American Standard Cadet 3 Three Toilet consumer product review

[David B]

To those with Cadet 3 flapper closing way too fast and not getting proper flush. I found the fix for mine. Flushes consistently and correctly now. I measured the flush and now actually uses the gpf it says on the tank. Not sure how much it used yesterday when bought it, but must have been about half.
http://www.terrylove.com/forums/show...al-flapper-fix

[Plumbripe]

Thanks a lot for the reply. I took the flush valve off, and found 2 bumps in the porcelain under the flush valve's gasket. One of them landed right on the edge of the gasket, I could see part of it visible outside. So I spent some time with a dremel and various sanding wheels, and ground those down as best as I could. Put it back together again, and so far, no leaks (fingers crossed).

Thanks to Saurav's question and Terry's answer I have solved the exact same problem of water leaking through the tank bolt (or at least it appeared so but I suspect the water made its way from the seal to the bolt perhaps). I too had the same porcelain bumps that while, small, were large enough to depress some of ridges of the seal joining the tank to the bowl. I also noticed a portion of the grey 'gunk' sealer used inside the tank was spilled over into the area the seal occupied and gummed up between the ridges of the seal. I grinded down the bits of porcelain and cleaned the gunk out of the seal and Voila! No leaks - finally after about 10 hours of frustration. Really glad I stumbled on this thread but not so glad about American Standard's qaulity control processes. I'd say this was poor. You'd simply need someone at the end of the line to inspect the tanks when they come off the mold and make what amounts to a 2 min fix. It frustrates me to no end when manufacturers tout the newest glaze, flush, environmental benefit or other feature but don't pay attention to the most basic and simple principle - qaulity. I opted to buy this model which was 2x more than a basic toilet only to wonder if this is indicative of what I can expect in the years ahead. I will be thinking twice about buying a new A/S model again. Let's hope the long-term experience with this toilet will make me keep an open mind.

[Mikey]

You'd simply need someone at the end of the line to inspect the tanks when they come off the mold and make what amounts to a 2 min fix.

The end of the line is the wrong place to be worrying about quality, but seems to be the American way of compensating for skimping on quality when the product is being manufactured.

[Reader Review]

have a 2 year old Am.Std. 1.6 lpf model that leaks water around the flapper. Same ol, but the black rubber gasket has several amazing water-filled blisters that prevent a tight seal. I pierced these bubbles with the tip of a sharp sewing needle and pushed the water out…it’s much better for now. Last time I looked, Casa Depo didn’t carry a replacement part for this model! Nor do they provide parts for my $80 kitchen faucet which also leaks. Maybe this stuff is supposed to be disposable. Jim Ashcom

[gramps]

I installed a cadet 3 last week in my house w/4.8L tank. I noticed that the water height in the bowl is low. I wondered if it was possible to make an adjustment so that I can get some extra water in the bowl.

Issue #2
another strange thing that happened right after I installed the toilet, was the fill valve was leaking water at the top (where the cap it), also creating a "hissing" sound. the tank eventually filled pass the overflow line, and after a few minutes the water in the bowl filled to the proper height. I opened the lid today, and noticed that this problem somehow fixed itself. Is there anything to be concerned about? (should I replace any parts now? I don't want this to be a reoccurring issue)

[jadnashua]

To test if the bowl water height is proper, take a bucket of water and after first noting the current level in there, slowly pour water in. To work properly, the water height in the bowl should be at the max level. If it gets higher and stays there after pouring water into the bowl (any excess will slowly drain out on its own), then you need to check the tube that going into the overflow pipe. If it isn't clipped on or is misaligned, or pushed down into the tube, it won't work right. If the water level drops to the original height, then that's as high as it gets on that bowl, nothing you can do about it. If it does go higher and stays there, then you need to investigate why it's not filling. If the water height in the tank is proper and the overflow bowl fill tube is oriented properly, then the fill valve is either the wrong one for your toilet, or needs to be replaced.

