Caroma Dual Flush watersense toilet review & pictues

**tonykarns** · 06-07-2007, 02:05 AM

I think the idea of low volume flush toilets, 1.6 or less is a good idea for water conservation purposes but in our neck of the woods (milwaukee wisconsin) they create nothing but trouble on lake front homes built before 1960. Drainage systems were designed with low pitch 5" clay and or cast iron piping which were built for 3.5 gallon or higher flush toilets. Sure the new toilets may force the solids out of the bowl quickly and reliably but when it comes to getting the solids to the street with one, two, or three flushes on the long runs forget it. The solids, on a steady basis, build up in the pipe and cause back up problems because the new toilets just dont produce enough water to move the solids at a steady enough rate to keep the systems from backing up on occasion. Even though this produces a steady income for me, snaking out drain systems, it is a nightmare for many home owners. Old 3.5 gallon flush toilets are worth their weight in gold in this area even though they are illegal to install and I wont install them. The homeowners dont care about the cost of their water in this area compared to the cost of having me come out to unclog drain systems. Point is: low water volume may be good if you have alot of people using many toilets on the same drainage system but when it comes to older homes they can cause more problems than they are worth. When people have to flush the toilet 3 times just to keep things moving where does the water conservation factor come in? Be careful on older homes and dont be so quick to change out older 3.5 gallon flush toilets unless the homeowner is aware of the potential results. Add one tampax to the equation and the lack of forceful volume of water creates an even better income for me.

**Cass** · 06-07-2007, 03:30 AM

There must be other factors as 3.5 probably isn't going to get it to the street on a long run anyway.

The showers / tub, kitchen sink and laundry water will.

I live in an area where there are plenty of 6, 5, and 4" clay lines and there are no problems with low volume toilets clogging the lines unless they were installed wrong, roots or broken.

**Ec5** · 06-11-2007, 02:39 PM

Gotta love those Aussies. Hardly any water in the bowl. How weird!

I now line the bowl with about 9 squares of T.P.(3 vertical rows of 3 squares each-covering the hole and sides), and haven't had to clean since (maybe I just have good targeting powers).

I love the way the low flush only takes about 15 seconds for the water noise to stop (about 30 seconds for full flush). However, I need to be a little more forceful when pressing the low flush button, so that it goes down far enough to flush properly, although I'm used to it now (height of flush buttons can also be adjusted with a screwdriver, from inside the tank, if needed).

Also, I found the regular seat very uncomfortable (it also didn't sit flat on the bowl, on the front underside feet; unless I loosened the wingnuts fully). Either way, it's the worst seat I've ever used and can't believe it's not flatter! Ouch!!

I got tired of having the oddly angled edges of the seat dig into my legs (causing red lines), and simply changed to a flat oak seat. No more pain now!

Other than occasionally not pushing the low flush button, far enough down, (causing no paper to be flushed-even the installer failed to push it down far enough, at first), the awful seat and the extra lining of the bowl with T.P., I have no other complaints.

**Reader Review** · 01-23-2008, 03:08 PM

We've had our Caroma for over a year now and have sporadically had problems with the valve not seating after both half- and full-flushes. We have jiggled the innards to try to realign them and end up most times removing the tank lid and pushing the center piece down so the valve seats. Sometimes the problem will resolve itself, for a while, then reoccur. At one point we sprayed vegetable oil on the sliding mechanisms and that worked for a while, but then mold grew on the plastic parts. No one else seems to have this problem. What is the solution?
M. Wall

Click here to view Caroma product information and installation

Inside the Caroma Sydney tank

**Reader Review** · 06-22-2008, 09:56 AM

Hi Terry,
I have a question about purchasing a new toilet. Our existing toilet constantly needs plunging. Our daughters BM is rather large in diameter and doesn't seem to go down. I'm tossed between the Toto drake, Gerber ultra flush, and the Kohler cemmaron. The toilet that I want to replace is on the second floor of our home and I'm not sure what model I currently have. Probably just your basic toilet from when they built the home. I would like a toilet that would never need plunging again. I went to a Toto distributor and watched how the G-Max system works. I'm wondering if it has enough power to suck down my daughters BM. What are your thoughts? Does it make a difference if the BM is larger than the trap?
Please help, I'm tired of plunging! Although, I have become quite good at it, It is getting old.
Thank you,
Catherine
March 24 2008

