American Standard Champion toilet Review and comments. Rated #1 by Consumer Reports

**burnabyjones** · 01-03-2006, 11:25 PM

I own a sheetmetal / HVAC co. , been in the trades for 31 yrs.
I know all the suppliers in my area....Monterey county CA.
Wound up with a couple of the champion toilets........
.......They are pure GARBAGE!!.....do not buy!

**Reader Review** · 01-05-2006, 08:50 AM

I had this toilet installed in September, 2005. The flushing action is
very good, and I've had no leakage problems. It does make a loud
clunking sound upon flushing which is very objectionable. Due to the
noise, I wish I'd gone with a Toto or other well-received brand.
Tom

**finnegan** · 01-05-2006, 11:53 AM

I am the guy who just said no problem with AS Chamption one piece. Just got a call that handle is sticking causing toilet to run. Great.

I called AS and they are sending me a new flush tower. I did not need a receipt or to have registered the toilet. They said since the toilet has a 10 year warranty and has only been out a few years, everything is covered. Hopefully this will work.

**Reader Review** · 01-06-2006, 08:53 AM

I have a Champion Right Height toilet for my master bath, and I was looking into some of the new styled versions for my powder room. I clicked on the reviews section for the Champion in the process and noticed all of the negative reviews and was surprised.

I have not had any issues with leaking on continued water running at all. I have been very pleased with the overall performance of this product and I would advise other people to buy it, as I have with all of my friends.
Maybe this is an old issue that was addressed by the manufacturer? All I know is that I am very happy with my purchase and am looking forward to putting a styled one in my other bathroom. I hope this helps other people looking into this product.

Thanks,
John Miller

**Reader Review** · 01-06-2006, 08:54 AM

I bought one when they first came out three years ago - the hype sounded so
good! It was the hardest toilet ever to put together and install. However
it worked fine for about 3 months, then the handle would stick in the down
position, so you would have to jiggle it to get it back up. I tried
everything to make it work right, but nothing ever helped. The entire
flush valve eventually cracked - for all that technology they use cheap
plastic (probably foreign made). Then they would not honor a warranty
request, even though the unit was under 3 years old!!! They asked for
proof of purchase, and I stated I'd send the old parts, but that wasn't
good enough. Since it comes with a 10 year warranty, and they've only been
on the market 3 years, HOW CAN IT NOT BE UNDER WARRANTY!!!

I'll never walk past Kohler at the plumber supply again.

Jeffrey A. Osowski, RCDD/NTS

**Reader Review** · 01-11-2006, 11:33 AM

Two years ago bought a Champion. Leak started from tank to bowl. This is caused by a mis-placed or worn out Flush Valve Seal.(A red gasket that fits in a grove.) Replaced at a pluming suply store for about $9.
Sat, 7 Jan 2006
Guernsey

**Reader Review** · 01-11-2006, 11:35 AM

We just moved in, to find that we have several problem toilets. In our prior house, we installed two AS Champion toilets and both worked very well (vintage about mid 2004, from Home Depot). We did have a problem with getting the famous china to china seal on both, and even had one tank crack trying to get there, but the person I reached at AS sent a full replacement tank overnight and we were successful. My only other experience with low flo toilets has been the Toto Ultramax - expensive and needed more plunging than the AS.
Wed, 11 Jan 2006
Tina

**Reader Review** · 01-11-2006, 11:35 AM

1-11-06. Glad to see I am not the only one with a bad flush valve gasket. My champion is about 1 year old and I've been fiddling with it for the last 4 months. After reading all of these posts I called American Standard and have a new gasket in the mail to me -no charge- after only 3 minutes on the phone. They also gave me a reference number so I can call anytime in the next nine years for free parts. It looks easy enough to install myself. A suggestion for all champion owners: install a 1/4 turn shutoff valve on the supply and use it when you're not going to be around to listen for & correct the leak- yes- not only vacations but while you are at work every day. Also, if you clip the flush chain on the longest possible setting, the "flush clunk" is not that bad. Not quite sure how to keep that left side/impossible to get at seat nut tight.

No I would not buy another one.

