Automatic Urinal Flush Valve Reviews – American Standard Vs Kohler
Automatic Urinal Flush Valve Reviews
The automatic flush valve has been a blessing to the public toilet sector. Airports and busy corners have clean and hygienic restrooms and the citizens who use them are safer from bacteria and germs.
The Automatic flush system allows for people to minimize the things they touch which are wonderful where bacteria containment is concerned and more so the people who use the restrooms can feel cleaner and more relaxed to use the public toilet.
The automatic flush valve has problems like any other device, but they are incredibly reliable and are less prone to damage than other types of the toilet because there is less interaction between human and toilet.
The maintenance of restrooms that have automatic toilets is made much easier because all of the fixtures are being flushed regularly, leaving less mess and odor that accumulates throughout the day.
There is also a massive benefit of water conservation with automatic consoles because the flushing mechanisms are regulated in such a way that saves water. Less water is required to produce a strong flush.
What Makes A Great Toilet?
There are so many great types of toilets that it’s hard to pick one example and stick to it. Many factors determine the rating of a toilet.
Water consumption is, of course, the main factor that is looked at extensively by designers and reviewers, because if a toilet can save water then the rating is bolstered immediately.
The flushing power of a toilet has a large impact on the rating of a toilet and is important because no one likes waste that sticks around in the bowl after flushing.
The only problem is that with a higher flushing power normally comes more water usage. A toilet should also have an efficient system that maximizes hygiene and safety. The less you touch the toilet the fewer bacteria and germs that will be spread.
Automatic flushing systems are key to cracking a high rating in this area and are hugely convenient for large-scale use, either for public or corporate buildings.
The more people that come into a restroom the more chance there is of problems developing, so to minimize this, automatic toilets reduce the amount of interaction between person and device to prolong its lifespan.
Toilets that have a powerful flushing system are great for public areas but are not great for home use mainly because of the noise.
So in these areas, we can gain a perspective of how good a toilet will be rated and so come to a conclusion on its effectiveness.
We’ll use these factors to investigate the difference between American standard and Kohler toilets and determine which is better. Let’s take a look.
American Standard Vs Kohler
Installation
The installation of both types of toilets is fairly simple and easy. The installation is normally carried out by a plumber or employee of American Standard or Kohler, so there’s no need to worry about having to install it yourself.
There is a decent amount of preparation that is required before the toilets can be installed, and so often you might be unsure of when a toilet can be installed in a new building; American standard is very good at offering customer support for such things.
The company might even send a plumber to take measurements and ensure that the toilet will suit the installation requirements. The hardware for installation on both companies’ toilets is standard and of good quality.
The single-piece toilets are easier to install than the two-piece versions and it might be a good idea to save space by getting an elongated type instead of a rounded one.
If you are replacing an old toilet that was rounded, with an elongated version, then the tiles on the bathroom floor might be out of alignment because of the different design, so to keep uniformity, you might want to stick to the same design if possible.
Flushing System
The flushing system on American Standard toilets is generally more powerful than Koehler’s. They tend to have more water in the tank which would give them a stronger flush with gravity-assisted mechanisms.
The flushing system on Kohler is quieter on almost all of their toilets, however, because of this, the toilets have a lower flushing power and so can sometimes require more than one flush to get all the waste out of the bowl.
The benefit of a quieter toilet is mainly for nighttime use, it’s not nice when you get woken up in the middle of the night from a whooshing toilet flush.
There are different types of flushing mechanisms but in terms of the automatic flushing system, American Standard has the stronger flush. Kohler units are more reliable and don’t give flushing problems as often as American Standard but that’s not to say that it doesn’t happen.
A flushing system should be efficient and effective. Both brands are good at both and both brands rank equally despite the different flushing power.
The convenience of the automatic flush is what rates toilets highly and so both of them are great choices. Kohler has a slightly more advanced sensor system for the automatic trigger, but it doesn’t affect the performance much.
Cleaning
The fixtures are very similar in terms of ease of cleaning. The flushing strength of the American Standard toilet is slightly better than Kohler and so the bowl is cleaned a little better because more waste is flushed down every time.
However, with Kohler toilets, mainly the higher range ones, the bowls are made of smoother material which is highly non-stick so depending on which version you get the cleaning process is rather easy.
The rim of the toilet is a little harder to clean because it is more difficult to reach and the holes can sometimes get clogged which reduces the flushing efficiency making cleaning more tedious.
Kohler has cleaning products that are design to best clean their toilets and to unblock rim holes and valves etc. The automatic flush system has no tank that needs to be looked after which is the same for both brands.
