The innovative FunBath tub conversion kit from American Standard Brands has been awarded the Parent Tested, Parent Approved (PTPA) Winner’s Seal of Approval. PTPA Media has North America’s largest volunteer parent testing community, with over 40,000 parents.
Consumers looking for high-quality products and services can rest assured when they see the PTPA Winner’s Seal; it is evidence of product excellence as evaluated by unbiased parent consumers.
The FunBath kit was recognized because even the most bathing-averse children will be reaching for the soap when their bathrooms are transformed by this award-winning bath conversion kit. Fitting over most existing standard 60-inch bathtubs, the FunBath kit makes bath time safer, more comfortable and even uses less water.
Easy installation gives parents the freedom to bathe their children in comfort, while eliminating the need to stoop or kneel while bathing little ones in a traditional bathtub.
The FunBath kit was among many entries from across North America competing to earn the PTPA™ Seal. Because independent parent volunteers evaluate these products in their own homes, PTPA winners are chosen based on merit and consumer experience – not on commercial considerations. As a result, the PTPA Media™ Seal has quickly gained recognition as an international leader in certifying consumer products for quality, effectiveness and value.
Being honored with the influential Seal of Approval from PTPA Media Inc. is a huge achievement for a product geared to families, children or parents. “We’re very proud of the FunBath kit, which makes bath time easier and more fun for both kids and their parents, and can easily be removed without damaging the tub once the kids have outgrown it,” said Rob Buete, vice president and general manager of the American Standard Safety Tubs division. “It means a great deal to us to have the FunBath kit recognized by the PTPA Media community.”
“At PTPA Media, we are proud to play a role in certifying innovative products that families can trust,” said Sharon Vinderine, CEO and founder of PTPA Media Inc. “When consumers search for our Seal of Approval on product packaging and websites, they are essentially searching for validation from their peers. Their peers will have objectively tested and approved these products based on their performance in a real life environment. That type of resource for families is priceless.”
For more information on the FunBath tub conversion kit or other American Standard products, visit www.americanstandard.com or call (800) 899-2614.
Professor Toilet has become aware of a toilet now on the market with a remarkable “new” invention—it has overflow holes in the bowl so that the bowl won’t overflow if the toilet clogs.
This is a great innovation, except it is years too late. Years ago when toilets used 3.5 gallons or more of water per flush, if there was a clog the bowl would overflow and make a mess. We old folks like the Professor remember many horror stories about this.
Now that toilets use only 1.6 gallons and even less of water per flush, there is not enough water in a single flush to overflow the bowl. One would have to flush twice or even three times in order to overflow the bowl. If your bowl is clogged you are not going to flush the toilet again if you see the bowl filled up with water and not going down. This is common sense.
Furthermore, with all the advances in toilet flushing technologies, new toilets featuring oversized trapways are engineered to eliminate clogging. In fact, toilets such as the American Standard Champion®4 toilet, with the industry’s largest siphonic trapway at 2-3/8”, is engineered not to clog and will remove a 67% larger mass than a toilet with a standard 2” trapway.
So with new toilets that feature trapways in excess of 2”, clogging is essentially a non-issue. And, even if the rare clog occurs, the bowl won’t overflow unless it is flushed repeatedly.
Now, a couple more thoughts about this “new” invention:
- The extra trap seal required for the overflow uses and wastes about 30 ml. of extra water on every flush. This is not going in the right direction for saving water.
- The extra seal for the overflow contains only about 30 ml. of water—it can evaporate quickly if the toilet is not used frequently enough. This will result in sewer gases leaking into the room and a rather nasty smell.
- Also, the invention only works on clogs in front of the trapway (the same kind you usually won’t get with a Champion4 or Cadet3). If the clog is in the drain pipe and not in the toilet, the bowl will still fill up with water. While the bowl won’t overflow because of today’s water usages, the new invention nonetheless isn’t failsafe for all kinds of clogs.
The Professor is continually on the lookout for new toilet innovations to determine their real merits and communicate the facts to his audience so that they can make educated decisions.
The Monoglide Hand Shower by American Standard
By · CommentsThe Monoglide Hand Shower provides the convenience of a four-function hand shower through the simple action of sliding a button. Changing the spray pattern while showering no longer involves twisting and turning with wet, soapy hands, but merely pushing a non-slip button located on the handgrip and out of the water stream. Customizing your preferred shower experience was never quicker or easier. The video below shows the multiple functions of the Monoglide Hand Shower.
