Consumer product reviews of the American Standard Champion toilet
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Consumer reviews and opinions can be posted below concerning the American Standard Champion toilet.
Map testing is between 475 and 575 grams.
Terry Love's Consumer Report
on Toilets
http://www.americanstandardclassaction.com/
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About one year ago I installed three American Standard Champion
toilets in a friends home, to replace three, cheap, builder installs.
All three leak water from the tank and refill regularly and it's
noisy. All three were installed within one degree level...what else
would be pertinent to know? (The owner didn't register the toilets, so
a warranty fix can't be pursued.) Is this a common problem? I've
steered other folks away from the Champion model based on this
experience and the fact that nobody I've asked (a plumbing supply
store and a plumber) has an answer for what's wrong with the toilets.
To replace a flush valve before one year seems absurd to me, but maybe
there's a clue I'm not picking up on. Any ideas?
A. Kongslie Wed, 18 May 2005
I have 2 of these toilets - one is not installed
because the first one (installed 2 months ago) has broken. The spring
within the 'piston' on the inside of the flush mechanism fell out when
a plastic piece it was attached to inside the piston broke. There are
no parts available and I am thoroughly disgusted with the whole thing.
Unfortunately it is installed and needs repairs - any suggestions on
how to make that happen? V..S.French Tue, 26 Apr 2005 |
 |
In December '05, we purchased the AS toilet model
number 4260 (number can be found in tank). We followed the directions to
install it...and then continued to tighten more than the directions said. We
did this by having my husband push down on the tank while I tighten the
bolts. This was the only was we could get the tank stung with the bowl.
After a couple days the tank leaked a little and had to tighten it again. No
more leak on that end. Than we have the clunk, I will try the advice given
on this site about lowering the chain and let you know. We
also have the problem with the water LEAKING/RUNNING.
I called AS and they said they will send a new type of gasket that
"does not leak", (their words, not mine). Should be here in 10-12
days....no charge. Hope this fixes the problem.
In the future I plan to buy a Koler, my brother-in-law just had them put in
his home the same time we did ours. Its quiet, no leaks, and works the way
its supposed to. If all else fails, I'm going to become a plumber, AS will
keep them busy forever....lol.
Kaylynn, "plumber-to-be-we'll-see"
Tue, 5 Apr 2005
A new flush valve came out in January 2004, however there
are reports of bad ones in March of 2005.
I installed 2 of these toilets, for a rental house. The clunk is terrible
as is my huge water bill for the constant leaking from the seal which is
constantly being re-seated by my plumber. The 1.6 gal flush was supposed to
save me money, but now it has wasted 10 times what I thought that I would
save. I think that I will just take them out and return them to Home depot
for a different brand. Would'nt it be nice if American Standard paid for all
of these plumbing installation costs.
WD South Padre. Sun, 3 Jul 2005
I wish I had read the reviews before I
bought the Champion. The seal leaked from the first fill. The installer said
it probably just didn’t seat properly but that it would after a few
flushes. It never did seal, refilling itself every 15-20 minutes. The wasted
water and the constant noisy refill for hours made me just turn it off. The
tank completely emptied itself through the leaking seal after the shut off.
American Standard was contacted and said they would not replace the toilet
as "it was their most popular model". The lamest response I have
ever heard from any manufacturer. I took copies of the complaints from this
site to Home Depot and at least they stood behind their reputation and are
replacing it with another brand. GDA, 4-26-2005
THE CLUNKER, O' LET ME COUNT THE WAYS.
