HELP!
You will find answers to most of the everyday residential toilet repair and maintenance problems in the Toiletology 101 lessons, but when answers elude you, I list here and on the following page dozens of resources for additional help. I regret I can not answer questions directly. If you are totally frustrated and ready to turn your problem over to a professional, you can get a free estimate from a qualified plumber in your area from eLocalPlumbers.com.
KAY
Toilet Manufacturers
Try to identify the manufacturer of your toilet or parts inside the tank. Look for a toilet manufacturer's name imprinted behind the toilet seat hinge, embossed on the back wall inside the toilet tank, or on the underside of the tank lid. A common identification mistake for people to think their toilet seat brand is also the toilet brand, however, the name on a toilet seat is rarely the same manufacturer as the toilet. The refill valve often has a manufacturer's name embossed on the top if it still the original valve. If you can find the manufacturer's name, call their customer service office with your problem. You can locate addresses in the Thomas Register in the reference section at your public library. Better still check out The Directory of Plumbing Manufacturers
or the membership roster of The Plumbing Manufacturer's Institute on the WWW. The Plumbing Manufacturers Institute (PMI) is the national trade association of plumbing products manufacturers. Its member companies produce most of the nation's plumbing products.
Gary Tjader at Toilet Tank Lids writes: "Manufacturers change their names over the years, have sub-brands, they use abbreviations, they get acquired or merged. Homeowners are often understandably confused. Below is a summary of names and markings of manufacturers that have closed, merged or changed their names. This list is born out of Gary's years in the toilet tank lid replacement business.
Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company
American Radiator & Standard Sanitary Corporation
"American Standard" brand name
"American Standard" company name
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Name changes over the years.
1899 - 1967
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Case
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Acquired by Briggs in 1963. Briggs still has some support info.
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Cisa
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Briggs parent company as of 1997. Some toilets or their components bear this name.
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Celite
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South American OEM for brands such as St. Thomas Creations, Barclay Products Limited, Burgess.
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Colton
Colton-Wartsila
CW
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Out of business in the early 1980s.
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Ifo – Sweden
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Marketed a unique low-flow toilet in the US in the 1970s & 1980s. The tank from Sweden, the bowl made by Mansfield.
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Karat
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Import private label brand for home centers such as Lowes.
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Kilgore
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Acquired by Mansfield in 1988.
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Murray
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Sub brand of Eljer.
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Norris Thermador
Norris Industries
Norris
NT
NI
N
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Norris was acquired by Mansfield in 1991 and the brand is no longer in production. Manufacturer support, if any, MIGHT be available from Mansfield.
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Orion
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Home center brand and OEM for other brands such as Barclay Products Limited.
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Sears
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Private Label manufactured by others such as Universal Rundle.
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Standard
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Predecessor of American Standard.
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TEPCO
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Might stand for “Technical Porcelain and Chinaware Company”. Manufactured Crane and Trenton brands.
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Trenton - 1892
Trenton Potteries
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Trenton Potteries, 1920's - Acquired by Crane Co. but continued Trenton brand name, 1969 - Trenton brand-name and plant closed.
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Universal Rundle
UR
URC
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Following are a few Help Hotline numbers to get you started. Manufacturers will only be interested in questions associated with their products. I will add Help Hotline numbers for manufacturers of toilets and toilet products as I obtain them.
American Standard, Inc. _______800~442~1902
Briggs Industries, Inc. _______800~627~4447
Cesco Brass _______800~886~4361
Crane _______800~877~6678
Eljer Plumbingware _______800~423~5537
Fluidmaster, Inc. _______800~631~2011
Sloan FLUSHMATE® _______800~875~9116
Genova, Inc. _______800~521~7488
Gerber _______847~675~6570
Hunter Plumbing Products _______619~744~9088
Kohler Company _______800~456~4537
Mansfield _______419~938~5211
Niagara Conservation _______800~831~8383
PF/2® by Geberit_______888~732~9282
Sloan Valve Company _______800~745~0800
• TOTO CA: Mon-Fri, 8:30a. to 5:30p. PST _______800~877~1541
• TOTO GA: Mon-Fri, 9a. to 6p. EST _______888~295~8134
• TOTO NY: Mon-Fri, 9a. to 6p. EST _______888~600~9668
Sources of Help (Continued)
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