Archive for Champion 4
Overflow Protection for Toilets: Innovative or Unnecessary?
Posted by: | CommentsProfessor 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.
Toilet Performance: The Latest and Greatest Hotel Perk
Posted by: | CommentsThe Professor always has toilet performance on the brain, but acknowledges that this concern might not always be at the forefront of the average person’s mind when making a simple decision like, for instance, which hotel to stay at on a trip. Most travelers – and most hotels, for that matter – would prefer to be focused on aspects like location, continental breakfast quality, or Egyptian cotton sheets. However, the Loews and Hyatt hotel chains have both been in the news recently for investing in high performance Champion 4 toilets from American Standard as a service to their guests. The Professor was pleased to be able to speak with Richard Senechal from Loews Hotels and Ron McGill from Hyatt Hotels about their sudden interest in flushability.
When it comes to hotel perks, one usually thinks of something like high quality bedding or premium cable channels. How did your hotels come to be so interested in toilet performance?
Richard Senechal: “For us, clogged toilets became a huge problem about 15 years ago, when building codes began requiring toilets to use 1.6 gallons of water per flush – about half of what they’d been using. These new toilets technically should’ve saved us money on reduced water bills, but we quickly began to see a significant uptick in the number of service calls we received regarding clogged toilets. Until we upgraded our toilets we were receiving as many as 12 calls per day in our three Orlando-area hotels alone, which took up a great deal of staff time.”
Aside from the amount of time your staff had to spend fixing these clogs, did your hotels experience any other problems related to toilet clogs?
Ron McGill: “Oftentimes, we would have a guest cause a toilet overflow, which was quite embarrassing and inconvenient for them. It was even worse when they would flush the toilet and then leave the room without knowing that there was a problem - the overflow could go on for an hour or two sometimes. By that then a lot of damage would have occurred, including leaks down into the rooms below.
How did you come to choose American Standard’s Champion 4 toilet for your plumbing upgrade?
Richard Senechal: “Our Orlando engineering director, Tony Rodrigues, had tested the Champion 4 toilet and told us it was ‘a quantum leap’ over our existing toilets. He eventually convinced the company that it made good business sense to replace the toilets throughout all 18 Loews hotels. Today, about a third of our hotels have the Champion 4.”
And how are the new toilets working out for your guests?
Richard Senechal: “We have seen an 80% drop in service calls at the hotels where we have installed the Champion 4. That translates into a lot of saved man-hours and we couldn’t be happier with the change.”
Ron McGill: “We no longer need to keep toilet plungers on every floor – the new toilets have virtually eliminated clog-related service calls at our hotel. We’re also really pleased with the savings we’re experiencing on our water bills thanks to the Champion 4. The cost of utilities on Long Island is outrageous, so any chance to cut expenses in that area is extremely important.”
Thank you so much for your time, gentlemen. The Professor enjoys nothing more than a good toilet chat with fellow professionals.
How to Install Toilets: The Champion 4 Toilet
Posted by: | CommentsDid you know that there is a special socket wrench which provided with every Champion 4 toilet? It is a whole lot easier to install the toilet that Loews Hotels engineering director described as “a quantum leap” over their existing toilets to the USA Today travel editor.
With this wrench you don’t need to put your hands into the tight area between the toilet and the wall, and you can get enough torque to tighten down the tank to the bowl properly.
The socket wrench is included in the bag with the nuts and the gasket. It looks like a long metal tube and one end of the “tube” has a hexagonal shape to fit the nuts. The other end has a hole through it. The washers are attached to the nuts, so there is only one part instead of two.
Professor Toilet fun fact: That’s how they change tires so quickly in the pits at NASCAR—the bolt ends on the wheels are “blinded” so that the nuts get started on them more easily. The Professor appreciates good toilet learnings from NASCAR.
Simply put the nut into the hexagonal end of the socket wrench, stick it into the blind end of the bolt, and start turning. Twist the socket wrench (it’s very easy to hold) until the nut is finger tight. Do the same on the other side of the tank.
Once the nuts are finger-tight on both sides, use a standard Phillips head screwdriver through the hole at the other end of the socket wrench and use the screwdriver to get torque to tighten the nut down all the way. For best results, don’t rush through the process. Tighten partly on one side, then the other, and so forth, so as to tighten the tank down equally on both sides. This tightens down the tank without difficulty. Then all that’s left to do is enjoy your new Champion 4 toilet.