Yea! & Verily, it does not cloggy
But all the rest is at best doggy
Handle squeaks, no bushing on shaft
Red Seal leaks, too fragile for draft
Bead Chain breaks, just low cost junk
Waiting for rest of plastic parts to fail
Bring on the Class Action or
Better Business Refund
Donna Sat, 25 Jun 2005
As a plumber who has been installing toilets for 25 years
(that's a lot of toilets). I have been fairly unhappy with the way most 1.6
gallon toilets flush. The power assisted toilets seem to work well ,but have
had there share of problems. I have installed the Kohler toilets with a some
what similar design. They are better than the average toilet, but no
miracle. I think the Champion is a good step in the right direction. As with
most things there will be improvements as time reveals the problems missed
in production. One thing I always look for in a toilet is a large surface
area full of water .To help absorb the need for an extreme rinse of the bowl
after a bowel movement. Which is hard to find in a 1.6 gallon toilet. In
defense of American Standard. I have had the experience that they stand
behind their products .In order to have a great flush with 1.6 gallons of
water .It will be hard to move it through the bowl with out making noise
.Also remember that your success may be less than someone who install
toilets on a regular basis. aquastatt Wed, 22 Jun 2005
We bought an American Standard Champion toilet - model
4260 with the new improved flush valve last year. It worked for several
months but has begun leaking, the orange gasket on the valve comes loose
every other flush. I didn't learn this until I got my water bill (which was
almost double its normal $50). The toilet is in my son's bathroom and he
just let it run. Needless to say, he now knows how to reattach the gasket,
but it is a pain in the butt to do it every other flush. I called Home Depot
and was told that I had to call American Standard to get a replacement
gasket. I am not pleased.
Susan, June 19, 2005
Our office building in Tampa,
Florida has three Champion toilets. All three are horrible! Lots of hype in
American Standard advertising - the guy running to get the plunger. In the
end, and in actual use - the Champion is the most disappointing toilet I
have ever used. It doesn't overflow because it's the shortest flush since
Thomas Crapper invented the darned thing. What happened to the day when
American-Standard meant something? J. Smart Tue, 14 Jun 2005
After 18 months of use, this is the best toilet I have ever installed and
used! I have not had to use a plunger or brush since installation. I am
impressed with the power of the flush and how well the bowl rinses. I will
get another one for my other bathroom. I highly recommend this toilet for
everyone.<
The only problem I had with installation was getting the tank to seat on
the platform, the tank to bowl gasket is a little too thick. I never did get
the tank to the platform; just tighten down to get an even gap. I had to
replace one bolt gasket that started leaking because of over tightening.
Parts are available if you ever need them:
J, Overton Mon, 6 Jun 2005
I too have the same problem. I installed AS Champion
toilet about six months ago. Beside it's noisy, flush seal (red rubber
gasket) is always came off and caused water leaking to toilet blow. The
worse part is, I cannot find this seal anywhere, not at home depot or at
lowes.
DO NOT BUY THIS TOILET, YET DO NOT BY AMERICAN STANDARD
TOILET. BJ Sat, 4 Jun 2005
Terry, our toliet did the same thing! My
wife was able to repair the problem with crazy glue. It has been working
fine for over a month. Good luck and keep flushing.
J. Salazar Wed, 01 Jun 2005
I am having the exact same problem. In the owners
manual it shows a replacement parts list which includes the flush valve
assembly (part 3175.002-0070A). I plan to call American Standard and ask
them about the problem and how I get the part replaced. It is the weekend so
I need to call them next week.
Have you had any luck getting your problem resolved? R.
Pentz Sat, 28 May 2005
can't push the handle fast,, it skips by
with no flush, must push handle slow to make it grab for a flush, Mon,
16 May 2005 r. knoll
We had three of these toilets installed in January 2004 and have had
nothing but trouble ever since. They leak constantly, AS sent three
replacement tanks and they lasted about 1 month before they too started
leaking. The only good thing is I'm keeping fit constantly running to stop
the leaks. I am going to call AS again, my husband just wants to buy new
toilets, so far they have cost us close to $1500 for the toilets, plumbers
and excess water bills.
Breege, MI Mon, 23 May 2005
The last straw is this slow leak between the bowl and tank. The AS Champion
is about the
poorest excuse for a product I have ever owned. Believe me, it is going to
the junk yard, and I will NEVER buy
another AS product as long as I live!
I have had the AS Champion for about 6 months, and have had nothing but
trouble with it, and it has the "new,
improved flush valve".
