Dang it! I can barely pee in my toilets and it seems like they need to plunged.
The last time I had a plumber out (for an unrelated matter), he said it was the toilet itself, not the plumbing. He said he sees that a lot in builder grade toilets, and in super fancy toilets when people update their bathrooms.
I recall finding a pretty comprehensive list online (and available as a Excel download) that ranked toilets by various categories but I can’t seem to find it now. I can only find ones that look like they’re sponsored by various plumbing companies. I’d really like to replace the toilets in my house, and you can bet I’m going to pick by flush-ability.
Does anyone have any toilet recommendations or know where I might be able to find the toilet ratings/rankings list?
The good ones have big flush valves so all the water goes down very quickly. Look for something with a 3" or 4" flush valve and a fully glazed trapway. The American Standard Champion is a good one. Unfortunately, even though the good ones will flush fine, they still don’t have as much water in the bowl as the old style toilets.
I’m an American and I’m an equal opportunity hater.
I’m willing to admit that problem could be with gigantic turds I must pass (I don’t this know for certain, as I’ve never taken it upon myself to compare my turds with other people’s turds).
I hold the self titled distinction of being the only person I know who has clogged a toilet in every US state and country* he’s ever taken a dump in. That’s going on my next resume update!
*My most memorable has to be while on my honeymoon in the Azores. My wife and I stopped at a little roadside restaurant near Sete Cidades and I felt the urge. Well much to my humiliation ‘it’ happened, and I didn’t see a plunger anywhere. I would flush, and after what seemed like a million years the water level would drop enough where I could flush again. Each time seemed to make a [very little] bit of progress, so I kept trying. I don’t speak Portuguese and had only managed to learn a few words. Suddenly I hear I knock on the door; in my horror to tell someone not to come in to the toilet room… I yelled out Nein! Nein! I have no idea why I suddenly turned German as I don’t speak German either. The funny thing is evidently the Portuguese word for no is … “não.” (um… it’s pronounced close enough to the same way)
Terry Love Plumbing has an active forum group discussing toilets and all things plumbing. He also maintains a list of toilets and head to head measurements. I personally recommend the Toto Drake. We have now installed 4 of them sequentially in our last two houses. In 5 years of them, we’ve had to plunger once and that was due to a new toilet user’s overuse of paper.
Terry is a really great guy, so call him and ask him what he’d recommend for your situation.
When my brother remodeled his home in Michigan, he went to Canada and brought back an illegal (in Michigan) toilet. He brags that he could flush a bowling ball if he desired.
I have two toilets from Australia (I believe that is where they are built) but they are also availlable here in the US. They are Caroma toilets–dual flush with buttons you push on top. One for number 1 and one for number 2.
These easily are the best toilets I have ever owned. Never been clogged, never had any issues with them at all. I would highly recommend them. I was nervous about them since they were low flush but really it hasn’t been an issue. The flush very well and never get clogged. Good environmental toilets too, the main reason I got them.
good luck–nothing worse then a crappy (heh) toilet.
Hum. You may be the victim of a toilet with a lazy flush. Yes,a lazy flush.
I know, because my toilet gets lazy about every 24 to 30 months and requires me probing the little hole at the bottom front with a small screwdriver and removing the buildup of whatever it is that builds up… Sounds stupid I know. Read the link.
