INAX Dover Dual Flush Toilet Review, pictures & comments

[Terry]

INAX Dover Dual-Flush toilet review with pictures and comments.
Inax uses a dual outlet rinse in the bowl that swirls the water to wash out and flush the bowl.
The Dover has a skirted bowl that uses an adapter for the closet flange. The flush valve spins out for servicing. For a standard rough-in, you will need an extra long water supply line. The fill valve is on the opposite side from what we are used to.



INAX Dover 3/4 view



Inside the tank of the Dover.



Preparing the installation



Without the seat or water.

[sly]

Terry, does the distributor there in Seattle still have the product and replacement parts? Chris Paulsen who replied on my earlier thread about INAX is apparently no longer with the company. I bought one from my local dealer early this year, still in the box, but they told me today that after the restructuring / merger with LIXIL that they can no longer get the product. I was wondering if I should track down parts now in case they leave the US market, and (coincidentally) I see that you posted this!

[wjcandee]

For what it's worth, INAX merged into LIXIL in April 2011. It wasn't until after that date that INAX looked for and found a spot in Manhattan for their first New York showroom of toilets and other plumbing products, around the corner from the Flatiron Building. I think it opened in late October of 2012, almost 18 months after the merger.

I would think that this tends to indicate that the merger strengthens, rather than retards, their interest in penetrating the US. It wasn't until the early part of 2012 that I started seeing INAX mentioned seriously as a source of China fixtures in the US, although their bidet seats have been around longer.

Here in New York, the INAX line is carried at Blackman and Gracious Home, which are two high-end plumbing and fixture suppliers. You go and see what kind of stuff is available with quality and a good price elsewhere, then you go to Blackman and get tempted by the really-nice stuff. (That's how people end up paying $1000 for a faucet -- unless some snobby designer picks it for them.)

[carol efaw]

We installed a Inax Dover a few months ago in a completely remodeled bathroom. We have had continual problems with it: it overflowed and backed up with water coming from under the base of the toilet at the same time. We had the plumber out; he completely removed it and re-installed it with a new wax ring, checking all the connections. He re-caulked the base as well. Since then we haven't had any overflows but we still have small water leakage under the base in different places (not much). Today I got down on my hands and knees to look at it and saw that the back of the toilet is 1/4" higher off the floor than the front and there is mold forming through the caulking on some areas around the base. Before I call the plumber back, does anyone have some suggestions on what can be done or do I have a 'lemon'? Thanks for any help in advance. Carol

[wjcandee]

We installed a Inax Dover a few months ago in a completely remodeled bathroom. We have had continual problems with it: it overflowed and backed up with water coming from under the base of the toilet at the same time. We had the plumber out; he completely removed it and re-installed it with a new wax ring, checking all the connections. He re-caulked the base as well. Since then we haven't had any overflows but we still have small water leakage under the base in different places (not much). Today I got down on my hands and knees to look at it and saw that the back of the toilet is 1/4" higher off the floor than the front and there is mold forming through the caulking on some areas around the base. Before I call the plumber back, does anyone have some suggestions on what can be done or do I have a 'lemon'? Thanks for any help in advance. Carol

It's hard to know from your description. There could be a casting defect in the toilet whereby there is a crack or leak somewhere in the china, but that is probably rarer than a defective installation. You of course should have no, none, nada leakage under the base, and if you have it, you have to address it to prevent floor/ceiling damage, mold buildup, etc. Frankly, you should pull the thing or have it pulled, and then make sure the wet, moldy area on the floor and around the flange is cleaned with bleach and allowed to air dry until it's really dry -- maybe even a few days (plug the hole with a rag to prevent sewer gas from backing up into the house). During that time, you can test the china itself for leaks, which may be enhanced with the use of some food dye in the water. You may also want the plumber to check the closet bend (the pipe leading from the toilet) for obstructions all the way until it meets the rest of the drain system, and examine to the extent possible the plumbing to ensure that it was done properly.

The water is either coming from the toilet itself or from leakage around the flange. Leakage from around the flange can be the result of backups or splashback in the drain system. It could be that while the pipe is clear enough generally to accept the waste, there's a little obstruction or it's improperly-done so that you get a little mini-backup when you flush. Today's toilets are more forceful in the flush than those of old, so a system that worked acceptably for an older toilet may show its flaws when a new toilet is installed.

It also could be that the flange itself is improperly-installed. There are so many ways to gerry-rig a flange, many of which we see and hear about on here, that can come back and bite you. A plumber like Terry or HJ or Jimbo would do the flange the premium, correct, way every time, because it's a relatively-easy thing for them to do; people with a smaller skill set may take a shortcut or use an "easy install" product that isn't appropriate to the type of pipe, pipe size, etc., and the permutations are too numerous to go into here.

But again, it would take a really competent plumber (not a handi-hack or super-junior guy) to properly-analyze your situation. That you had backups at first makes me lean towards looking at the pipes, but it's not possible to tell for sure from here.

Hope this helps.