Kohler Memoirs Toilets

[DanMcD]

is there anyone on the forum who has experice with the Kohler Memoirs Toilets?

Do they perform well and hold up over time?

[wjcandee]

Spend the extra $200 and get the similar looking Toto Soiree. Made in Georgia, USA. You will never regret it. Soiree User Reviews

Or, if you were looking at the $1200+ Memoirs one-piece, buy almost two Soirees.

For one thing, it's got the weird tower-flush deal. It may be a challenge to find affordable replacement parts, like you can with a Toto.

Kohler gravity flush models generally haven't received high marks in this forum...my only personal experience was with a horrible, Clogger Kohler Portrait toilet that I finally ripped out and replaced with a Toto Drake, something I would have done sooner if I had known how great Totos are.

[Gary Swart]

Kohler toilets do not perform well. They have not modified their internal design to eliminate the very sharp bends, so they tend to clog frequently. As far as "holding up over time, all toilets will need a new flapper or flush valve soon or later. One of the problems with Kohler is they have made numerous design changes on their flush valves and they are often available only for Kohler at a very high price, or sometimes no longer available at all. These are particular areas that Toto has addressed. The designs are such that clogs very rarely occur, and when parts are needed, they are readily available at a reasonable price.

[Terry]

The Memoirs is very much like their Cimarron. In the past few years they have gone away from the flapper and it's now a Cannister flush valve. They have improved the bowl rinse. The first generation Cimarron was a bit lacking.
The trapway is a little flat on the lower end; it does't point the waste down, but still moves things pretty well.

[BobL43]

is there anyone on the forum who has experice with the Kohler Memoirs Toilets?

Do they perform well and hold up over time?

From my own experiences with the Kohler Memoirs toilet, and mine is a 2006 round bowl model, I have no problems with it. I have recently replaced the fill valve and (I think) the flapper valve after more than 5 years of use.

In all fairness, this toilet is not in our most often used bathroom in the house, but it does get used at least once a day. I have no idea how they have "improved" this model over the years to make the pros here comment like they have on it, but do take their advice, as they know about the flow

I have never had a problem that I can recall with it having a flush problem (well maybe once or twice after a mega log).

[dave addison]

Just installed a Kohlers Memoirs 1.6 gpf with the cannister valve. The flush seemed quick with a marginal amount of water, and when I calculated the amount of water per flush it came out to be 1.36 gallons. I attached some flotation material to the outside of the cannister in order to slow its descent. This increased the amount per flush to a calculated 1.6 gallons. Gets a good flush now, but you gotta wonder about Kohler's designers, and how they determine the flush amount that they advertise.

[jadnashua]

Keep in mind that if you only measure what it takes to refill the tank, you'll come up short...the bowl needs to be refilled, too. It isn't uncommon for some extra to go down the drain, but most of that has been minimized or eliminated.

[Terry]

If the toilet uses 1.6 or less, then it met the 1.6 requirement.
There are plenty of bowls made then used less then 1.6 that were marked to use 1.6 or less.

And like Jim mentioned, you have to cut the water used to refill the bowl through the overflow tube. Many of the old bowls with a Fluidmaster 401 would dump two gallons down the drain by the time the tank finished refilling. It would be several gallons for the flush, and an extra two gallons wasted through the bowl trapway as the tank filled.