Toilet Testing: What Goes into a Reliable Product?
Posted by: | CommentsWhen choosing a toilet for your home, there are a number of important things to consider. In addition to pricing – something that nearly everyone needs to worry about these days – there is the issue of maintenance and reliability: how can you be certain that a toilet will work reliably and continue to do so into the future? Then there is also the issue of water use. Toilets are by far the biggest indoor sources of water use in American households, so by choosing a low-flow toilet you can save water and save money on your monthly utility bill.
The Professor’s solution is to learn as much as possible about the testing a manufacturer performs on its toilets. What kind of tests were done, how rigorous were they, and how well did the toilet stand up to them? A video that demonstrates the tests that American Standard performed on the Champion 4, one of its newest high performance, low-flow toilets is one of the Professor’s favorite new discoveries. It not only shows the many ways that the toilets are tested for effective flushing, but also looks at product improvements that American Standard has made based on what their (engineers? designers?) have learned from earlier product tests.
A Life and a Marriage Saved by the Champion 4 Toilet
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It’s likely that very few people make a hobby of reading toilet reviews the way the Professor does, but this take on the superior flushing ability of the Champion 4 up at HomeDepot.com is a must-read. Follow the link above for the touching story of how the virtually clog-free toilet kept an Atlanta resident out of federal prison and saved the life of a mother-in-law whose regular diet apparently consisted of “broccoli, cabbage, and gravel.” Enjoy.
Toilet Myth Busting: Water Saving Toilets Carry The Load
Posted by: | CommentsMany plumbing professionals worry about the ability of water saving toilets to sufficiently carry waste to the sewer. While architects typically determine the sizing, pitch and venting requirements for drain lines, Professor Toilet and other toilet scientists focus exclusively on the science of effective flushing.
Coined “Drain Line Carry,” the ASME Standard requires that every toilet – regardless of water volume used in a flush – be able to drive 100 ¾-inch polypro balls down a 3-inch rigid pipe an average of 40 feet. All of American Standard’s water closets meet this standard and many, including Champion 4, Cadet 3, Colony FitRight, Evolution2 and H2Option, exceed that requirement by more than 16 feet. Here’s where we test:
Helping to transport waste through drain lines is what engineers term “supplemental flow,” or additional water generated from faucets, showers, clothes washing, etc., which is obviously more prevalent in residential than commercial applications.
In other words, drain line clogging isn’t likely to be caused by a water saving toilet. Other common causes of drain line clogging are broken or misaligned pipes, buildup of grease or grit within the drain, as well as flushing inappropriate materials.
Special note to commercial building professionals: Installations with extremely long drain lines (e.g., shopping malls or industrial sites), may require evaluation on a site-by-site basis, especially if no supplemental flows are available.
Five Toilet Questions with Connecticut NPR Host Colin McEnroe
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Colin McEnroe hosts a talk show on the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network and today, it’s all about toilets.
But first, Professor Toilet turned the tables and asked Colin a few questions:
Professor Toilet: How do you feel about the toilets in your home? Do your toilets work well?
Colin McEnroe: NO! I have a nagging, epic sense of of what Goethe called Toiletteschmerz (toilet sadness.) Neither one of my toilets really gets the job done. In fact, there’s a huge undocumented class of Americans who have to flush the toilet twice every time they poop. The U.S. Census Bureau should be asking about this.
My toilets are not cutting edge eco-toilets. They’re sort of the opposite. They’re old toilets that don’t work that well. Of course I, as toilet depositor, am old and don’t work that well either. So it’s the Circle of Life.
Professor Toilet: Indeed it is. What do you think of toilets that use less water?
Colin McEnroe: You mean really good toilets that flush with less water, right? See above. Asking me that is like asking some Neanderthal who hasn’t really mastered the art of making fire what he thinks of gas grills. I’m stuck in a previous toilet evolutionary period from the one you’re talking about.
I totally approve of water saving toilets, but they are, right now, a distant dream for me, like flying cars.
Professor Toilet: Do you own a plunger? And why, for Pete’s sake?
Colin McEnroe: I own a plunger for the same reason everyone else does: in case I am ever called up, hastily, to audition for a Three Stooges remake.
Actually, I’m pretty good with a plunger. I don’t want to go into details, but there’s something kind of orgasmic about the release that comes at the moment when effective plunging realizes its goal.
I can’t believe I wrote that.