For your daughter, I would get a Caroma
www.caromausa.com

The Kohler would be worthless, and the Gerber and the Toto better.
But for larger than normal, go with Caroma.
www.terrylove.com/crtoilet.htm

Terry,
Thank you for the recommendation. I purchased the Caroma and we are very pleased. I have not had to plunge since.

Thank you,
Catherine
June 22 2008

**Reader Review** · 06-24-2008, 04:58 PM

I got a new Caroma 305 with dual flush from the water company here in San Antonio,Tx. I was wondering if there was any way to increase the water level in the bowl. I am disappointed in the #2 flush and have to use my toilet brush quite often.
Thanks,
Patty

**jadnashua** · 06-24-2008, 05:36 PM

Buy a different toilet! No, unless the thing is not working right, the bowl is overfilled....it has an opening behind you can't see that drains any water above the maximum down the drain. If you pour a bucket of water in the bowl (pour it too fast and it will flush), then let it sit, that's the maximum level it can get.

Many dual flush bowls, like the Caroma, Kohler Persuade, and the Toto Aquia have little water in the bowl. That's the nature of them. The Caroma glaze seems a bit rough though, Terry

**Brandy** · 07-10-2008, 11:35 AM

Does anyone have an opinion about which is a better toilet - the Toto Aquia or the Caroma Caravell?

**Terry** · 07-10-2008, 12:05 PM

The Aquia is better.

**TomMyers** · 10-03-2008, 01:32 PM

I am torn. I can get the Toto Aquilla locally, but have to have the Caroma shipped in.

My wishes/needs are:
- ADA height (17-18") for easy elderly access
- Bisque (or Biscuit) color
- Dual Flush
- Does not require cleaning after every BM.
- Less likely to clog.

My research leads me to the Sydney 270, but am not sure about the "cleaning after BM" issues with it compared to the Aquilla.

Any thoughts or recommendations?

**Cass** · 10-04-2008, 04:33 AM

If your BM is excessively large go with the Caroma. Its trap way is large enough to not clog.

Like one of my customers said...WoW I can cancel my trash pick up and flush every thing down this toilet...

Click here to view Caroma product information and installation

kf · 12-03-2008, 05:58 PM

Hi Terry,
Which Aquia are referring to? On your order site your pull down menu for the Aquias has the Aquia II as an option. What are the differences between the two? Thanks...

**Terry** · 12-03-2008, 06:06 PM

The Aquia CST414M has the larger adapter, and a bit better MaP score. Also takes a little more time to install than the CST416M and the CST464MF

Other than that, they work pretty much the same, the CST464MF has the taller bowl at 16-1/8"

The other two are 15-1/8"

**Reader Review** · 03-18-2009, 07:06 PM

We recently bought the Caroma Sydney 2 pcs. (Tank 622322W, Bowl 609159W). After we installed the toilet, we encountered problems with the flush. As you can see in my video http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-1855798188535347905 from the internet, with every flush the water will splash up everywhere on the seat and cover. When there is a number 2, there are shit droplets on the seat, very disgusting.

We contacted the company with no response. Could you tell me how to fix my problem?

cslee

**Probedude** · 03-18-2009, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by Reader Review

We recently bought the Caroma Sydney 2 pcs. (Tank 622322W, Bowl 609159W). After we installed the toilet, we encountered problems with the flush. As you can see in my video http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-1855798188535347905 from the internet, with every flush the water will splash up everywhere on the seat and cover. When there is a number 2, there are shit droplets on the seat, very disgusting.

We contacted the company with no response. Could you tell me how to fix my problem?

cslee

I've looked at a few Caroma videos on YouTube and they all look like they do the same. All the water dumps from the rim, none of it below the water surface.