Honestly, I’ve worked on a bunch of these and the noise thing is all over the map. Some brands really are louder—pressure-assist models especially. If you want quiet, gravity-fed toilets tend to be less obnoxious, but sometimes they’re not as powerful. As for double flushing, yeah, that’s a common complaint. If you’re having to do it a lot, it might be worth checking if the water level’s set right or if there’s a partial clog somewhere. Sometimes it’s just the design, though... not all “efficient” models are created equal.
If you want quiet, gravity-fed toilets tend to be less obnoxious, but sometimes they’re not as powerful.
That’s been my experience too. I remember swapping out an old clunker for a fancy low-flow at my aunt’s place—she loved how quiet it was, but then started complaining about having to flush twice if anyone used more than a few squares of TP. We checked the water level and even snaked the line, but it just wasn’t as strong as her old one. Some models really nail it, though. It’s kinda hit or miss unless you do some homework first.
Yeah, that’s the trade-off, isn’t it? Quiet is great until you’re standing there hoping the second flush does the trick. Some of those low-flows are basically magic, though—my cousin’s got one that could probably handle a roll of TP and a Lego set without breaking a sweat. It really does come down to picking the right model... and maybe keeping a plunger handy just in case.
Had a call last week for a “mysterious clog” and, sure enough, it was a low-flow that’d been installed wrong—angle of the drain was off by just enough to make it struggle. If you get a good one and it’s set up right, they’re honestly pretty solid. But yeah, I keep a plunger nearby too... just in case someone gets ambitious with the TP.
Yeah, that sounds about right. I’ve seen way too many low-flows get a bad rap just because someone botched the install or didn’t bother checking the slope. But even with everything perfect, I still see more clogs than with the old-school models. Maybe it’s just the way folks use ‘em, or maybe they’re just pickier? Have you noticed any brands that hold up better, or is it all about the install in your experience?