It was loud, but the pressure assisted toilet worked great. It flushed everything you gave it and roared for more. And it kept itself clean. My Toto Ultramax doesn’t do the job when it comes to cleaning. While it removes solid waste like nobody’s business, it leaves crud at and above the waterline. Until I bought this toilet, I hadn’t considered what other functions a toilet needs to do. I now realize that a toilet needs also  remove all liquid and keep itself clean. The Ultramax has trouble with both of these tasks and as a result, I’m now cleaning my toilet several times a week.

The  big problem is the the low waterline.  Anything on the bowl above the water line just doesn’t get flushed. The Ultramax also doesn’t remove all liquid in a flush so you get staining at the waterline. Only a few days after cleaning the bowl, staining will show at the waterline and crud will accumulate above the water line. I don’t want a toilet that can keeps toilet water cleaner than the toilet bowl.

And the Ultramax toilet is not that much quieter than my other toilet.

The one-piece design reminds me of Europe (by way of reminding me of European toilets, that is. I don’t by any means wish to imply that Europe is like a huge, dirty toilet), and the soft-close seat makes closing the toilet seat fun. You didn’t think one could have fun closing a toilet seat, did you?  But these are not reasons to buy a toilet and this  toilet is expensive. I recommend you buy a cheaper toilet, and treat yourself to a weekend in Montreal for that fun, European (without the “you’re a-peein’”) feel the Ultamax can give you..

A good friend has a  different model Toto toilet–a two piece design. It seems to work better than mine on all points (except the quiet toilet seat). If you need to buy a Toto, buy a two piece model.

A year later I bought a second for the bathroom on the second floor next to the bedrooms and realized how loud they are. I hadn’t really noticed in the first floor bathroom, but yes–loud. The kind of loud you don’t want to hear when you’re half asleep.

14 years later the Sloan air tank on the Gerber Ultra Flush toilet has developed a leak, a small hole on the top of the plastic tank. How, I don’t know. Why, after all this time, I don’t know. It appears, based on my conversation with customer service at Sloan, that leaks are not uncommon. The tank is made of what looks like high density pvc plastic. It doesn’t look like it should develop leaks.

Needless to say the warranty on the Sloan tank has expired. I need a new tank. They cost as much as some of the new toilets, toilets that Consumer Reports give high marks to. So I am buying a new toilet. I generally hate to waste things, and  I don’t like the idea of buying a new toilet when I could repair my current toilet. I like even less the idea of replacing a part that will cost around $100 that has a life of 14 years (Sloan recommend retail price for the tank is $96. My two local plumbing supply houses wanted $130 and $155. I can get it online for $90 plus shipping.) Toilets should last longer, much longer, than 14 years. Now that I’ve had the opportunity to see the full life-cycle of a Gerber Ultra Flush toilet with a Sloan tank, I no longer am starry eyed whenever I flush the toilet. But, then, air travel is not the fun it once was either. I cannot recommend anyone buying a Gerber Ultra Flush toilet with a Sloan tank unless they are ready to purchase a toilet with a low life expectancy. “Flush hard, die young” is not the motto I want for my toilet.

I’ve already replaced the toilet on my second floor with a gravity flush, one piece Toto toilet. I wanted to remain half-asleep when flushing my toilet in the middle of the night.  It is relatively quiet, and does the job in one flush. It works. It should. It cost almost $600. It was a hard purchase when I could have bought a Home Depot toilet for $150, but there are some things I just don’t want to be bothered worrying about; toilets are one of them.

I read in a recent Consumer Reports that there are quite a few new gravity flush toilets that are dependable, quiet, and inexpensive. I’m ready to give one a try. I’ll let you know how it works out in about 14 years.