The hissing you noticed could have been from some debris that got caught in the seal. Subsequent flushes washed it away.

[Steve603]

Below is part of my post dated 04-12-2008 that refers to the defective Cadet 3 bowls. Today I found a defect in "Bowl #4" that goes beyond cosmetic which I consider serious.

We have been noticing a foul odor like stale urine that seems to be coming from inside the toilet bowl (not on the floor or anywhere else -- both of us have good noses). Until now, I have NEVER had a toilet that smells. This morning, after I noticed that the smell had gotten worse, I took a hand mirror and looked underneath the rim. See attached photos of the separation of the glaze between the rim and the bowl. I believe that this may be where the odor is coming from.

[/I]

Thank You!

That is an amazing photo! The next time I buy a toilet a hand mirror and level will be coming with me! Sure, splatters leave an extremely fertile ground for stench--what a horrendous (and increasing, I fear) example of total lack of QA.

[achutch]

Thank You!

That is an amazing photo! The next time I buy a toilet a hand mirror and level will be coming with me! Sure, splatters leave an extremely fertile ground for stench--what a horrendous (and increasing, I fear) example of total lack of QA.

Thank you, Steve603! I hope my experience and photos, plus the experiences of others who wasted time and money on a product that should have never made to the shelves, will help others to not make the same mistake.

As you read, I wasn't even willing to give American Standard a second chance even if I bought a Grade A Cadet 3 as shown at a plumbing supply house. If anyone asks me where and what to buy for a toilet, I will tell them NOT to buy one at a box store, and then I will point them toward Toto and to the plumbing supply house where I bought my two Drakes.

achutch

[gramps]

As you read, I wasn't even willing to give American Standard a second chance even if I bought a Grade A Cadet 3 as shown at a plumbing supply house.

.

How does that work? do they take the rejects with minor or major defects and give them to the big box stores?

[jadnashua]

It has been said, but I cannot confirm, that to get the lower price, the big box stores tell the manufacturer to not perform a final inspection (that is done for those that are sold through plumbing supply houses). Thus, it may come off the same production line, could be perfect, but also could be a reject if it were to go through that final inspection. So, you buy it, you are the final inspector. Most people don't know what to look for, and may not realize that it isn't working as it should. Course, it could be fine.

[skap]

I recently purchased 2 Cadet 3 toilets although they are now called cadet 3 Savers. I had read about the splashing problem and I too see a problem with splashing. After spending days looking over the toilet I think this may be just the design of the low water flow toilet. These toilets have the 3" flush valve(?) and I think that makes them more powerful. Combine that with a very low amount of water and I think this may be the cause of the splash. I have noticed that if you hold down the handle for about a second more then the entire tank will empty and there will be no splash. Overall I am happy with this toilet and we do not mind adjusting to holding the handle down for a second more or so when needed. I have a relative who bought 3 low water flow toilets and saw a significant decrease in his water bill.

[jadnashua]

Holding the handle down defeats the whole water saving premise...today's low flow toilets use the water height to provide the push and are not designed to use the whole tank like the old ones did. Holding it down can use as much as twice the water, and not save much, depending on the age of the one replaced. Good ones do not splash...

[garyw5687]

I bought three Cadet 3 one piece, ADA height, elongated toilets recently. All three of them were perfect - no flaws. They were very easy to install and they sit perfectly flat and level. The flushing performance is phenomenal. They are MAP rated at 1000. The bowl wash is very effective and the water spot is relatively large for a 1.28 gal flush toilet. The everclean glaze that they use seems stays very clean - the water still beads on it after over 2 months. I have not had to use a toilet brush so far.

The flapper is different than the one that is shown in previous posts. Maybe they improved it? I don't know, but I have had no issues so far.

All in all - I am very happy with my purchase. The one thing I don't like is that the Toto S300 Washlet seat I purchased will not mount on the one-piece Cadet 3 toilet. This is because there is a lip that rises up to the tank from the bowl. This is supposed to make the toilet easier to clean, but it also prevents me from installing the washlet.

