Toilet: Product Review -Toto Dual Flush

As I am planning for the future, decided to put in a Dual Flush Toilet. After research, bought the Toto Aquia II Toilet. ($390 including tax and lid) This WaterSense approved toilet does qualify for a water Rebates in San Diego, but you have to submit your water bill. Unfortunately (or fortunately) our Condo Association pays the Water Bills, so couldn’t tell you if I was saving water. If you are living in a Water Challenged area, most likely you will be eligible for a rebate as well. 

I want to preface my review first. Over the last 10 years, I have tried to buy the most hassle- free products in the market. I want something I can fix, requires less parts and is simple and easy to use. I don’t want to run around looking for batteries, looking for parts because the product is outdated and searching for a user manual to find out what is wrong. I don’t buy cheap because I want to make 1 purchase and it’s over. 

That said, as much as I like my Dual Flush toilet, I have no idea how to fix it when it runs, it has this part (Flush Valve) that is way too complicated for me. This is not like going to your nearest hardware store and picking up a ball and chain for replacement! The more parts you have, the more items that can break, thus more items to replace! To replace this Flush Valve will not be hassle free. Not only that, I have heard that most plumbers do not like to work on these dual flush toilets. 

I ended up calling a plumber for installation ($106.00) It takes 1-2 hours for this toilet to be installed. The plumber even said this is a tricky dual flush toilet, but you can’t go wrong with a Toto. He actually has the Aquia II, in his guest bathroom. That made me feel better as I was watching him install and looking at all these unfamiliar parts. I used Plotke Plumbing, who were great. Claire who works the phones is knowledgeable and sympathetic! The Plumbers had great senses of humor as well. 

My Review: 

1.) Seat: I bought the seat that come with the toilet ($80). Since I don’t have a magazine rack next to the toilet, I didn’t care how comfortable it was. But, the seat is one of those automatically slow moving closes (no slams), so it has extra grooves in the back hinge, that will not be the easiest to clean or keep clean. I see things like this as dirt/dust collectors. 

I can also foresee the seat lids breaking as people are used to just hitting the lid to slam it down. Both seat lids are the slow moving closes. (more parts, more to break!)  

The inside of the seat is not flat, it’s in a U shape, cleaning again will not be easy. 

2.) Inside Bowl: Is weird shaped and the water level is low, so unless you have perfect aim, make sure you have a scrubber next to the toilet. 

3.) Dual Flush: You have 2 flush buttons, 1 or 2. Your guests who use the toilet will just hit any button. They will not know the difference between 1 or 2. So if you have a lot of guests, you might put up a sign. Flush is fine, but if you want to have a clean toilet, keep the scrubber handy. 

4.) Outside bowl: Very streamlined and will be easy to keep clean. No real problems with that. 

5.) Noise: Can’t really be the judge of that. This is a small condo without any insulation, do you can pretty much hear everything. (I can hear my neighbor snore in the bedroom next to me!) 

Would I buy it again. Yes. Toto is a top rated manufacturer, I have been happy with other Toto’s I have bought.  I might have travelled around more to look at other Dual Flush toilets, but I didn’t. Home Depot does carry Toto, but not that style, Dixieline actually had this Toto on display where you could actually look at it. Lowes and Home Depot has their toilets up so you can’t inspect. I picked up the Toilet at Faucet Factory in Encinitas from a Catalogue, so I didn’t really look at it.