If you have ever had to shop for a toilet, you may be aware of all the options out there to choose from. It can be quite overwhelming, especially if you don’t have the time to do enough research to determine which products are worth your while. Here’s a look at the Kohler Santa Rosa, which is a model that has a lot of features, is easy to install and take care of, and will be at home in just about any bathroom.
Features
☆Tall seat. The seat is tall enough for adults of most heights to be comfortable. It is comfort height, meaning it is around 17 inches off the ground. This allows it to be high enough that it isn’t hard on your knees and back to get on and off the toilet.
☆1.28 Gallons per flush. It only uses 1.28 gallons each time you flush it, which is a stark contrast from older models that use over 3 gallons per flush. This one uses less than half of that.
☆Uses gravity for a better flush. Each time you flush, this toilet uses gravity to get the water out of the bowl. In other words, it gets the job done easily and quickly, so you don’t have to worry about everything going down when it’s supposed to.
☆Easy to keep clean. Since it is a one piece, it is easy to keep clean, especially due to its smooth finish on the outside and its efficient flushing system. You won’t have to spend too much time cleaning the interior or exterior of this one.
☆Elongated design. It is elongated, so the bowl is large enough for you to sit and be able to relax. You won’t feel like you’re going to fall off or that you aren’t protected.
Specifications
☆ Weighs around 100 pounds
☆ Made of vitreous china
☆ Trip lever on left side
☆ Comes in a variety of colors
Flushing System
The flushing system uses a specially designed AquaPiston canister that takes the place of a flapper. You won’t need one any more, since this piston lets the water fill up all around the bowl at the same time. It takes just a fraction of the time of other toilets, and is very efficient. It also fills within seconds, since a siphon and the natural force of gravity gets the water out of the bowl. The old water gets out of the way swiftly, so it can fill back up with fresh water and it will be ready to go again. It will be less likely to become clogged or not fill up correctly.
Design & Material
Although this one has some very serious hardware on the inside, it looks rather simple on the outside. It comes in a variety of colors, so you can find one that fits well in your home. It is constructed from vitreous china and coated to give it a sleek and finished look. The fact that it’s one piece and elongated means that it has a bit of a modern feel to it, and will offer enough room for tall and shorter adults to sit on. Most shouldn’t have problems with it at all, no matter the size of the bathroom or what they are using it for.
Cleaning
When it comes to cleaning, there isn’t a lot to be concerned about, but there are a couple of issues to be aware of. Since there are no large gaps to worry about, the outside is a breeze to keep clean and shouldn’t have to be cleaned much, except for when you are going through your normal bathroom cleaning routine.
However, there may be a place on the back of the toilet that is hard to keep clean, where the lid sits on the tank of it. If there isn’t a tight fit, this may become dusty or acquire germs and dirt. It doesn’t happen for everyone, but it has been reported by some users to be a bit of a concern. Furthermore, there is an exposed bend around the trap which may accumulate dust and you may have to get creative to keep it sparkling, since there isn’t a lot of room to work with. This may be even trickier if you have a small bathroom.
Consumption
The Santa Rosa only uses 1.28 gallons of water per flush, which is not a lot of water when you think about it. What’s more impressive is that it still does its job using this low amount of water, so you won’t have to keep flushing it to keep the bowl empty of waste. A normal low flow toilet uses around 1.6 gallons each time, so this saves even more water than your average modern toilet.
Installation
Installation can get a little tricky, depending on if you have installed a toilet before. While the process itself isn’t hard to figure out, there are some things that may make it complicated. The first thing is the weight of this toilet, since it is a little bit more than 100 pounds. If you aren’t used to moving around this much weight, it might not be worth it to try to put it in yourself, since you don’t want to run the risk of injury.
Another thing you’ll need to know is that you may have a problem with the AquaPiston leaking, especially if you didn’t have it professionally installed. To make sure that you don’t have any future problems with this toilet, you may want to save yourself some stress and have it installed by a plumber. This will lessen the chance for anything to leak or become damaged, and they are more skilled at these jobs than most homeowners.
Customer Reviews
Most of the people that own this unit love it and have no problems with it. Others have mentioned some of the problems that were discussed above, but these are still minor compared to other toilets out there. Since the design is easy to take care of, simple, and it’s a one piece, there is a lot to like. What’s even more impressive is that it gets the job done with the way it uses gravity to get the water out of the bowl. One thing that some didn’t like is that the flush is very loud, but it is so quick that it doesn’t even last long enough to wake anyone up. It flushes and fills up nearly instantaneously, so even on busy mornings, you won’t have to wait for the bowl to fill up in between family member’s morning visits to the bathroom.
What to Expect
When you own this model, there is very little maintenance for you to be concerned with, especially if you have plumbing expertise or hired a plumber to put it in. This will lessen your chances of having any problems with leaks or breakage, which really aren’t very common to begin with. The piston has also been updated in the last few years, so there’s a good chance you won’t encounter any leaks at all anymore.
Besides that, since this one uses such a small amount of water, you can end up saving thousands of gallons of water a year, which is good for your wallet and good for the environment as well.
You can expect to have plenty of room when you sit on this one, and it is high enough to make sure that you don’t have to lean over to utilize it. It comes with the seat, which is something that isn’t always commonplace, so you won’t have to search around for the perfect seat.
Since everything is of a good quality and there is a one year warranty, you shouldn’t have to worry much when you own this one. It is likely to become a trusted member of your household throughout the years.
Pros
✓ Comes with 1 year warranty
✓ Standard 12 inch rough in
✓ Saves space
✓ Large enough for mostseat
✓ Comes with lid and seat
✓ Straightforward installation
Cons
✘ May not have glaze at top
✘ Product may leak
My Conclusion
This toilet is a good buy for a number of reasons. There are a lot of similarities between it and other units, which are mainly the fact that it comes in a variety of colors, is a one piece, and has an elongated design. What makes it unique is how quickly it flushes and fills back up, that it uses gravity to flush, the special piston that negates the need of a flapper, and the fact that it uses less water than many models out there. There are many satisfied customers of this one, and it isn’t really surprising why. Even though Kohler makes a lot of different types of products, they still employ a lot of highly technological specifications in all of their items. Keep this one on your list when you’re looking for a no fuss toilet that works really well.
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