New Kohler - problems out of the box

[Garydaplummer]

Just installed a Kohler San Raphael one-piece toilet for a customer. It has been installed a week. On site today another contractor saw a puddle of water at the toilet and called me over. Found water running down the side of the unit. Took the lid off and turns out when it's flushed the fill valve sprays a stream of water out of the top and onto the underside of the lid, running out on the floor. Supply house says call Kohler. Two tries, on hold for 1/2 hour each time until I hung up. Anyone else having problems with Kohler products? I had a job last year where three of their faucets were defective out of the box on the same job and they kept replacing parts or replacing faucets completely. Now an issue with one of their toilets. Many of my customers are steered toward Kohler by supply house salespeople because two of the larger showrooms here are mostly Kohler. the stuff looks good but their quality seems to be going down the shi&*er. I never recommend their products now.

 

[Redwood]

Anyone else having problems with Kohler products?

Nope, I install Toto toilets...
I don't have any problems with Kohler!

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Cass]

Nope, I install Toto toilets...
I don't have any problems with Kohler!

Is this what you meant to say???

 

[Redwood]

Yea, If I install a Toto why would I have problems with installing a Kohler????

Repairing them thats another story...
I hate oddball parts and waiting 3 weeks for Kohler to ship them...

Maybe thats why I install Toto...

 

[Cass]

OK I wasn't sure what you meant...Kohlers sold at the Big Box stores seem to have more problems...I am not sure if they are 2nds like the AS Cadets...

 

[Terry]

I haven't installed many Kohlers.
I've had a very high rate of defects with those I've seen.

 

[Garydaplummer]

Not from a big box store

Unfortunately this was ordered through a local plumbing supply house, I can only imagine what a big box model would offer. The supply house has a replacement fill valve for me to pick up and replace. Next we have to deal with the extra labor costs to replace a part on a toilet I did not sell. Are many of you installing customer-supplied fixtures? How do you handle it when there are problems?

 

[Redwood]

Are many of you installing customer-supplied fixtures? How do you handle it when there are problems?

If I install a customer supplied fixture I guarantee that it is installed correctly.
If there is a defect it is the customers problem and I will install a different one at their expense. Or, repair it at their expense.

Hopefully I see the defect before it is installed then I will just charge for my time and not install it. I look over some brands extra carefully.
Like the ones with a high rate of defects.

 

[Cass]

If a customer has you install their toilet and it has problems then they bear any and all labor costs associated with its instalation...which would also mean any additional costs due to bad parts... if you supplied the fixture you bear all the labor costs.

 

[hj]

Kohler

I am not sure what you are saying, but since most, if not all, Kohler toilets use a Fluidmaster fill valve, it appears that all you would have to do, according to your description, is to replace its cap.

 

[Garydaplummer]

Not fluidmaster

This toilet fill valve is a blue and white plastic thing that is not a fluidmaster. The salesman at the supply house thought it would be a fluidmaster as well. He is actually checking with Kohler to see if they are using a different fill valve now on this model, a lowboy one piece toilet.

 

[Cass]

Kohler...use a different part...nawwww....it would never happen...not in a million years.....

 

[Redwood]

Hmmm blue and white plastic...
Sounds like they may have outsourced those from China...

 

[Garydaplummer]

Update - got the new part

Just picked up the replacement fill valve for this toilet today, given to me by the supply house the toilet was purchased from by the customer. It is a fluidmaster model DIN 4109. It's blue and white and looks nothing like the other fluidmaster fill valves I've seen before.

 

[Redwood]

Does it say Made in China on it?

 

[Garydaplummer]

Doesn't say

No country of manufacture listed on the part or the bag it came in, however the braided stainless steel supply line that comes with it is made by fluidmaster in Mexico. By the way this model is a fluidmaster model 747 not the number I quoted before

 

[Redwood]