Professor Toilet: Neither can we. And far be it from us to suggest other ways to achieve orgasmic release. Just so you know, you don’t really need a plunger when toilets like the Champion 4 can take down 1,000 grams in one flush. That’s 2.2 pounds, equal to about 66 chicken nuggets.
Tell us, does your toilet suffer from skid marks?
Colin McEnroe: I’m not sure toilets can suffer. But if they do suffer, that raises the question of whose fault it is. Is there something wrong with the way the mark-maker poops? (Bad angle?)
I’m dodging the question.
Professor Toilet: It can happen in the best of families when they are stuck with the worst of toilets.
Finally, you say your show is about “Giving you something new to laugh about in your car and talk about over dinner.” Will you make an exception on the dinner thing for this topic?
Colin McEnroe: My recommendation would be that this topic should be resolved, one way or another, in the car.
Listen live today at about 1:20 ET for Colin McEnroe and James Walsh to continue the toilet talk.
Dual Flush Toilet Review: Washdown vs. Siphonic Action
Posted by: | CommentsProfessor Toilet is pleased to see enthusiasm for dual flush toilets finally catching on in the United States.
Designed more than 30 years ago by an Australian Toilet Scientist, dual flush technology can reduce water usage by up to 67%. To put this into perspective, that’s like saving an average of 9,600 gallons a day over the old 3.5-gallon behemoths, or enough water to fill three hot tubs each day when compared to a 1.6-gallon toilet.
Dual flush toilets are actually mandated in Australia and Singapore, and catching on fast in North America because of the simple premise: “push 1 for 1 and push 2 for 2,” A number 1 flush uses less water, a far more pleasant alternative to “if it’s yellow, let it mellow.” A number 2 flush is designed to take down solids without clogging, typically using the same 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) as standard toilets like the Champion 4 and Cadet 3.
Dual Flush Washdown vs. Dual Flush Siphonic
One issue slowing more widespread adoption of dual flush toilets in the US is a technical term that toilet scientists call skid marks. The Professor assumes that you don’t need a visual on that; in short, it’s a bowl that won’t stay clean after pushing 2 for 2. You may use other words for it when it happens.
Dual flush toilets rely on the “push” of water to cleanse the bowl in what is known as a washdown flush. In contrast, standard toilets depend on the more popular siphonic action to “pull” waste out.
To strengthen the push action, the bowls of dual flush models are sloped more sharply than standard toilets to give the water greater momentum, which can also increase splashing. The steeped bowls mean a smaller “water spot” or water surface area in the bowl, which makes it more likely that toilet paper or other waste will cling to the sides of the bowl, staining and generating odors.
The toilet engineers at American Standard have overcome these two hurdles with a dual flush toilet that removes every last trace of paper and waste, as well as one that offers a large traditional water surface area.
The WaterSense-certified H2Option Dual Flush Toilet is the first truly siphonic dual flush toilet, which generates strong push and pull action through forceful but quiet jetted action under the rim. When the user flushes H2Option, some of the water is instantly diverted to the rim where there are a series of chambers. The air in the chambers pushes the ongoing coming water forcefully out into the bowl. The resulting downhill rush of water creates an all-but-irresistible pull on the water behind it, so that every last trace of waste is removed from the bowl.
The Virtually “Child Proof” Champion 4 Toilet by American Standard
Posted by: | CommentsFriday is a good day for a video about kids who are fascinated by toilets.
Champion 4 Toilet Delivers Happy Customers–No Callbacks–for Dunbar Plumbing
Posted by: | CommentsDunbar Plumbing, a leader plumber in northern Kentucky, cites “simple design and powerful flushing action,” as reasons why the Champion 4 Toilet is one of Dunbar’s best selling flushers. Below is their own video showing the amount of water in the bowl and exclusive Accelerator Flush Valve inside the tank:
In their own words, on their forum, Dunbar Plumbing explains the benefits of the Champion 4 toilet:
“With the American Standard Champion 4 toilet, our customers have been extremely pleased with the flushing action of the toilet with a “no worry” attitude about what possibly gets thrown down the toilet. This toilet uses a small fraction of water compared to the older 1.6 gallon toilets including the 3.5 gallon flush toilets. Now that these new style toilets use so little water compared to the wasteful 3.5 gallon toilet, it’s a no brainer that those older toilets were such a costly design. We’ve watched the advancements in the technology grow over the past 25 years and it has been a road hard paved with good intentions to finally get a good working, good flushing toilet.” Read more at the Dunbar Plumbing Forum.
