Toilets Reviews

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Toilets Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Toilets Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Toilets: Comfortable and efficient Editors of Consumer Reports Aug. 2005		Consumer Reports tests over 24 toilets using baby wipes, sponges, plastic balls and tubes designed to simulate waste. Industry tests typically rate toilets on a pass/fail basis, but Consumer Reports takes the testing further by evaluating how well the toilet eliminates the items flushed in the bowl. Overall performance as well as solid waste removal, cleaning ease, and noise level are rated. This review is easy to understand while offering comprehensive information for toilet buyers. Oddly, the highest rated toilets in this review did not completely correlate with the majority of the results we found in other reviews.
2. Fine Homebuilding's Kitchens and Baths 2005 >> Details/Subscribe	21st Century Toilets Nena Donovan Levine 2005		In this special issue, editors devote six pages to toilets, complete with photographs, manufacturers' contact information, and lots of succinct sidebars. The review gives plenty of background on toilet types, styles, and bowl shapes while offering the names and prices for the top-rated performers in each category. Information on children's toilets, bidets, paperless alternatives, and toilets for home patients and the elderly are all included. The American Standard Cadet, TOTO Aquia dual flush, Kohler Wellworth, and Eljer Titan are all recommended here. This review gives the shoppers the foundation of information needed before making a decision.
3. California Urban Water Conservation Council	Maximum Performance (MaP) Testing of Popular Toilet Models Engineers of Veritec Consulting, Inc. and Koeller and Company in conjunction with the California Urban Water Conservation Counc Sept. 2005		Engineers who evaluate hundreds of toilet models conduct this review. Editors state, "Non-realistic test media (sponges, plastic balls and beads, kraft paper, etc.) were replaced with a combination of extruded soybean paste and wads of toilet paper." This review includes thorough details of the testing process, and is updated every four to six months. The results are charted by manufacturer, performance rating, and flush volumes when adjusted to waterlines. Color photographs of the testing process and testing materials are also included. The pitfalls of this review are that the copious results make the charts difficult to decipher, and prices are not included in the charts. However, you can find information on just about every toilet currently manufactured in this article.
4. National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center	Water Closet Performance Testing NAHB Researchers Sept. 2002		The NAHB Research Center uses paper and sponges to test flush volume, flush performance, trap diameter, and water spot area in over 50 toilet models. Two units of each model are tested with the results displayed in easy-to-read ratings charts. We like the additional chart, which determines whether more costly toilets perform better than lower-cost toilets. The TOTO UltraMax toilet comes out ahead in the flush performance test while the American Standard Hydra fares the worst. However, the researchers warn, "There is still a considerable amount of variation from flush to flush on the same toilet." We feel that this scientific study does a great job of providing unbiased and clear information.

Toilets Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Toilets Ratings Comments on Reviews

5. Love Plumbing and Remodel	Terry Love's consumer toilet reports Terry Love Updated Mar. 28, 2006		Terry Love is a plumber out of Bellevue, Washington who offers a review of low-flow water efficient toilets. The review is based on plumber and consumer "in home testing" with miso paste and human waste. Consideration is given to plug resistance, completeness of flush, perception of sound levels and price. The TOTO Drake and TOTO UltraMax received the highest rating of "homeowner favorite" while the Briggs Vacuity 4200 received the lowest rating of "not recommended." Love offers good insider tips; for example, pressure assisted toilets may frighten young children and may not be the way to go for those who like to be seated when they flush. Overall, this is an informative review with lots of good insider info.
6. Dulley.com >> Details/Subscribe	Update Bulletin No. 631 James Dulley Not Dated		James Dulley, and engineer, environmentalist and syndicated columnist, offers an easy-to-read comprehensive review of very low-water usage toilets with unique flushing and non-flushing designs. Toilets are not rated or ranked, but diagrams show how the different toilet types work. Manufacturers represented include American Standard, Biolet, Clivus Multram, Crane, Eljer, and Gerber along with many more. A chart comparing combined water and sewage rates to annual water and sewer cost for toilets is included. Although no toilets receive ratings, the diagrams and explanations in this review are extremely helpful.
7. ToolBase Services	Water Closet Testing Editors of ToolBase Services Jan. 2003		In their testing, ToolBase Services uses sponges and wads of paper ranging from "a substantial challenge to a minimal load" to simulate waste. Flushing performance, flush volume, trap diameter, and water spot area are tested in pressure-assist, vacuum-assist, dual-flush, flapperless, and air-assist toilets. Toilets are rated based on "an average flush performance index of 10 or lower (better)." Toilets making the cut include the American Standard Cadet, Briggs Altima III, Crane Economiser, Kohler Santa Rosa, and TOTO UltraMax; many others are also listed. Editors warn, "Since only two units of each model were tested, these results should not be considered as fully representative of the typical or average production of the models tested." This user-friendly review lacks prices for the toilets listed, and we wish toilets were rated.
8. Lowes.com	High Performance Toilet Guide Editors of Lowes.com As of Apr. 2006		Home-improvement retailer Lowe's offers a review of high-performance toilets in chart format. The toilets are not ranked or rated, but information includes bowl shape, rim height, toilet kit inclusion, flush valve, toilet colors, sku numbers, unique flushing system and other features. The review offers terrific diagrams of the toilets with a detailed key. Prices are not included but the review is written in both English and Spanish. This review does a great job of giving lots of information on high performance toilets, but no testing or ratings are included.
9. The City of Mesa: The Toilet Papers Volume I	Flushing out the Facts on Water Efficient Toilets Donna DiFrancesco Not Dated		This article, by Utilities Conservationist Specialist Donna DiFrancesco, gives a succinct background on low-flow toilets followed by a list of recommended models. The list is comprised from a 2002 study by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center, which rates the performance, reliability, water savings and physical characteristics of 49 toilets. Recommended are six gravity-fed toilets that maintain a 1.6-gallon flush volume over time. Some of the top-rated models include the TOTO Drake, Briggs Altima III, Kohler Santa Rosa, and Caroma Caravelle. This review gives a short synopsis of the larger NAHB Research Center test.

