.

[trailer]

yep-should have been 'quiet'. sorry.

someone brought up the footprint issue. do some of the newer toilets have the same footprints as the older ones? Also wonder about the toilet hold down screws lining up same as old toilet.

my current toilets are American Standard, vintage 1970-1973. I guess the gallons are 3.2/flush.

You mean "quiet" not "quite".

I replaced 2 old toilets with LF toilets in my house in Abq. The new toilets worked much better and were not noisy. You maybe referring to the power flush toilets which are more expensive and in my situation not necessary.

I wonder if altitude has anything to do with the function of toilets?

od

[Red]

I replaced my 70's era commodes a few years ago with American Standard LF ones. They barely flushed but worked for a couple of years. Then it was a constant battle & several flushes to get all the crap out of the bowl. I replaced them with Toto units and everything shoots out of the bowl in one flush. Doesn't seem to matter how much crap or paper is in the bowl, it all shoots out in one flush. I even saw an ad showing them flushing kids toys down one.

Toto had a patent on their toilets and no one could duplicate them. The prices were high but well worth it. The patent ran out late last year and several companies are now making their toilets to Toto specs at a cheaper price. Stay away from the big box stores and go to your local plumbing supply for info on which models are similar to Toto.

Red

[RicodJour]

Danger, Will Robinson! Don't show that video to a kid! It'll give them ideas.

I hadn't heard that about the patents. I found a guy on eBay that sold Toto toilets - he also had a web site, and the prices I got through him were quite reasonable.

[HeyBub]

"Commode" is less ambigious.

"Toilet" could be a room. "Commode" is definitely a fixture.

No one ever says "I'm going to the commode."

[HeyBub]

If you really want to save water, consider the following refrain:

In days of old, When knights were bold, Before toilets were invented, They dumped their load, Beside the road, And went their way contented.

[Jim Elbrecht]

Toys!? How about 36 golf balls?

[a danze toilet, BTW] Jim

[mm]

Yean, but there were certainlly quiet toilets. More quiet than 95+% of the others. The one we had until we moved when I was ten was so quiet during flushing. My father must have paid extra for it. The tank was very short, at least 10 or 12 inches shorter than most toilets, barely reached above the level of the bowl (not counting the seat, of course), and it was shaped like a Milk-bone dog biscuit, so I guess it made up for the lack of height by a bigger cross section.

I don't know if they still sell these or not.

A friend has one, not the new lo-volume kind, in her one-man office at work, and its just as quiet. I told her if they were remodelling, I'd buy it, but I know her boss, her uncle, and he's not remodeling anything unless it's broken. (And I live alone so it's not like anyone is waking anyone up with a noisy toilet. Although the refilling annoyed me, so I turned the valve behind the toilet down so that the water enters at a very low rate and doesn't make any noise.)

Really! That works on all of them or you're just vouching for wellworth?