Pressure Assist Toilet Problems And Solutions

People nowadays prefer to install pressure-assist toilets in their homes because of more cleanliness and clog-free features. In addition, these toilets also save water by using 1.1 to 1.4 gallons of water per flush.

Pressure assist toilet problems include difficult repairing and installation, less water pressure, installation of new pipes, noisy flush, explosion chances, and dirty inlet screes and duckbill valves. Moreover, the flush lever is hard, has more plumbing issues, and needs more bathroom space.

You can prefer them in their homes because they are better than the gravity-fed system and quickly remove the large solid waste from the bowl. However, these are slightly more costly than the conventional ones because of the more parts and advanced features.

Problems Solutions
Difficult repairing and installation Visit online stores to find damaged parts
Less water pressures Check the fill valve and main water supply of home
Noisy flush Avoid installing them in high-traffic areas of your home
Explosion chances Correct installation
Dirty inlet screen and duckbill valve Use a toothbrush to clean the inlet screen and duckbill valve
Difficult to operate flush lever Use automatic pressure assist toilets
More plumbing problems Add new pipes with larger diameter
Need more space in the bathroom Measure bathroom size

Difficult repairing and installation

Pressure-assist toilets are difficult to repair when parts become faulty and malfunctioning. However, these are less common as compared to the conventional ones that are usually present in every home.

You cannot easily find their failed or faulty parts in the hardware stores. These are less familiar, and you need to call the plumber for repair procedures.

In addition, you have to invest more money in their repair because you cannot do any procedure at home. These are challenging to install because of their complex flushing mechanism.

Call the licensed plumbing expert for their installation at home. Then, you can visit online stores to purchase their damaged parts.

Less water pressure

You can also face less water pressure issues which can cause cleanliness issues and clogging chances. For example, the water pressure decreases when duckbill valves are clogged and not providing sufficient air pressure.

In addition, the water pressure forms the main supply line also decreases, which can cause an issue in their refilling because of reduced supply.

You can face the problem when these are installed on the upper floor of your buildings. This is because water from the pipes takes more time to reach the higher floor than the ground floors.

It is better to add pressure-assist toilets on the ground floor of your home for better water access. Moreover, I checked the refilling valve and ensured its correct functioning.

Noisy flush

The flushing mechanism in pressure assist toilet is noisier than the conventional ones. These produce a loud sound when you press the flushing lever.

These are not suitable for homes because of their louder flush. However, the home’s walls are smaller, and you can hear the sound in other places in your home.

It can also disturb other people, and the louder sound worries them. Therefore, installing them in an enclosed space is better so their flushing noise cannot move outside.

Avoid installing them between two bedrooms because you can disturb the sleep of other people at night.

Explosion chances

The explosion chances in these pressure assist toilet increase because they use compressed air for flushing. The explosion is dangerous, and it can affect the person’s safety.

The gas pressure in the tank increases and causes an explosion of the porcelain tank. The explosion also affects the lower parts of the toilets and breaks the bowl into pieces. That’s why these toilets are dangerous.

The air pressure in these tanks is 25 to 40 psi, and the issue comes when it exceeds its normal range. You can reduce the explosion chances by hiring an experienced plumbing man for the correct installation.

Dirty inlet screen and duckbill valve

The inlet screens of these toilets are located on the lower side of the tank to move the water into the bowl. These can get clogged because of frequent use, contamination, and age.

The clogged inlet screens cannot allow sufficient water to move into the bowl. Clogging of inlet screens occurs due to hard water use for flushing.

Minerals can accumulate in these parts, block them and reduce the water pressure in the bowl. Moreover, bacterial and fungal growth because of water presence also clogs them.

The duckbill valves supply the compressed air into the tank. You can see them under the air inducer, and the tanks take air from the small hole of the inducer cap.

Debris accumulates on these valves, which do not provide enough air for water flushing. In addition, the clogged duckbill valve leads to slow flushing because of less air pressure.

It is necessary to keep both components clean for better functioning of these toilets. Therefore, I used the paper clip to remove the inlet screen for cleaning.

Use the old toothbrush and scrub its surface to remove dried fungus and mineral residues. I also used the same toothbrush for cleaning of duckbill valve after washing it.

Open the tank lid, remove the air inducer cap to locate the valve, and then scrub it with a brush for debris clearance.

Difficult to operate flush lever

These contain two buttons for flushing labeled with flush and power flush. In addition, you can use the flush button for liquid waste and urinal use.

The power flush button creates extra water pressure to remove the heavy waste from the bowls. In addition, the flush levers are hard and challenging to operate.

You require more pressure and force to press them to flush the toilets afterward. These are not suitable for little children because they cannot exert extra force to press them.

These require more force to use the flushing lever than the gravity-fed system.

You can use their other types that work on the automatic flushing system if you have kids and older people at home.

These contain the sensor for their functioning and do not contain a lever or buttons to trigger flushing.

More plumbing problems

Pressure-assist toilets have more plumbing problems than the gravity-fed system. Plumbing lines are at more risk of cracking and breaking.

The plastic pipes are more vulnerable to cracks because of the high-water pressure. This is because high water pressure exerts a force on the walls of the pipes when they move through them.

In addition, you cannot add them with pre-existing plumbing systems and toilets. You have to install the new pipes when you want to add them to your bathrooms.

A powerful flushing system cannot work with narrow, old pipes, which can break easily. Instead, install the new pipes with a larger time while installing the new fixtures.

I installed the pressure assist toilet with my old pipes, and it did not work fine, and I faced many problems. These need compatible parts and careful installation for their correct functioning.

Need more space in the bathroom

Pressure assist toilets are relatively larger in size as compared to conventional ones. These require more space in your bathrooms and are not suitable for smaller areas.

I saw them in public places, restaurants, and hotels because of their larger bathrooms than in our homes.

The issue occurs when people do not measure the size of bathrooms in their homes and purchase them. Therefore, avoid adding them in smaller places.

The interior also looks less ventilated and suffocated, with less walking space. Measure the size of your bathroom and call a plumber to access the space for their installation.

I prefer to add the smaller and gravity-fed toilets for small bathrooms present in apartments.

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