Commercial Toilet Question

[Dellar]

Hello all!

I have a question regarding commercial style toilets with the Flushometer valves. I am in the process of opening a business. The plumbing company wants to install Kohler toilets & urinals in the bathrooms with the Flushometer type valve. I asked for the Toto commercial line & the plumbing company told me that all commercial toilets flush the same. They said if I wanted Toto I would be paying a lot of extra money for nothing. Is there really a difference in toilet/urinal performance when it has the Flushometer valve? I really don't notice a difference when I'm in public washrooms but then again, I don't pay that much attention.

Thanks,
Don

 

[Plumber2000]

There all about the same to me, why pay high when other models with preform the same way.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[dc_homeplumber]

I have recently moved into brand new office space with Kohler flushometer fixtures in the restrooms and they are awful. The previous office had American Standard and, while not brand new, they were less than five years old so they were water conservation models (1.6 gal. toilets and 1.0 gal. urinals, as noted on the fixture) and they performed much better.

 

[hj]

toilets

I think most problems are user related, because I use just about all brands and the customers do not seem to have any unusual problems, in fact no problems usual or unusual that I hear about.

 

[dc_homeplumber]

Again -- based on personal observation and experience from one who notices these things, the American Standard commercial line outperforms Kohler's. I have no experience with Toto's commercial products.

 

[hj]

toilets

I also notice things. Things like a customer calling because the toilet is not working or stopping up. I do not get these calls when I use any major brand toilet.

 

[dc_homeplumber]

To simplify it even further, we have maintenance workers on staff who tend to the constant plugging of the Kohler fixtures in the new office, thereby rendering it unnecessary to pay a professional plumber's hourly rate to plunge, snake or whatever else they might decide to do. The Kohlers work; they don't work well.

The American Standards in the previous office NEVER clogged.

 

[Plumber2000]

Even a Kohler with a flushometer clogs up, I'm not a fan of Kohler, but I'd think flushometer toilets would be less to have problems over gravity flush toilets, guess I don't get around that brand enough, we always install AM/STD toilets here.

 

[hj]

toilets

The only problem with Mansfield flush valve toilets, unless they have modified it in the last couple of years that they are, or at least were, designed for about a 7"- 8" rough opening, similar to the Crane toilets of years ago. This requires that a longer supply pipe cover sleeve be supplied than the one that comes with the Sloan, and other, flush valves. I used a piece of 1 1/2" chrome tubing for my installations.

 

[SRdenny]

If your plumber has to special order Toto, you must be in the boondocks. If you can't get Toto, how about DC homeplumber's pick-American Std?