Vortens Rhodas 3123-3464 1.6 GPF ADA toilet

[joefriday]

I'm in the process of researching the purchase of three new toilets and I've stumbled across this site. What a great help this has been! I've learned a lot so far, but one of the models that I'm considering doesn't seem to be discussed much (actually I don't think it's mentioned at all). I've basically narrowed the search down to either the Toto Aquia or the Vortens Rhodas, both elongated bowl, ADA height, dual-flush. The Vortens is considerably cheaper than the Toto (roughly $160 per toilet). Another consideration for us is that my wife is not a big fan of the push buttons on the Toto. She has a bit of arthritis and finds them a little harder to operate (and you can't put anything on top of the tank...like a box of Kleenex!). So I'm leaning toward the Vortens at this point. My plumber tells me that he's sold and installed a lot of both models and he's very happy with both of them, and has had very few problems with complaints. The MAP data on the Rhodens seems very good too.

So, I was hoping to find some reviews on either the Rhodas model in particular, or Vortens toilets in general, but I'm not having much luck. Is this not a common or popular brand in the USA? Has anyone had any experience with this brand or model that they would like to share?

 

[Firemark]

...Another consideration for us is that my wife is not a big fan of the push buttons on the Toto. She has a bit of arthitis and finds them a little harder to operate (and you can't put anything on top of the tank...like a box of Kleenex!)....

I've had a couple of the Aquia III's that you are considering for several months. The amount of pressure needed for the push button is very light, probably less or equal to what you need to push down a lever. Yep, having buttons on top mean you can't have other stuff there. On the plus side it makes for a very clean look and you don't end up with all the kleenex dust on top of the tank lid.

Besides MAP ratings, translated to concerns about flush capacity without clogging, you need to consider bowl wash. There's a very narrow but deep water spot on dual flush toilets and not all wash the sides equally effective. You can search this site or Youtube for a disturbing video of a Caroma dual flush that sprays stuff all over. Be prepared for keeping a toilet brush handy for the occassional need to cleanup after flushing... especially after having too many burittos.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Terry]

In the Toto line, the Drake II would be a closer comparison to the Vortens Rhodas.
The Rhodas would be a 1.6 gallon toilet
The Drake II would be a Watersense 1.28 gallon toilet.

The Aquia is a dual flush, 1.6/0.9

Comparing pricing on a single flush non skirted bowl, and a dual flush with a nice skirted bowl doesn't make much sense.
They are very different.

From the spec sheet, I don't care much for the Vortens trayway design.
Too many times, a trap with that many bends collect junk a year or so down the road.

Toto Aquia dual flush toilet with skirted bowl

 

[moisheh]

THe Vortens is made by La Mosa in Mexico.

Moisheh

 

[joefriday]

In the Toto line, the Drake II would be a closer comparison to the Vortens Rhodas.
The Rhodas would be a 1.6 gallon toilet
The Drake II would be a Watersense 1.28 gallon toilet.

The Aquia is a dual flush, 1.6/0.9

Comparing pricing on a single flush non skirted bowl, and a dual flush with a nice skirted bowl doesn't make much sense.
They are very different.

From the spec sheet, I don't care much for the Vortens trayway design.
Too many times, a trap with that many bends collect junk a year or so down the road.

Toto Aquia dual flush toilet with skirted bowl

Thanks for the comments. Just to clarify, the Rhodas is now available in both single and dual flush, and it's the dual flush which we are considering. Interesting thought on the trapway design and something (else!) we will need to consider. How does the Toto trapway differ? Incidentally, I agree with you that the Toto design with the skirted bowl is much nicer, but would probably only be the deciding factor with everything else being equal, or nearly so. Our primary concern is getting a dual flush toilet which performs well at reasonable cost, which is why I'm looking for feedback from people who may have used these toilets and can comment on their performance. Vortens toilets seem to have been around for awhile which is why I find it surprising that there seems to be so little information available from actual users.

 

[joefriday]

I thought that I would give an early update to this post based on our first impressions. We ultimately decided to go with the Vortens Rhodas 1.6 gal single flush because we just couldn't justify the extra cost and becuase of the considerations I mentioned initially, relating to buttons and placement versus the conventional handle. The single flush suited our particular circumstances better, although there is a dual flush model available. I would expect that the performance and other features would be very similar in any event.

We had three of these installed a couple of weeks ago, and initial impressions are very positive. The quality and finish are very good. Since they are more similar to a conventional toilet in appearance and function, we haven't had any problems with "visitor confusion"...although I can't say whether that would be a big issue or not with a dual flush model.

I am very impressed with how well these toilets flush. We have not experienced any problems with clogging or material being left behind. They actually flush better than the old toilets which used much more water. The bowl wash is actually very good, nothing like the Caroma which was mentioned previously. I understand that the Caroma is somewhat notorious for that particular issue. There is quite a decent sized water spot in this model as well, larger than that which I have seen in most dual flush models.

 

[jorgeza]

I have Vortens 3464 toilet which cracked this week. It flooded the house and caused extensive damage. I did a Google search and find other similar complaint at
https://rjhillconsulting.wordpress.com/tag/vortens-toilet-tank/
The toilet was installed in a new home built in 2010 by Postwood homes. We live in Rosenberg, TX, USA.
I just wanted to share this.

 

[Plumbs Away]

The fact that Vortens is made by Lamosa would scare me away immediately. Lamosa is (or was) sold at The Home Depot for $49. I've seen the performance and it's way less than impressive.

Since you're looking for a dual-flush model with a more traditionally-styled trip lever, Kohler has Highline dual-flush models with that design, as does Gerber, in some of their Ultra Flush models. The Ultra Flush, however, is a pressure assisted toilet, using the Sloan Flushmate. They have their pros and cons: Virtually incomparable superior flushing ability -- in most cases -- but noisy and expensive to repair.