Hi, A couple of things to try.Hold the handle down when you flush the toilet, if that helps then adjust the flapper to stay open longer. If that fails buy a bowl auger and try to clear the toilets maybe some packing or debris is stuck in them.
Good Luck Woodbutcher

I would look to the piping and venting. after all the toilets pulled were 3.5 gallon flush+, replaced with 1.6. perhaps the 3.5 gal masked the current problem? The fact that all are a problem is weird. So share some more info. Are they all on the same floor (1st), are you on septic?

You could always buy a cheap toilet and install to answer the question if it is a certain run of Totos.

Toto does make a great flushing toilet and I hope you get it worked out to experience that.

Hmmm.... I didn't consider the possibility that the 3.5 flush could be masking an existing problem. Since they are all showing the same symptons, I tend to put the blame on the toilets. One toilet is on the first floor; the other 3 are on the second floor. Not on septic.

I'd like to find a plumber who is an 'expert' with the Toto toilets, as opposed to just any plumber who might not have the necessary experience to deal with this type of problem.

I now look at the Toto as having a 2-stage flush system. I use the normal lever action to flush just liquids; and I hold down the lever for a few seconds to use the entire tank for any flush with more than just liquids...until I get this figured out... Gary

I would pour a bucket of water into the bowl to see how it goes down. Should be evident whether there's an issue by how easily it goes down.

This is a long shot, but when the toilets were removed, did anyone happen to accidentally leave a wad of newspaper (or worse, plastic bag), etc. in the flange to block the sewer gases? I did that once or twice, and it causes flush issues until the paper finally washed down the drainpipe.

homebound... I tried the bucket of water test several times. The water flowed out very nicely and immediately. No problem at all. Most of the water was siphoned out leaving only about an inch or 2 of water in the bowl, as expected.

I then, with this low amount of water in the bowl, did a normal flush with one square of tissue to see what would happen. The water did not flow out nicely. It sort of looks like the water coming in through the inch round hole on the front side of the bowl doesn't escape smoothly and it gurgles and bubbles up like it can't get out though the larger exit hole and it left the one square of tissue in the bowl. Hard to describe but that is what happens when it get clogged. The water seems not to want to exit gracefully and just fills up the bowl. It really appears as if the flapper closes too quickly but this is the design of the Toto to save water. Doing the same test with the one square of tissue and holding down the lever so all the water escapes from the tank make a regular looking good flush. Gary

Our two Totos handle 'bigger jobs' best when you hold the lever down until the trap glug-glugs. Even for a 'regular' flush, I pause for maybe 1/2 a second with the lever pushed all the way down. If you're expecting to push the lever really quick and have it do its thing, you may be mistaken. That was more the case w/ the older toilets- I'm not sure why, but it seems like the flapper just sort of did its thing after you got it opened.

If it works fine w/ pouring water in via bucket, I guess there's a chance that the flapper/lever is out of adjustment. But I suspect that it may just be that you need to adjust your expectations.

Well, I'm at a loss. But I clipped these descriptions from performancetoilets.com website, which leaves me wondering if some of their residential ones are as good as their reputation:

"Which TOTO toilets have the best performance? What is GMAX?
TOTO offers three levels of toilet performance, based on the flushing system installed:

G-Max - Commercial and Residential installations
This outstanding flush system was designed for high use applications, such as hotels and motels. Featuring high head pressure, this high performance flushing system utilizes a 3" flush valve, and 2 1/8" glazed computer designed trapway, and siphon jet action. Providing a quiet and extra powerful flush toilets featuring the G-Max system are considered as equal to pressure assist systems, without the noise, high cost, and frequent repairs common in pressure assist toilets. TOTO has both one and two piece toilets featuring this system.

Power Gravity - Residential Installations
This new flushing system was introduced in 1997, and has a combination of features that provides an exceptional, high performance flush. Included are a 3" flush valve, and 2 1/8" glazed computer designed trapway, and siphon jet action. Toilets with this system are all attractive, elegant designs with a quiet and powerful flush. TOTO has many one piece toilets featuring this system.

Gravity - Residential Installations
TOTO's standard gravity toilet was rated number one in overall customer satisfaction by the cities of Los Angeles and New York in municipal testing based on their water conservation programs. Introduced in 1989, these toilets feature a 2" flush valve and a 1 7/8" glazed trapway. These two piece toilets (CST703 and CST704) were first introduced in 1989.

homebound- I didn't mean to imply that there's anything wrong with the Totos. You just need to change how you push the lever slightly for it to work as intended. Note that nothing in your cut/pasted descriptions alludes to that.