Is anything made today that works right and never breaks and doesn't have to be constantly watched, checked, adjusted and fixed ? I think NOT!!!! So get over it.
Jim T

Their phone number is 800-442-2190

**Dunbar Plumbing** · 01-11-2006, 11:45 AM

I just turned down a service call today to install one of these famous "Champion" toilets. The customer stated that they already have the toilet and that is what prompted me to ask what they bought. I went on with my onslaught of info on the toilet and its problems, gave them the website here to look at under Reader Review. Apparently they did not want to part with their beloved toilet because the last words were that they was going to find another plumber to install it. My parting words? GOOD LUCK

I guess they figured I had an alterior motive to sell one of my personal stock toilets. The conversation didn't really get that far and I wasn't able to mention Toto toilets either.

Oh well, NEXT!

Maybe they was a golfer and was sold on the golf ball demonstration? We'll never know.....

**jadnashua** · 01-12-2006, 10:06 AM

Personally, especially if he could back it up with practical evidence, I would applaud a plumber that would let me know about problems with the product I was trying to have him install. It doesn't make either him look good when it fails, or me feel good a when I pay a pro, I appreciate the knowledge they have. How many people get a chance to really check out problems with numerous brands/models of toilets? Real-world testing is much better than a golf-ball flush test some do. My personal opinion.

**Tekmar1** · 01-12-2006, 09:25 PM

One word "GARBAGE".Installed 3 of these toilets for a customer a year ago.{purchased from Wolsely wholesale in Canada} and have since had to replace the flushvalves 5 times.I had A.S. send me a box of 6 as spare parts because nobody stocks any parts for these pieces of garbage.

P.S.-The flushvalves are made of plastic and break very easily.

Grading the best toilets, the ones that work!

**Cass** · 01-14-2006, 05:08 AM

If I told a customer that they were garbage and they still wanted me to install it I would do it in a heart beat. Then when they were totaly disgusted with it I could sell or install another for them.

The customer is always right....... it just might take them a few trys to get it right.

**jadnashua** · 01-14-2006, 12:43 PM

As I think I noted earlier...the average person does not live with a vast variety of different toilets in their life. A plumber sees the best and worst of them, and (at least should) gets a good idea of what works and what doesn't. Some of it is subjective, like style, but much of it is really performance. Part of that performance is ease of replacement parts (the guts do wear out!) and their availability and price, and the rest is how well they actually flush what the average consumer puts down the toilet. The average consumer does not have this experience. CU doesn't live with the toilets...they flush various things. Other tests seem to be better, and then there are the plumbers that see the results after a year or years later. So, a consumer that doesn't at least listen to a professional is really losing out.

**karen** · 01-26-2006, 06:39 PM

I'm glad I found this site. Never thought I'd be excited about a toilet forum, but I need some clarification. I'm not sure my problem with my champion toilet is what others are describing. After I got used to the clunk flushing, we started having problems with the toilet after flushing - it just keeps running and running, and since you can't jiggle the handle like in the old days, you have to take the top off and touch that little gray thing at the top to get it to stop. Is that what everyone's talking about the red seal gasket?
Also, the tank doesn't seem connected snugly to the bowl. That seems to be
common, too. Seems pretty precarious, like it could come off at any minute.
My HD salesman insisted this was 'the best'. Didn't say best what, though.

I'd never spent so much on a toilet - like $475 and I complimented it with a quiet close toto seat. So, instead of being awakened by a slamming seat, I get the thud of a flush.
Can I Return the whole darned thing? It's a crappy crapper.

Karen

**Reader Review** · 01-27-2006, 09:14 AM

I bought one of these toilets because it came in the color I needed, and it was supposed to be a top of the line product according to American Stanard's advertising. What a bunch of bull. The toilet does not flush every time, or evan most of the time.

There are six people in my family. We have three toilets, two Kholers and this American Standard. We have not had one bit of problems from the Kholer toilets, but this Amercan Standard is junk.

My complaints are basically the same as everyone elses. I agree with another responder. This product should have never made it to the consumer and some folks should be fired for it.
Thu, 26 Jan 2006
Jim H