American Standard Cadet 3 Three Toilet consumer product review

[nashkato]

Can someone tell me what the item number is for the home depot 4019.016 bowl he is reffering to? Im guessing its around ** bucks from his total cost here. I just want to be able to go pick it up or get lowes to price match it.

From what I found out the tank is 112.50 from both lowes and home depot. The bowl is 61 from lowes. That is 173.50+tax so kinda far from the $*** Derek quoted above me.

One year later, I noticed your post and recorded the info on a recent rip to HD. My local store still has the "compact" tank, item 4019.016.020 (last .020 = color code I think). Price is $**.00 here in North Carolina. SKU at HD is 732-312. Sorry this is probably not helpful anymore.

[bcgrote]

We REALLY need a new toilet, our 70's era Norton just can't handle my ladylike eliminations!

I like the price and the coating on the Cadet 3, as well as the flushing power, and I think I can DIY any adjustments needed in the tank, no sweat.

I measured our current toity to make sure I get a replacement that fits. I measured the rough in distance from the wall to the floor bolts, as I saw on another site. Ummm, I got 14"!!! Is this going to cause a problem with stability? Will I have a 2 inch gap between the toilet and the wall, or ugly lines on my bathroom floor?

I'm going to have the toilet installed by my favorite plumber, after we check and purchase the all in one single unit Cadet 3 ourselves. Could we be in for a HUGE expense regarding subflooring and tile replacement that makes replacing Mrs. Norton unaffordable?

[kingsotall]

I for one have never believed the wall is supposed to add any support to a toilet. Just the two tank bolts. I have seen too many toilets away from the wall to think that the wall is supposed to have a necessary part in regards to the toilet.

[jadnashua]

Depending on what's on the floor now, and how it was installed, replacing the toilet may not leave any evidence from the old one, or it could be a major pain. If you install a standard 12" rough toilet , you'll have a big gap behind it. If you buy a 14" toilet, unless it is a Toto model that uses the UniFit adapter, they typically just put a thicker tank on it, and it sticks out further into the room. Toto is the only one that uses the same toilet, and moves it forward or back by selecting the needed adapter (hidden underneath the toilet).

[bcgrote]

It's good to know that the wall isn't adding stability, but scary to think that a heavy porcelain tank is only supported by those 2 bolts... Especially in earthquake country! If I had small kids, it would be a definite NO. Hmm, are 2 grown men equivalent to a toddler? LOL!

I called my local Lowe's, and the price they offered for the Cadet 3 in 14" was only about fifty bucks more than their current shelf price for the 12 inch standard... PHEW!!! Looking online, the 14 inch was DOUBLE the price of the 12!!!

The salesman REALLY tried to push the "comfort height" ADA taller toilet, but we all have short legs, and it would NOT be helpful to have a taller toilet. The body is more efficient on a shorter one, so thankfully we didn't have to go there!

I guess I'll HAVE to special order, but the guy at Lowe's says he locked in that price for me for 48 hours. I guess I can live for a few more days with what we have.
-----------------------
OH! Does anyone know if the special coating on the Cadet 3 is all through the inside as well as the outside? Apparently we are having to replace this toilet because of hard water build up over 35 years reducing the pipe size!

(We measure the water here on the Mohs scale, it's so hard! LOL, and LA claims to have the 3rd best water in the nation? Haha, maybe BEFORE it goes through the ancient pipes!)

[Terry]

Since the bowl on the 14" cadet is the same as the 12"
you may as well go with the cheaper of the two.

Unless you switch brands, the bowl is just going to be sitting out a long way from the wall.

[Rich B]

I need two 14" toilets and was going to buy the Cadet 3's until I read this thread. I need all the room in front of the toilet I can get as the bathroom is a 5x8. What Model Toto's are the best choice for a 14" rough in? I also see that there might be an issue with the location for the water supply line for one of these Toto's. I have an older American std, round front 12'" now in one bathroom and it sits well away from the wall. I have a shelf unit covering the area but would really like to get one that sits closer to the wall......and elongated.....What Toto do you suggest Terry that fits my "low budget" nature......LOL

[Terry]

Rich,
The 14" rough-in information is here

14" Rough-In Information

[Rich B]

Thanks for that info Terry it is very helpull. I think I will buy 2 Toto Vespins........

[gascolator]

My Cadet 3 has just been too much work to own to buy another.

The really cheap fill valve when bad after less than six months. I didn't
feel too bad about that because the thing was pretty scary anyway---
I'm partial to Fluidmasters. I just regretted not having done the job
when the toilet was new and dry, as the mechanism had "failure"
written all over it.

But now I'm getting the flush valve leak issue.

Finding a replacement may entail taking time off work, since neither
Lowes nor Home Depot bother to stock the OEM parts for what they
sell. They'd probably rather just sell you a whole new toilet, anyway.

I did try buying the Korky replacement, but it's enough narrower than
the 'ears' on the flush seal/overflow assembly that it may or may not
seat in the proper position to avoid leaking

Too bad Fluidmaster doesn't seem to make the whole of the flush
mechanism for a 3" toilet.