I have suffered through loose tank to bowl fittings, flush tower sticking,
rocking tanks and the "clunk"
and even through all that, I thought I could live with the Champion because
it does have a fast and good cleaning flush (even though the clunk is bad at
night). AS
should really do the right thing and recall this piece of junk, and replace
the flush
tower with a good old reliable larger flapper like other manufacturers use!
My biggest problem is that the rubber washer (thats about all you can call
it) on the so
called "new and improved flush tower" gets knocked out of its
flush tower grove
sometimes by the forceful fall of the tower. Boy, someone should take a
lesson from
other toilet manufactures and should go back to the old "flapper".
Anyway, this causes
a slow leak between tank and bowl (see below). I have to re seat the rubber
ring into
the grove on the flush tower, and that fix will last, oh, maybe, 6 days, at
most!
John Kimble Sun, 08 May 2005
This toilet is driving us crazy with its leaking and so is American
Standard. I ordered a replacement ring from them April 4. They say it was
shipped the 7th. We still haven't received it. I wish I could ship this
toilet back to them. If the ring ever arrives and works I will let you know.
In the mean time I say to anyone thinking of purchasing the toilet--DON'T.
D. Wilson April 25, 2005
I bought three Champions while building my new
townhouse. I am so disappointed with them and plan to replace them. My issue
is the loud CLUNK. I tried lengthening the chain - no change. I also called
AS and they had the nerve to say that they had never heard anyone else
complain about such a noise. If anyone is going to start a class action suit
I will join in in a heart beat. TOTO toilets, here I come!!!!
C. Williams Tue, 26 Apr 2005
I have a sneaky hunch that this toilet will either be
totally redesigned or discontinued by American Standard based on consumer
dissatisfaction. I have owned one for just about a year now, and I hate
using it. One flush WILL remove all solid waste like they claim, BUT…..it
takes at least two and sometimes three more flushes to remove the remaining
bits and pieces broken up by the powerful flush, or the marks left on the
bowl surface due to very little rinsing action during the flush. The entire
flush process takes less than a second, so it is rare that the bowl gets
rinsed properly. The tank top is curved, so nothing sits flat on it. The
toilet seat bolts are ridiculously hard to get at, and after a few years it
will probably be near impossible to remove the seat without a hacksaw and a
lot of cursing. The noise of the flush tower slamming down is extremely loud
compared to other toilets which use the flapper designed flush valve, and it
wakes up everyone in the house at night. AND HERE’S ANOTHER WARNING: If
you have an adjacent toilet which drains into a common waste pipe, you may
wind up flushing both toilets at once! The Champion flushes so fast that it
creates a vacuum in the adjacent bathroom which sucks the water out of the
bowl. I think if you read the comments here, you will see that I am not the
only person who dislikes this bowl. In my opinion, American Standard has a
lemon on their hands.
R.A.C. Sun, 03 Apr 2005
DO NOT BUY THIS TOILET.
All the posts are true......The flush valve on the toilet that I purchased
in August is not working and American Standard will only replace the seal,
and not pick up the labor. What more, the parts are not sold at retail or
provided to plumbers so two service calls have to be made. One to find out
the toilet leaks and I have to order from American Standard, and the second
to get the seal installed.
I am going to follow up with Home Depot and with the
Better Business Bureau to get some relief.
P. Lang Fri, 01 Apr 2005
I bought an American Standard Champion toilet four months ago, taking at
face value an American Standard advertisement in a popular weekly magazine. I was particularly impressed by the claims that the toilet was
“Quiet”, “Fast” and “Clean”.
Here are my impressions thus far:
Quiet? Relative to what ? a jackhammer? The flush valve comes down with such a loud clunk that it can be heard from one end of our house to the
other; and it’s not a small house. Just great for light sleepers whose friends or spouses have to use the toilet in the middle of the night!
Fast and Clean? Depends on your viewpoint. It flushes so fast and so violently that it breaks up semi-solid waste and leaves pieces behind,
which means waiting for it to fill to flush it again. It also does not rinse long enough to clean the bowl surface of waste, which also
requires an additional flush. I would say that about 25% of the time another flush is required to clean the bowl properly. To me this is
unacceptable, and a waste of water. The water surface area in the bowl is so small that often stool is not
immersed in the water but rather hung up on the sides of the bowl, markedly increasing the odor in the room.