If you push and release the lever very quickly, the flapper in the Toto is going to close and it won't flush all the way. On an old high-flow toilet, the flapper was light enough that it would stay open until all the water drained out. With the Toto, you need to hold it open for a moment for it to do its thing. And I don't think that particularly uses any more water than advertised.

thull... For the UltraMax, I am pretty sure that the lever on the Toto is supposed to be pushed quickly and released. Doing this uses the 1.6 gallons it is designed to use. Holding it down for the entire tank to be used, as you suggest, defeats the water-saving feature. I read somewhere that it is done this way because the water is suppose to have more force coming from a higher level in the tank but does not need the entire tank for a correct flush. Holding down the lever to get a good flush by using all the water in the tank can't be the solution. How about when guest come and use your toilet and you have to instruct them how to 'properly' use your toilet so it will flush completely?!! Makes no sense to me.
Gary

Hmmm. I suspect that the tank only holds 1.6 gal. And the vast majority of the time, it only takes a beat (maybe half a beat) of pause with the lever pushed down to ensure it does its thing. I tend to listen for the trap when I want to make darn sure everything goes down. The usual culprit is excessive TP use (TMI, I know).

FWIW, our Ultimate (Power Gravity and older) seems to be more susceptible than our Sanagloss Drake (G-Max and newer). Since the Ultimate/Ultramax are the same except for the flush mechanism, I still don't exactly understand the difference between the two. Admittedly, I haven't looked too close inside ours.

I still think they're great as far as low flow toilets go. Most everyone else has caught up (as evidenced in the CUWCC MaP results). But I don't think they're 100% clog proof. I've explained how I (mostly) get around it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Toto's marketing sheet on G-Max

Hi, I checked the Toto's in my home. Very basic(these basic things are the most diffucult to fix). I also read the directions for a new red flapper, Make sure the chain has little slack as possible, make sure the tank fills to the correct level and the water in the hose from the fill valve goes into the overflow. With a regular flush the flapper opens and allows about 1/4 of the tank out. I think the water levels are most important.
Good Luck Woodbutcher

Goddi, when you mentioned flushing with a bucket of water you said that it all flushed down leaving 1"-2" of water in the bowl as expected. 1" or 2" seems very little to me. Is this normal on a Toto? Any toilet I've seen leaves more than this. If this amount is low they it seems that you should be investigating why there is not more. Without the proper amount of water in the bowl to begin with, they will not flush properly...at least from my experience.

I'm going to backpedal some now. I tried with both of our Totos last night to get them to do what you've described. No dice. As long as I pushed the lever all the way down, it didn't matter how quick I pushed or if I held it at the bottom. At least with just water and a few squares of TP, they fully flushed.

I also watched with the lid off, and my big-mess-method of flushing let about an extra 1/2 inch out.

That's what I get for being a keyboard commando 10 miles away from the actual equipment.

coolvt... I poured a bucket of water in the bowl just to see how it would go down. And the water went down just fine. The fact that it left 1'-2" of water is what should have happened due to the siphoning effect. This has nothing to do with how Toto operates--any toilet will leave very little water in the bowl. This is a good technique of getting most of the water out of the bowl just before you are going to remove a toilet--less water is needed to be scooped out. What I got out of this test is when the Toto bowl has this little amount of water in it, the Toto does not flush properly, contrary to my old toilets. This low amount of water in the Toto seems to act more of a blockage as opposed to a help for the flush.
Gary

Wait, so are they not flushing properly all the time or just after you 'flush' by pouring a bucket of water in to get things going? If it isn't flushing when you flush with a bucket, then try to flush regularly, that's pretty odd circumstances to expect it to behave normally.

thull.... No...they are all flushing fine most of the time. But they have me a bit paranoid that they will clog because they do clog for no real reason some of the time. At times, when it is just liquid and paper, a bit of the tissue floats back, not flushing completely.