For more information on the Monoglide Hand Shower or other American Standard bathroom products, visit www.americanstandard.com.
Monoglide is a trademark of American Standard Brands.
More and more seniors are moving in with adult children, and this trend is also starting to drive a new home remodeling trend, especially in the Professor’s favorite room: the bathroom. Preparing to have an elderly parent move into your home – or even just visit regularly – brings up issues of comfort, safety, dignity and accessibility in the bathroom. Temporary fixes like plastic bathtub seats and toilet frames with elevated seats can be rickety and take up surprising amounts of space that smaller bathrooms just don’t have to spare.
A smart alternative to these options? A bit of bathroom remodeling work focused on universal design. The Professor has found that upgrading to new fixtures built with accessibility in mind can cost less than you might think. Upgrading helps maintain independent living for the elderly, and is a wise investment for even temporary disability circumstances, such as recovering from surgery or a broken bone. Plus: introducing universal design concepts to your bathroom now will allow you to age in place independently in the future.
The Professor humbly offers the following tips to create a bathroom that will look great and work wonderfully for you and your loved ones well into the future.
Switch to an ADA-compliant faucet. Some faucet handles require 
a surprising amount of force to operate, and knobs can be difficult to twist for seniors. The Professor suggests an ADA-compliant single lever faucet that allows for easy on-and-off operation without the need to grip. This simple and inexpensive alteration will make washing up more comfortable for elderly parents and grandparents, and is also a great excuse to perk up the look of your bathroom.
Try a taller toilet. Standard toilets have a bowl height of about 15 inches, but many manufacturers have recently introduced models that are an inch and a half higher. These taller commodes make sitting down and getting back up less stressful on the body. Bring high style and performance as well as comfort to your bathroom by upgrading to a luxury toilet. The Professor especially likes the elegant ”Right Height” toilets from Porcher available in sleek, easy to clean, one-piece styles.
Think about accessible storage. Keep bathing and grooming accessories neatly stowed out of the way to reduce trips and falls, and to keep them clear of wheelchairs. Accessibility and functionality are key when planning for convenient storage options in the bathroom.
Replace an unused bathtub with a walk-in shower. Holding on to the ability to bathe independently is key to aging gracefully and with dignity. The ubiquitous tub/shower unit in so many homes may be uncomfortably high for the elderly and disabled to step over, and too low to sit down into for bathing. The Professor has found a unique, low-cost solution from American Standard: a walk-in seated shower that features a wide, contoured, full-sized seating area with recessed front to make standing or sitting while showering comfortable and easy. This unit has a low 3” threshold for easy access in and out, plus a built-in wrap-around grab bar for added safety.
Provide a spa-like walk-in tub. Many walk-in tubs are designed to fit perfectly in the space of a conventional tub for easy installation and are now available with luxurious special features. American Standard offers a smart QuickDrain option that removes water eight times faster than a conventional drain, so there is no need for a long, cold wait for the tub to drain before opening the door to exit the bath. Walk-in bathtubs are also available with advanced features like whirlpools and combo massage systems, so bathing can be safer AND more luxurious for aging parents and for you.
Toilet Seats Make a Difference
By · CommentsAmerican Standards ships toilets seats to military base in Kabul, Afghanistan
Sometimes, a toilet seat can make all the difference in making a military base thousands of miles away feel a little more like home.
Jeff Delling, a US Army soldier, noticed the shortage of toilet seats at his military base in Kabul, Afghanistan, where he is currently stationed. Jeff recently reached out to the customer service team through the American Standard website with a special request; toilet seats to cover the “extreme shortage” at the base noting that, at that moment, only one in every 5 toilets actually had a seat.
“It’s one of those details you don’t think of,” Karen Reiker, AS Customer Service Representative, said of the modest request. She quickly forwarded the request and the donation was approved without hesitation. Within a week, ten American Standard toilet seats were shipped to the military base in Kabul, Afghanistan, much to the appreciation of those serving the United States overseas.
The swift action of Karen Reiker, Chris Hopwo and the Customer Service Team highlights American Standard Brands’ employee’s dedication to giving back to those who put their lives at risk serving the our country.
