A.Rex Cauldwell
responds: When 1.6-gallon toilets first came
out, they did not work well because they were not
designed for low flush: They were essentially
3.5-gallon toilets with a 1.6-gallon tank capacity.
Everyone had trouble with them (you had to flush
twice), so many consumers resorted to
pressure-assisted units. Pressure-assisted units
typically work well in the beginning (although many
are noisy), but may eventually need repairs. In
some cases parts may be hard to find.
I prefer to keep it simple and use a gravity
toilet. Most of the new 1.6-gallon designs work
fine. However, when replacing a 3.5-gallon unit
with a low-flow, I try to keep the
customer’s expectations in line. Skid
marks are a problem with all the units and are just
something they’ll have to live with. Some
manufacturers give a written one-flush warranty and
advertise quiet operation, but I make no personal
guarantees.
To make the low-flows work better, many
manufacturers reduced the toilet’s
passageway diameter to around 1.5 inches. This
gives the water the velocity it needs to evacuate
the bowl, but the narrower outlets tend to clog
more often. One manufacturer, Toto, advertises a
much larger passageway — 2 1/8 inches
— and other makers are following suit.
A larger passageway — or a higher price
tag, for that matter — doesn’t
necessarily mean the toilet will flush better. Some
manufacturers have designs that are just downright
stupid. One well-known unit has to have the handle
in the down position for the entire length of the
flush. You can’t just push the handle
down, let go, and assume it will flush. If
I’m asked to install this unit,
I’ll make minor modifications to get it to
work better.
In general, low-flow toilets are more sensitive
to minor problems than 3.5-gallon units. For
example, putting blue tablets in the tank causes a
sticky coating to form everywhere. Older toilets
can tolerate this, but with low-flows, it can slow
down the water, causing "lazy flush syndrome." And
even a minor misadjustment of the water level
refill system in a low-flow unit may only allow 1
gallon to enter the tank — not enough for
a successful flush. By contrast, if a 3.5-gallon
toilet is misadjusted so that the tank only has 2.5
gallons, the toilet will probably still flush
fine.
Ask your plumber for advice when you’re
selecting a low-flow toilet. He or she should know
which models give the best service.
Rex Cauldwell is a master
plumber and electrician in Copper Hill,
Va.