Toilets Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Toilets Ratings Comments on Reviews

10. HGTVPro.com	Supply House: Toilets Editors of HGTVPro.com Nov. 2005		HGTVPro.com reviews six high-end toilets from manufacturers like Porcher and Neo Metro. The review does not rate or test the toilets, but it does offer information on a variety of toilets from space saving to stainless steel. Neo Metro offers the trendiest looking toilet with a tank that is covered with .75-inch-thick bamboo and stainless steel corner trims. Exterior tank covers come in cherry, mahogany, and even leather. HGTVPro.com offers generic details on each product, but makes up for this by offering links to the manufacturers' Web sites.
11. ToiletsThatWork.com	TOTO Toilets Editors of ToiletsThatWork.com As of Apr. 2006		HM Wallace, the manufacturer of TOTO toilets, produces ToiletsThatWork.com; coverage is solely dedicated to TOTO toilets. This review consists of a list of individual models with corresponding photo and manufacturer's specifications. Consumers post comments regarding a particular model and give it a flush rating, ease of installation rating, and overall rating based on a 1 to 10 scale. We were pleased to find that the consumers' comments included some negative feedback as well as positive feedback you would expect to find on a manufacturer's Web site. There is also an Editor's Review of each model, but we found these reviews to be pretty generic; they just list the manufacturer's specifications and release date. However, this review is worth perusing if you are in the market for a TOTO toilet.
12. Flex Your Power	Water Efficiency: Ultra-Low-Flow (ULF) Toilets FYPower.org Editors Not Dated		Flex Your Power, a statewide energy outreach campaign, is a partnership of California's utilities, residents, businesses, institutions, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations working to save energy. This review provides technology options, efficiency benefits, purchasing tips and emerging technology information. Unfortunately, the links in the manufacturing section are not working so we are not able to access the toilet studies listed. However, we are able to access a Consumer Reports ranked list of water-efficient toilets from this review. The usual suspects show up in this list: American Standard, Gerber, Mansfield, Kohler, and Briggs, just to name a few. This Web site is worth visiting because it offers good information on how to conserve resources in the home.
13. Seattle Times	Don't flush away cash on an overpriced toilet Editors of Consumer Reports Aug. 21, 2005		This review, which appears in the Seattle Times, is a summary of the latest Consumer Reports toilet test. The article does a good job of briefly summarizing the best picks from Consumer Reports by bolding the manufacturer and model names. If you are in a rush and just want a quick overview, this article is worth scanning.
14. Business Environmental Alliance	The Bottom Line Editors of The Bottom Line Spring 2003		The Business Environmental Alliance of Sonoma, California gives a good review of low-flow toilets based on Consumer Reports older October 2002 test results. The review ranks low-flow toilets based on overall performance. The Briggs Vacuity 4200 was rated best overall. Other top performers were the Gerber Ultra Flush and Kohler Wellworth toilets among a dozen others. The review does a good job of briefly explaining the differences among toilets while listing prices for each model. This is a good "at a glance" review for low-flow toilets, though more recent articles rank more highly in our chart.

Toilets Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Toilets Ratings Comments on Reviews

15. Niagara Conservation	Products: Toilets Niagara Conservation Editors As of Apr. 2006		Niagara Conservation Corporation manufactures high-efficiency resource-conserving products such as an ultra-low-flow toilet. The "review" features the one toilet the company currently manufactures: the Niagara Flapperless. The toilet, which has a permanent 1.6-gallon flush, can decrease water usage by 50% compared to traditional fixtures when fitted with a Niagara Flapperless retrofit kit. Testimonials from satisfied customers are listed on the Web site. No other toilets are discussed.
16. Epinions	Bathroom Furnishings Contributors to Epinions As of Apr. 2006		At the time of this writing, we are able to find only two owner-written toilet ratings listed on Epinions. Both reviews are for the same toilet, the Kohler Wellworth. We find both reviews to be informative and funny; the reviewers do a good job of discussing Kohler's adherence to building codes, available warranties, color and style choices and price. The Kohler receives a good recommendation from both reviewers. Epinions does not offer a lot of information, but the two reviews we did find are helpful.
17. Splise	All Kitchen and Bath Fixtures: Toilet Splise Editors As of Apr. 2006		Splise is a brand comparison shopping Web site that lists products by "most popular." A search on toilets results in nine toilet manufacturers: TOTO is rated the most popular. Splise doesn't even offer a proper toilet review but instead ranks the toilet manufacturers and provides links to Web stores that sell the toilets. There is no discussion offered on how Splise determines which brands are the most popular. Included are some links to Web stores that sell name-brand toilets at a discount.
18. Amazon.com	Toilet Contributors to Amazon.com Not Dated		Very few toilets receive any comments or ratings at Amazon.com, though many are listed.