The tank doesn't bolt down to the bowl properly. If you dare follow the instructions that tell you to tighten the tank until it meets the bowl,
it will crack for sure. To avoid a wobbly tank, it had to be shimmed and tightened onto the shims. Bad design.
The lid of the tank is rounded on top, so anything you put there will eventually end up on the floor.
Every time I look at or use this piece of junk I am galled by American Standard’s deceptive advertising and wish someone would bring a class
action suit against them.
My advice: DO NOT BUY THIS TOILET!
Jack Schmidt
10/1/2004
Just had a American Standard Champion put in
my NJ home. Flushing seems okay and then the tank fills up okay. Now the
problem. The seal doesn't seem to work correctly and every few minutes you
hear the tank filling with water. At night it really is a pain as my bed is
near the bathroom. The plumber was back but unable to fix the problem. What
do I do? Burt H, 10/4/2004
Installed a Champion in January, 2004, and
like it except for the constant leak from the tank to the bowl. Some days
the leak stops; other days nothing I do can make it stop leaking. Having the
tank refill at night is a pain, so I have been turning off the water supply
during night hours. Is there a way to stop the leak??
I am at wits end about this purchase and kick myself several times a day and
twice as much at night for wasting my money.
T. E. Wallace, Glenmoore, PA.
10/9/2004
I installed this toilet myself about 6 days ago and so
far it performs as well as expected. You use it...you flush...SWISHHH...CLUNK
...GONE...and in about 8 seconds it's ready to go again. For a toilet that
is gravity fed the flush is very powerful. I purchased the updated model
with the newly designed valve, so I have not had any problems with the
toilet running. The only drawback so far is the unusual but brief CLUNK
sound you hear after flushing. I contacted AS about the CLUNK sound thinking
something may be wrong with unit and they assured me it was normal. To be
honest, I'd rather deal with the semi-annoying CLUNK sound of this powerful,
efficient, one flush toilet than deal with the sonic VAVOOOOM of those
pressure assist toilets that scare the hell out you when you flush. (My kids
refuse to flush the pressure assist toilet at my in-laws because they are
afraid of getting sucked in!) It's also better than dealing with a toilet
that clogs often and needs a few encore flushes to rid bowl of solid waste.
Now, to those of you that have been experiencing a
leaky gasket between the tank and the bowl...the tank bolts are too loose!!
TIGHTEN THE BOLTS SLOWLY ALTERNATING BACK AND FORTH UNTIL TANK PROPERLY
RESTS ON BOWL PLATFORM! The tank will not crack - the rubber gasket gives a
lot more than you think. It took me a while, but I did get the tank to make
proper contact with bowl.
It's a very good toilet for under $250.
R. Perrone Mon, 20 Dec 2004
I am aggravated to admit I am another owner with a
leaking flush valve seal. I am removing it tomorrow and returning it to Home
Depot to exchange for something else. I understand that a newer model may
fix the leaking problem but I do like to sleep at night and don't want to be
bothered by the CLUNK! Thank you for your feed back.
W. Powell Tue, 28 Dec 2004
RID YOURSELF OF THE CLUNK!!!!
Its as easy as making the chain on the flush tower as long as possible, then
the tank "flapper" or whatever they call it won't be released when
the handle is fully depressed.
As an added bonus you can flush the hole tankful. I think i could flush my
sisters Yorkie.
Then when you release the handle, no clunk cuz theres no water momentum or
pressure to slam it closed.
Hopes this helps others, couldn't stand my champion til i modded it.
BTW if you still want the low volume flush, just adjust the float and fill
valve down until you feel environmentally friendly.