Great job Karen, Chris and team!!
Luxury Toilets: A Clean, New Look
By · CommentsOne hot new trend in modern bathroom design is toilets with a concealed trapway. The Professor is a big fan of this style not only because it looks so clean and attractive, but because the straight sides are easier to keep clean and attractive. Some manufacturers even add special surfaces – like American Standard‘s EverClean finish – that inhibit the growth of stain and odor-causing bacteria, mold and mildew on the surface for even easier cleaning.
These toilets do tend to be a bit more costly than traditional toilets because it is necessary to add an additional layer of chinaware that acts as a curtain surrounding the trapway. Additionally, firing chinaware in one piece is tricky: it takes a lot of detail and engineering to get good final pieces out of the kiln.
The extra cost can be well worth it if you shop carefully, however. The Professor especially likes American Standard’s new Studio and Boulevard models, both of them dual flush luxury performance (LXP) toilets. The toilets are beautifully designed and offer superior performance thanks to their innovative PowerWash technology that ensures both a powerful flush and thorough bowl cleaning, every time. Both the Boulevard and Studio dual flush toilets have been independently rated to flush as much as 1,000 grams of solid waste —the highest possible score in the Maximum Performance (MaP) test, an independent report of toilet bulk removal performance.
With so many great features, the Professor is certain that the slightly higher price tag is well worth it.
Home Design Trends: Stand-Alone Tubs
By · CommentsThe typical modern American bathroom often includes a tub/shower combo for bathing. However, many homeowners are returning to the soaking tubs and separate showers of yesteryear when they remodel or build a new home. Why the renewed interest in stand-alone tubs? The Professor believes that it may be because people miss the experience of a relaxing bath. With the hustle and bustle of daily life, a warm bath is a welcome luxury. Alcove tubs just can’t provide the same feeling.
A stand-alone tub can also make a striking statement, style-wise, in a bathroom. Personally, the Professor likes the clean lines and angles of a tub like Porcher’s Lutezia model. However, a tub with a transitional style like the Archive, also from Porcher, is a great choice because it can easily flex between traditional and contemporary styles. Smaller stand-alone tubs – some measure just 66″ x 32″ – are great for smaller bathrooms and urban spaces.
If you’re thinking of joining the new wave of soakers, remember to do your homework – folks often forget about the weight of the tub once it is filled. Water weighs about 8lbs per gallon, and once you factor in the weight of the unit itself, you can get to 800-900 lbs before you know it. You’ll need to work with your contractor, and follow the install instructions for reinforcing the floor while making provisions for the water lines, blowers and motors. Also, a Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) is a code requirement in most states.
Even though a little homework (and possibly a little extra remodeling work) is necessary to install a new tub, the Professor finds that the style and luxury a stand-alone tub can bring to a bathroom is well worth the effort.
Bathroom Design Trends Go Universal
By · CommentsThe growing “aging in place” segment of the remodeling industry has caught the Professor’s interest before, and now that the wise folks at Consumers Digest have weighed in on the current offerings of walk-in baths, it seemed like the perfect time to revisit the subject. Three different walk-in tubs from American Standard received recognition for their innovative features and the lifetime warranty protecting the door seal on every tub.
Wondering about the benefits of having a walk-in bath at home? Watch the video below.
Bathroom Habits: The Unending Toilet Paper Debate
By · Comments
The Professor’s obsession with issues of toilet performance is world renowned, but it must also be acknowledged that many other factors are involved in having a pleasant (or unpleasant) bathroom experience. The most frustrating and frequently debated issue of them all must be toilet paper orientation: over or under?
The debate itself is as old as the rolls of toilet paper themselves (which, incidentally, date back to 1871) but the Professor was delighted to find an informative article loaded with detailed infographics illustrating the advantages of each orientation as well as important moments in toilet paper history. It’s an interesting article that just might give you pause the next time you need to change the roll.
Hand Showers: the Non-Slip Monoglide Design
By · CommentsIt’s true that toilets are the Professor’s main obsession, but a good multi-function shower is hard to beat. Gripping a hand shower to change the spray pattern can be frustrating experience, however, which is why the Professor has been so impressed by American Standard’s new Monoglide hand shower, that features a unique, non-slip sliding button to change the spray. Watch the video below to see how it works.
