Maximum performance testing of popular toilet models

Posted January 2006

As noted in the 5th Edition of Maximum Performance Testing of Popular Toilet Models, “virtually all toilet models sold in Canada and the U.S. meet both flush volume and performance requirements of the Canadian Standards Association and the American National Standards Institute/American Society of Mechanical Engineers.” However, “there remains some question as to whether models that meet the minimum certification requirements meet the expectations of the consumer.”

The report is a Canadian/American partnership led by the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association. It goes on to state that “since certification testing offers only a pass/fail grading, there is currently no easy way to distinguish between superior and marginal toilet models available in the market,” and that “this lack of information on toilet performance levels has served to create a negative perception regarding 6-litre (1.6-gallon) technology in general.” 

Background information contained in the report states that, “Most residential toilet models exceed customer performance expectations while flushing with no more than 6 litres (1.6 gallons). However, recent research in Canada and the U.S. concludes that there are also certified and commercially available models that do not meet customer expectations. There are two key concerns:

• Fixtures that fail to meet the maximum 6-litre flush requirements of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or the 1.6-gallon requirements of the American National Standards Institute/American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ANSI/ASME1), result in toilets that flush with either too much or too little water; and
• Fixtures that do not flush effectively result in customer complaints and the need for double flushing.

“Although other toilet performance studies have been completed, none has been performed using test media as realistic as that used in this test, nor has a quantifiable performance benchmark – based on the results of relevant medical data – been established. The Maximum Performance (MaP) testing project was developed to identify how well popular toilets models perform using a realistic test media, and to grade each toilet model based on this performance. A soybean paste having similar physical properties (density, moisture content) to human waste was used in combination with toilet paper as the test media. In addition to using a realistic test media, all toilet samples are adjusted, where possible, to their rated flush volume (typically 6 litres / 1.6 gallons) prior to testing to ensure a level playing field.”

This 5th Edition of the MaP test report—Maximum Performance Testing of Popular Toilet Models—supersedes all earlier editions. Sixty-six additional models are included in this edition.

For the complete report, visit the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association at www.cwwa.ca/home_e.asp.