I found that the washlet will fit on a Champion 4, but this meant I had to swap toilets from the guest bath to the master bath. What a pain! The washlet works perfectly on the Champion 4 and is highly recommended. It was very easy to install - less than 1/2 hour. Now, not only am I using a lot less water, but I am also using a lot less TP. A good combination for a septic system.

I have an American Standard Cadet 3 two piece, ADA height, elongated toilet (model 3016.016.222) and I'm not sure from your above post if a Toto washlet, such as the S300, will or will not work with my toilet. It seems to me from Toto's literature that the Cadet's rim isn't wide enough (dimension D under "Dimensional Requirements"). The literature says the width needs to be at least 18" (9" from center, but I'm simply doubling it). My Cadet is only 14" wide at the widest part of the rim. Am I reading this correctly?

Thanks in advance!

Sincerely,
Gary

[gellfex]

Why do people continue to buy not only American Standard and Kohler toilets even though they have problems?

Maybe not everyone has problems. I bought a Cadet 3 for my bath reno after seeing many great reviews and I was happy with the design after a tank upgrade. I figured for 1/3 the cost of a Toto I would take the chance. Its been over 2 years and I have not 1 complaint. It NEVER takes more than 1 flush.

[simonC]

I installed two basic Cadet 3 Roundfront Toilets (6 Liters) in our household of 5 adults around September 2009, and both have been working well with no problems for 2 years now. Great flush, fast and not noisy, never need 2 flushes (to my memory), even though I adjusted early the water-level to just under 5 liters ! Its superior performance compared to our previous 13 L toilets, which did not flush sometimes, can be explained as follows :

1) The flush-valve is 3 inches, much larger than the 2" in most toilet tanks, thus giving a stronger water down-flush. Same as the top-rated Toto toilets which are more expensive.

2) The trapsize is 2 1/8", which is said to be about the average today or slightly more. The minimum standard was 1 1/2". Champion has larger trapsizes and Caroma has 3" and 4". It is sufficient anyhow to our experience.

3) The trapway is glazed, allowing a smoother pass ( I have checked it with my hand, though it didn't feel fully glazed inside, or as smooth as the outside).

4) The wide water-surface area (9" x 8") should be a contributing feature also.

Another feature is that it fits into our bathroom floor rough-in which is less than 12" perfectly (measured from the flange-hole center to the back wall), since the Cadet 3 toilet rough-in is measured about 11 1/2" (from the bowl-outlet center to the tank's back). Our former toilet has an exact 12" rough-in, which caused a misalignment with our flange-hole, a ' tilted ' tank, and water leak troubles in our bathroom to downstairs ! However, if your floor rough-in is 12" or more, you could see a small gap between the tank and wall.

Only one complication in our case. I found some waterdrops appearing nonstop at the tank's bottom after installation. Eventually, I bought a set of tank bolts/nuts/washers that has additional washers and nuts sealing the tank bottom's openings where the bolts come out, and there was no more water dripping. I sealed the second toilet similarly without testing first. I further put some Duct tapes on the first tank's bottom and back just in case of condensation.

Also, I used ' nylon ' nuts (white plastic) instead of the common ' brass ' nuts to prevent rusting, which has caused me much trouble in removing the toilet from the floor, and separating the bowl and tank. Moreover, I put washers and nylon nuts onto the floor bolts to ' fix ' them to the flange, so I could ' center ' the toilet bowl-outlet with the flange-hole surely without shifting the bolts' positions, as the bowl touched them during installation. This off-center misalignment has caused water leak problems to our ceiling downstairs before !

I bought each roundfront bowl (3011.016.020) and lined tank (4021.500.020) at a home depot store in Toronto for about $200 Canadian dollars - a great deal considering many more expensive toilets simply do not flush as well ! And many use more water still ! The outer design of Cadet 3 looks very nice either. Can't find a better deal.