David E Thu, 30 Dec 2004
I made the mistake of purchasing two of the American
Standard toilets 6 months ago from Home Depot. The toilets flush great but
the flush valve seal keeps leaking water from both toilets. I have taken
them off several times but their is nothing wrong with the seal except maybe
the material is too fragile for the amount of force...Another concern was
trying to keep the toilet seats tight, but because of the design underneath
it is almost impossible to get your fingers or some kind of socket on the
nut. I think I am going to call Home Depot and see if I can take the toilets
back. This valve seal not letting the toilet retain water is a major
problem...
R. French Sat, 1 Jan 2005
After only three months use, this is the worst product
I have ever seen. The water from the tank leaks into the bowl, causing a
huge water bill. Every plumber we have spoken with refuses to work on them.
It seems we spent a lot on something we are having to replace after a few
months. Our old American Standard toilet lasted 23 years with a minimum of
repairs. We are very disappointed.
Jody H. Mon, 3 Jan 2005
Champion? Not yet sure but it is the "right height"
for my family (part number 2002.012).
Install was easy enough. Tank was difficult to fully
seat against the bowl stops but I did this slowly and carefully and the tank
did not crack. I also took extra care to verify bowl and tank were both
level hoping to avoid leaky flush tower seal (as your previous contributors
identified).
Guess what, the seal began leaking after the third
trial flush. Not a problem if the unit was two years old, but this thing was
less than two hours old.
Since nothing my family puts in this toilet resembles
24 golf balls (in mass or density) I was not motivated to purchase based on
those advertisements. What caught my attention was the new design of the
seal. Many articles praised this design and I thought it would be better,
hard or soft water.
My original toilet was inefficient, low to the floor,
consumed a lot of water, and forever needed a flap seal and water inlet
tower even after installing an in-line water filter. That toilet was 55
years old so I overlooked these inconveniences.
I contacted the American Standard support center and,
after answering a few questions, they are sending me a replacement seal. I
am concerned I purchased an on-going maintenance drain rather than a never
plunge, efficient, commode. Do I get free flush tower seals for the next ten
years (the advertised warranty)?
Time will tell, but first impressions are lasting
ones. I sure hope the new seal I am getting has been redesigned to last
longer than three flushes.
Mindy Tue, 4 Jan 2005
I replaced my old toilet with an American
Standard Champion toilet about 5 months ago at my plumbers suggestion. I was
extremely pleased with the toilet until I started running while I was on
Vacation (I am expecting a huge water bill). It was the same defective flush
valve that everyone else mentions. My plumber was originally going to
replace the tank but changed his mind because of all of the problems he had
been having with these toilets. He replaced it with a Briggs toilet today.
He told me that he would no longer be recommending this toilet to his
customers because of all of the problems with this toilet. Shame on American
Standard for putting this defective product on the market. I will never
purchase another American Standard product.
T. Worthington Mon, 10 Jan 2005
I have this Champion toilet and am not happy at all. I have the so called
improved rubber band flush valve seal and it leaks constantly. I thought it
was an alignment problem with the flushing mechanism itself but I have
adjusted the linkage to the handle in every conceivable position with no
substantial results. The flimsy seal is simply not substantial enough to
return to a neutral position. I am about ready to either fabricate my own
seal or replace the toilet. A shame because flush force to water consumption
ratio is the best I've seen.
D. Hauenstein Sat, 22 Jan 2005
We bought an American Standard Champion toilet, and within a few months,
the connection between the two parts of the flush tower BROKE. We went to
Home Depot to get a replacement part, and got a toll free number for
American Standard. American Standard doesn't sell parts for this toilet,
because they are so deluded, they believe that they don't break. We waited
for several weeks while they shipped out a new tank. We didn't need a tank.
We just needed a silly plastic part. What a waste of time and money! Our
toilet was broken for about a month. Be aware, before you buy this toilet,
that if it breaks, it will stay broken for a long time.
