"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
news
Charlie wrote:
We are going to replace our bathroom toilet and we are considering a
pressure assisted flushing system, don't know much about them and
would appreciate any recommendations or comments about their
reliability and problems with repairs.
TIA
Charlie

Pressure assist units are not needed today as they were say 8 years
ago. The quality and design of standard flush low volume toilets has
improved greatly. They are simpler designs, cost less, quieter and more
reliable.

I suggest looking for two primary features: A fully glazed trap and at
least a 2 inch trap. I believe you can still find these under $100 in the
US. I suggest the Cadet models. Note: fancy styling or special shaped
bowls can greatly increase the price.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit
I'll second that. We installed Briggs toilets which have a "pressure
assist" during our renovation, based on the plumbing company's
recommendation that they were the best of the "improved" (ie, not standard
flush) models available locally. They're OK, but no big improvement over a
current model standard flush design. Later we were told (same plumber) that
the Briggs had a deteriorating reliability reputation, that spare parts were
a problem and that if there were problems he usually had to replace the
entire flush mechanism. One of ours developed a leak that he couldn't fix,
and while we were trying to decide what to do, the leak gradually stopped of
its own accord over the space of a couple of months.

One other small factor, with a standard flush toilet if your water is off
you can refill the tank just by lifting the lid and pouring in a bucket of
water, so it's ready for the next flush. With a power assist, you can't do
that (at least, with the Briggs you can't --) because the water is held in a
closed vessel inside the tank. That's significant for us, because we were
without electricity for about 15 days during the hurricanes last year, so we
couldn't get water pressure from our well. But we had several sources of
water, including our artesian well. We "flushed" by pouring a bucket of
water directly into the toilet bowl.

If I had it to do over again, I'd buy American Standard Champion or
similar -- and the next time I have a maintenance problem with one of the
Briggs I'm going to replace it.

Also, consider buying a "handicapped" height toilet, which is more
comfortable and is gradually becoming the standard installation.

Regards --