Penguin Toilets W/ Overflow Protections

[wjcandee]

At our hotels, we began installing Toto toilets per your recommendation on your blog and we love them.

We have one tough location that we are about to replace the existing American Standard in with a Toto ADA compliant 3" flush valve elongated model, which is our preferred. In this public restroom, guests often clog it and then flush repeatedly, causing the bowl to overflow into the shop on the next floor down.

Toto doesn't offer overflow protection that we know of, though they are very hard to clog which is an overflow protection in itself.

I think you answered your own question. The best protection against overflows is a toilet that doesn't clog often.

Not only that, but if it's a 1.28 gallon-per-flush Drake, when/if it does clog it is going to take a whole lot of flushes to overflow it. Because of the refill time, that means a guest is standing over the thing for a long time while it refills and they try to flush again. Most would just abandon it after the second flush, which wouldn't overflow it. Also, a solid second flush might clear the Drake.

I'd go with the Drake, and put up a little sign that says, "If toilet clogs, call Maintenance at X1234 and we will respond promptly." You are not likely to get many calls. If you do, then Plan B is to add a little sign that suggests that folks: "Hold flush handle down an extra second if flushing larger volumes of solids." or something equally-tasteful. We all know that an extra second of water in the Drake will clear even a small mountain of Charmin Ultra.

If you didn't know the above, then you should buy and install a Drake in your home or hotel office bathroom so that you gain a better appreciation of what you are dealing with: a toilet where the technology-development money has been invested in the design of the long-lasting china, so that it can use very simple, readily-available, internal parts. Ten years from now, try finding a replacement part for some of the more exotic "canister flushes", "cylinder flushes", "pressure assist flushes" etc. The ridiculous American Standard Galleria one-piece lowboy in my city apartment bathroom has almost-totally-custom parts (although some parts made for a similarly-dumb Kohler may be adapted to it). Accordingly, IF I can find a part online, like a ballcock or fill valve, it's going to cost me $150. So instead I would have to pay a plumber to rebuild the existing parts, which will cost a comparable amount. In contrast, twenty years from now, approved generic substitutes for those simple Drake parts will still be available around the corner, even if one lives in Oshkosh. That's the genius of the thinking going on at Toto.

As to the price difference, because you are a regular reader of this forum you know that you're going to get what you pay for. Once you get below the price for Totos, you're going to be talking about more "disposable" products.

Finally, if price is really that critical to you, as a hotel, you can probably negotiate a better price on the Drake with a local supply house than you are quoting. If your own employees are installing the toilet and you just want the toilet, you can find the CST744EL or CST744SL. Just do a little research. If you are having a plumber install it, then you do the right thing and buy it from him, because we all realize you are getting a little better price on the install because the plumber is rightfully-making a little profit on the unit, and also will usually give you a two-year warranty on his work, which is part of what you are paying him for.

[molo]

I can assure you that is not the case. The issue with the drake is its inability to deal with large amounts of paper and a relatively small bowl design.

Although both elongated, the inside of the drake bowl is considerably smaller than that of my Kohler power assist. This causes a bottle neck at the bottom and, if you have too much paper, bam you get a clog.

Also, the toilet seems to count on one stream of water to get everything down whereas my poweflush almost does the flush in two stages. It is all one flush but the water pattern starts to remove content to clear the exit hole then more comes to get the remaining.

I have had my power assist for two years and never, ever clogged it. The drake on the other hand used to clog pretty regularly until I learned its limits. Also, since the flush is just gravity fed the bowl does not rinse clean often so I have to flush again - so much for water savings.

I am no expert so I can only go by my limited experience but having used both the drake and power assisted (wellworth?) there is zero contest when it comes to bulk flushing or bowl cleaning performance.

What model Kohler is this?