JT Knapp Sat, 22 Jan 2005
I just installed a Champion toilet-here are my
findings. This toilet flushes very well. It does produce a loud clank during
the flush cycle. I have not had any problem with leakage from the tank to
the bowl. The "flapper valve" problem has been fixed in later
produced models. The problem with the tank not setting securely on the bowl
can be fixed by continuing to tighten the bolts with a deep set wrench. You
must continue to do this until the tank makes ceramic to ceramic contact
with the bowl in the front. I believe the installation instructions are
somewhat misleading on this point and therefore people stop tightening way
too soon. I believe after a few more weeks to try this toilet out I will
probably continue to replace my other toilets with Champion toilets.
Thanks C. Zucker Mon, 24 Jan 2005
We purchased an American Standard Champion toilet from Home Depot in
December 2003. Immediately after installation, I contacted Champion Customer
Service at American Standard to question the unusual stiffness of the flush
handle—and enormous pressure required to flush it, difficult for an
elderly person to flush. I was told it was normal given the design of the
valve, and nothing could be done about it. I was told that the ADA
requirements apply only to the height of the toilet, and not to the strength
required to flush the toilet. Two months later, the flush tower broke
suddenly mid-flush, late at night. This was our only downstairs toilet, with
our elderly parent having had surgery that same day, unable to get to
another one. Two minutes before closing time, a kind-hearted Home Depot
manager actually drove a tank to our house. We then had to call plumber and
pay after-hours installation fees to make the swap as an emergency. Note:
Although the new tank works, it leaks and refills every half hour.
American Standard ignored all our calls and letters asking for a definitive
fix/replacement. We finally resorted to the Better Business Bureau, and got
not an apology, not a fix—but a check only for the cost of the toilet
saying that cashing it wiped out any further duty to us. I will never buy
another American Standard product again. A class action suit may be the only
way to force them to get their act together. G. DELTA Sun, 30 Jan 2005
There is a method to make this a fabulous toilet -
read complete review. I replaced an old toilet with the American Standard
Champion elongated toilet about a year ago when I remodeled a powder
room. It flushed well, and I really liked the way the tank to bowl
seam is elevated, making that area very easy to keep clean. I also like the
"Comfort Height", and think all toilets should be made this
way.
It flushed all of the big chinks first time,
every time, but occasionally left some small material behind, requiring a
second flush. so for #1, you use one flush, for #2 you need two. This seems
to be a common complaint about low flow toilets. A couple months ago,
it developed a run-on leak (water seeping around the flush valve). I called
American Standard for a new gasket, since it was not available at Home
Depot. The American Standard Service Rep told me the 10 year worry free
warranty included the gasket, and shipped me 2 ( I suggested 2 instead of
one, so I would have a spare on hand). It arrived by US mail in a couple of
days. When I replaced the gasket, I reconnected the chain, which
connects the flush tower to the flush handle, to a different link on the
chain, making the tower to lever distance slightly greater. I was very
pleased to find that I have bypassed the automatic drop mechanism for the
flush tower - allowing me to get a real, old fashioned, Niagara Falls type
flush when I needed it. Just hold the handle down, and FLUSH - everything is
gone!
Evidently, the flush tower release mechanism is
based on the height of the flush tower when pulled up by the flush lever. If
you lengthen the chain, you never reach this trip height, so you can let the
whole tank full of water go if you want to. From a human standpoint,
pressing and releasing the flush handle in a normal manner releases as much
water as the automatic release mechanism does. This is just fine for
flushing #1 and most #2 needs. If you hold it down, just a second would do,
you get way more and can flush just about anything.
Added benefit, the increased amount of water washes
down the inside of the bowel better.
Now, I don't know about the legality of this method,
but if you have to double pump to clean out the bowel, you're using 3.2
gallons, not 1.6. So, I think my method, in the real world, saves water.
Paul L Sat, 19 Feb 2005
Purchased the one-piece at Lowe's. The inner mechanics of the one-piece
are different from the two piece. Well the plumber and I hooked it up and
guess what....it didn't flush. We made the necessary adjustments, called the
customer technician line and no luck. So out it went, back to Lowe's. They
offered to pay my plumbing costs if I buy another Champion. What would you
do? I was so disappointed. American ingenuity?