The bucket test was just a test to see how a larger about of water would flow out smoothly, and it did. So it does not look like a restriction past the toilet. What it seems to me is the flapper closes too soon and not letting in enough water into the bowl. But the flapper is acting as Toto wants it to act...closing very quickly leaving a portion of the water in the tank (water saving action). But I don't find this satisfactory. I want to save water, but all the hype about how good Totos are is not proving out in my experience. The models I have are the Ultramax (3) and the Supreme (1). Gary

One of my three Toto toilets was not flushing fully whenever anybody other than me flushed it. The result was very low water in the bowl after the flush. If you hold the lever down you get a full flush and normal water level in the bowl. It's been driving me crazy, I find myself flushing the toilet just to get it to fill up properly.
I can't say we have a clogging problem however, but I am sure it is just a matter of time.
So last night I decided to try to figure out why it was not flushing all the way. It was obvious after watching with the tank lid off, that the flapper was closing way too soon when the lever was not held down for a second or two.
I decided the flapper needed more "hang time" in the open position before it flapped closed.
My simple solution was to install a counter weight on the the flapper. My toto has the original flapper and it has a bracket thing opposite the flapper. I used a couple lead fishing weights and zip ties.
The result is a "full flush" no matter how long (or quick) the handle is pressed. It was amazing to see the difference the counterweight made.
Note: not all flappers have a place to install the counterweight, my 7 year old Toto's do.
I realize this may use more water, but now I feel confident that when my guests and my kids and my wife flush the toilet it will flush and fill properly.
I want my toilets to work, I don't care about the 1.6 gallons per flush. I'll keep an eye on the water bill however.

Gary,
I am the TOTO manufacturers' representative for the states of Georgia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina. Please email me at richardg@sminc.net or call me at 770 739 3740.
I will help you resolve your problem. There is something else going on in your plumbing for all 4 models to not work properly. There is something probably caught in your main vent. Depending on where you live, I might be able to get someone to your house.

Richard Goldsmith

these new-fangled toilets are going to drive me batty. I have the AS champion, it has a 360 flapper. NO it hasn't clogged but its the water issue, no adjusting the chain for more water, only holding the handle longer,defeating the water saving feature. In my mind, it doesn't have enough water in the bowl. Seems if there is not, you're already looking for trouble. Someone told me thats the nature of the beast, maybe I just need to get used to it.

I have a Mancesa and it does not flush after cleaning which tends to leave the water level in the bowl/trap down about an inch. The first flush refills the bowl and its good to go till the next cleaning. The water level in the bowl seems to be all important in the 1.6 gallon toilets.

lazypup... Thanks for the reply. I like your explanation because it give me something to think about. However, I need some clarification. I am assuming that the 'toilet waste arm' starts where the wax seal is. My problem of the Totos not working well is that it seems to clog right at the exit hole in the bowl, not after the waste has left the bowl and entered the 'toilet waste arm.'
If, in fact, the waste does not even leave the bowl, does your explanation still hold water, so to speak??? When I was on the phone with the Toto tech person, I put just some toilet paper in the bowl to do a test and the paper got clogged right at the exit hole. Your explanation sounds like a good one IF the waste past through the bowl, but my clogs are immediate. The bowl just fills with the water from the tank and the waste goes nowhere. Filling the bowl up full of water used to work with the old toilets to help clear the waste but this rarely works with the Totos. I need the plunger.
What can explain this??? The only solution I see is to hold the lever down for the full amount of the water in the tank to be use but this loses the 1.6 flush. I look at the Totos as a 2-flush toilet--push the lever the normal quick way for just water-waste, and hold it down for the full tank to be used to insure solid waste get flushed (but this doesn't always work). Gets a bit tricky explaining this to people who use the guest toilet.... :-(
Thanks... Gary

Darn, and I was sitting on the edge of my seat awaiting a sordid tale of sabotage and rolling heads!

I think Lazypup is on the right track, I also think that Goddi may need to have his septic line SNAKED if he has never had it done. In house over 30 years of age the line can build up particulate matter which will effectively narrow the line. When 3.5 Gallons was going through it; yet 1.6gal doesn't have the same force or SIPHON power as the higher volume did.
My father has a 3 story home in DC with the same setup. Yet his toilets which are 2.5 gal will flush ok & never backup on the 2nd floor. His Eljer Comfort height 1.6 gal (on 1st floor) used to alway have to have a plunger about every 5-10 flushes UNTIL we SNAKED is line about 50ft down to where the line had a junction with the basement floor. Since then he hasn't had a problem, that was over a year ago. His home has had toilets in it since 1933.