The water supply is connected directly to the automatic valve. The automatic system makes cleaning easier because of the constant flushing; you don’t get a case where a toilet is used and isn’t flushed for ages causing the bowl to accumulate loads of waste that is a mission to clean.
Maintenance and Repairs
American Standard has a brilliant customer team and in the case of emergency repairs, because there’s a massive leak or flushing problem, they are quick to respond and give solutions or send someone to help out with fixing the problem.
Automatic system repairs are normally a result of poor electrical supply or maintenance. The fixtures can get clogged up from time to time and this would be the majority of maintenance required, but there are sometimes repairs that need to be carried out on the sensors or electrical systems.
These repairs normally require replacement parts which can be sent to you from the supplier directly. The sensors for automatic systems are very reliable but have been known to malfunction here and there.
A technician will be able to locate the source of the problem and replace the necessary parts, albeit for a price. Replacement parts are quite pricy and can sometimes be hard to find, but the helpful support from American Standard will have you kitted out with whatever you need in no time at all.
Price
Kohler toilets are generally more expensive across the board and replacement parts are not so cost-effective. American Standard toilets are cheaper but are not as high quality, and might need more frequent maintenance.
The more expensive toilets have a design focus on water conservation and so in the long run will save water and will reduce the cost of the water bill.
So you might pay more for a Kohler installation but you might end up saving more money long term than you would with American Standard.
The more complex sensors array and regulators for the Kohler automatic system make any replacement parts harder to install and more costly to buy.
They don’t normally need replacing but if they do you can expect high labor charges and shipping fees for the parts. American Standard is not much different in this area and would still cost a decent amount for the same things.
Design
The design of both brands’ automatic systems are similar, there is a more reliable automatic system for Kohler but a cheaper system for American Standard.
The design of Kohler’s mechanisms allows for more silent flushing than American Standard and Kohler is designed for a more comfortable fixture.
Kohler has a more ergonomic seat design which is more comfortable to sit on and is designed to have a higher height from the seat to the ground which is more comfortable for adults.
American Standard toilets are larger and more space-consuming. They tend to have larger tanks and larger elongated and rounded bowls.
Kohler is very compact and space-efficient while still holding onto its elegance and comfortability. American Standard is designed with larger trap ways at the bottom of the bowl which gives their toilets superior flushing strength and waste disposal capability.
Water Conservation
Kohler toilets are more specific when it comes to water-saving and usage. The limitation on toilet flushes is set at regulation,1.6 gallons per flush. This was achieved easily with Kohler toilets as they prized water conservation.
Their higher water-saving flushing means that the flushing power of the unit is negatively affected. The lower flushing power can result in the need for extra flushes each time because if some of the waste remains in the bowl then a second flush will be required which in turn uses more water as opposed to the intended saving design feature.
The American Standard uses more water each flush but will get the job done in one flush reducing the need for extra flushes. However, this doesn’t always mean that on a Kohler toilet extra flushes are needed.
75% of the time liquid waste is what is being flushed so if there is no waste to be left in the toilet anyway, then no extra flushes necessary, and therefore more water is saved at the end of the day.
So overall, Kohler has better water conservation but American Standard is not far behind.
Convenience
Automatic Flushing systems are the end all and be all of the convenience and will remain so for a long time. In terms of public restrooms, this type of system will be the go-to for most places on the map.
Both brands have very efficient systems and so there is not much difference here, where the ratings are concerned.
However, there is the convenience of comfort that is not normally discussed. Comfort is a convenience, not many people can attest to this point because the world today is full of comfort on every corner; discomfort is a thing of the past.
The more comfortable seat and design on the Kohler give it the advantage in comfort convenience rankings. American Standard is not uncomfortable but it could do with some development and maybe a few changes with designs.
Which is The Best?
Unless you’ve tried both of these brands it’s hard to say that one is better than the other, but there is a slight advantage of one over the other on one factor that hasn’t been highlighted strongly client support.
American Standard has excellent support for its clients where it comes to technical support, warranties and replacement, and maintenance or repairs. Kohler is subpar on these matters which makes it difficult to deal with them on a personal level.
So for that reason, the brand is more appealing and would cause customers to rate them more highly than Kohler.
Final Thoughts
Both brands are outstanding overall with very high ratings and their automatic flush valve reviews are well ranked. They both have pros and cons that speak to their effectiveness and are evenly matched on most matters.
If you were to buy either one you wouldn’t be disappointed. They have all the traits of good toilets, and yes we have outlined some of the problems associated with these systems but they are not very common, and most of the time you would reap only the benefits of their systems.
It’s always a good idea to look at the worst parts of a system to know the extent of their usefulness and reliability, but then it might be wise to have a look at the bright side more strongly. The choice is yours, so enjoy!