Michael P Mon, 21 Feb 2005
I, like several other customers have had the problem
of the seal in the bottom of the tank come off and the water running for
days while away from home. I love the action even though the water level in
the bowl seems to be a little shallow. American Standard should be able to
come up with a fix for this problem after coming out with a product that
works so good most of the time I can see what they need to do. I know my
opinion can't be that far off because if they would come up with another way
to attach the sealing ring on the bottom of the valve the problem would be
solved.
Joann H, Thu, 10 Mar 2005
We had a Champion toilet installed during a bathroom remodel in Aug 2004. We
have had nothing but problems since. One thing that I have not seen listed in
the remarks is that the handle gets stuck and doesn't go back up and the water
runs out continually. Family members have learned to fix it by removing the lid
and manually putting the plastic tube down. Wiggling the handle doesn't work.
When guests use our bathroom we have to check it so that the water doesn't run
profusely. I'm ready to take action and make a fuss with American Standard.
Gloria, Tue, 22 Mar 2005
Despite the negative comments on the Amer. Std. Champion,
I installed two of them. No problem with unusual noise or anything else. The
flush lever does require a very specific press, a quick jab does nothing, a slow
one sometimes also fails. You must press firmly and hold for a second. The bowl
clearing action is awesome!
Mark, Sun, 27 Mar 2005
I bought a Champion last November ('04). I thought I was going to get paid
back pretty quickly from the water savings, but last week I noticed water
dripping from the tank. I called my plumber, who has been super to me for 7
years, and told him the brand new toilet was dripping. I was assuming the guy
who'd installed it had been in a hurry. He arrived and mumbled about the
"darn channel bolts," which he said were a pain.
After he left there was one flush without the loud clunk, then it went back
to clunking as usual. I am hesitant to lengthen the chain as some are urging to
get rid of the clunk because it seems you sacrifice the water conservation: that
is why I got the darn thing in the first place.
Today I noticed that there is a steady drip inside the bowl (on the left
side, just as the drip from the outside of the tank was on the left side). Is
this the famous gasket problem?
Should I order a pair of gaskets?
Does American Standard pay plumbing bills? When the plumber comes to install
the gasket, I will have paid for three housecalls since mid-November.
E. Nobbe Sun, 20 Mar 2005
Yikes. I thought I would look for tips on my leaky Champion and I've
just read a bunch of horror stories from other consumers. I bought 2 Champion
toilets 4 months ago, and 1 week ago one of them developed the dreaded leak. I
thought it was just a case of adjusting a screw or something and was looking for
some advice, obviously not!! It is a pity because I like the toilet, I bought it
for it's flush factor. After causing $10,000 of damage due to a poor flushing conventional
toilet, this appealed to me and I wasn't disappointed but this hereditary
problem has given me some cause for concern.
Malcolm Mon, 28 Mar 2005
We also purchased three American Standard
"Champion" toilets to replace three constantly stopped up toilets that
were installed in our new custom built home 6 years ago.
We saw the TV ad that showed golf balls being flushed down
the Champion and heard the claim of quiet flush. Yes, the flush is quiet but the
flushing mechanism is LOUD as hell. It's very embarrassing for guests and other
users who must flush the toilet. People are wakened at night from others
flushing a toilet that is 60 feet away!! A phone call to American Standard
discovered there was no fix for the noise which is first a loud
"clunk" followed by a louder "crash".
Recently, one of the flushing mechanisms failed and a call
to A S revealed that the mechanism cannot be be replaced and a whole new tank
with mechanism inside would have to be installed. No mention who would pay for
the installation. We assume that A S will send us a new tank each time a
flushing mechanism fails for the next ten years. After that WE will have to pay
for each failure plus plumbers time. What a rip off!!! There are other defects I
haven't mentioned for brevity.
Our son, on seeing our problem and needing a new toilet,
bought a Kohler toilet that flushes just as well as the Champion and is very
quiet.
We were suckered by that American Standard TV ad. Do you
suppose that ad was run so A S could dump a bunch of badly designed toilets? The
person(s) who approved of the engineering should have been fired!!!
Norman J. Borgman Mon, 25 Apr 2005
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