Also too bad nobody sells just the rubber gasket for the flapper.

The only way a toilet should consume this much time is when you're
sitting on it and reading. And darn it, I want "standard" (not "American
Standard" parts that I can pick up in any store.


The black rubber on the Cadet 3 Flapper starts to blister, this one is six months old.

[Ian Gills]

They are all relatively standard and easily found. I pimped my Cadet 3 big time using only parts from the big box store. A Korky fill valve and flapper, a new handle. They were all there.

Stay away from the original flapper. That was the only design flaw and one I can happily live with now I have discovered Korky replacement parts.

It goes like a dream.

[jdatbs77]

I installed one of these in my small bathroom, replacing a round bowl Eljer. Installation was a snap. Turned on the water and was amazed at how fast it flushed and refilled, and quietly, too. At first you may think something is wrong because you don't have the typical swirling water in the bowl when you flush it, but it's been about two weeks and this unit has taken everything that we can give it without a problem. Cost out the door with wax ring and slow-close seat: $***.** I highly recommend this unit.

[jdatbs77]

I have not had any problems keeping this unit clean. I put a Clorox hockey puck in the tank and have yet to have to scrub the bowl, although I will give it a polish once a month. If you are having problems with waste stains on the sides of your bowl, drink more water and practice centering yourself on the seat.

[Redwood]

I have not had any problems keeping this unit clean. I put a Clorox hockey puck in the tank and have yet to have to scrub the bowl, although I will give it a polish once a month. If you are having problems with waste stains on the sides of your bowl, drink more water and practice centering yourself on the seat.

The added chlorine in the water from these hockey pucks is very detrimental to the service life of rubber parts in the tank. In fact they are so bad for the parts that using them voids the warranty on every major brand of toilet that I can think of....

I would suggest immediately removing the hockey puck from the tank is your best course of action and if you must use a bowl cleaner install the Fluidmaster Flush~N~Sparkle system. The cleaner bypasses the tank and goes directly to the bowl so damage to the rubber components is averted.

Click here for information on the Fluidmaster Flush~N~Sparkle system

[cyborg28]

At the beginning of June I purchased a Regular 12" rough Cadet 3 - 2 piece toilet from Lowe's in Toronto. When I got home I realized that the
tank was not lined (and the bowl was already installed) so I returned the tank to Lowe's and got a Lined Tropic Cadet 3 Tank from Home Depot
(Lined Cadet 3 tanks not stocked by Lowes I think. I realize none of the above is American Standard's fault).

The bowl did not sit evenly on the floor (previous American Standard Marina toilet was fine) and required a large amount of torque on the
bolts to stabilize. The toilet bowl loosened frequently and wobbled and require re-tightening to the closet flange.

The Tropic Cadet 3 tank flushed well but the handle often got stuck down (flapper open), causing the toilet to run. Also the valve that lets water into the tank sometimes got stuck down, causing water to run out the overflow.

After 3 weeks of trying to adjust the tank I returned it to Home Depot and purchased a normal Cadet 3 Lined tank. This tank works well and has
none of the above problems.

One week after installing the new tank, the toilet was wobbling more and started to leak between the bowl / wax ring / floor. I removed the
tank and toilet and set it on several different flat surfaces. The toilet wobbled on all surfaces, including the poured concrete slab in
the return department at Lowe's. After some arguing about not taking used toilets I finally exchanged the initial Cadet 3 12" regular height
round front bowl for another one at Lowe's.

The new bowl which I installed, sits perfectly on my bathroom floor but seems oddly shaped and requires much more water to flush properly than
the previous bowl. I had to increase the water level in the tank to max and shorten the flush chain in order to get it to empty "solid" waste.
The main hole where the flush water enters the bowl at the bottom is not symmetrical, the exit hole at the bottom where the wax ring goes is not round
and one edge of the bottom of the toilet is a smooth curve while the other side is bumpy. Also the wholes around the rim of the bowl that wash the bowl are very uneven (by water flow pattern, have not seen them first hand).

Is it normal for a toilet bowl to be so misshapen? It seems to affect the performance of what was supposed to be an efficient toilet. I have
been through a total of 5 pieces and 3 installs to get a stable toilet and do not want to have to do it again, but the toilet seems to need a
lot of water to flush and does a much worse job of flushing than I was accustomed to with the previous bowl (still not bad in the grand scheme).

Can / should I get a new bowl? Do properly made Cadet 3 Bowls exist? My two were made in the Dominican Republic. The Tanks made in Mexico. This entire experience has been an exercise in frustration.

I have installed many American Standard products in the past, most recently a Colony fit right toilet that was perfect out of the box and a
morning vessel sink and Marina (I think) acrylic tub and not had any problems. (I did have a warranty request for a part for a marina toilet,
but it turned out to be debris in the fill valve)

I was shocked that the Cadet 3 was so much worse than the Colony.