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The American Standard brand are well known for their innovations. Some examples of this are the EverClean anti microbial surface, and the CleanCurve rim. But in this guide, we shall be focusing on the VorMax toilet and how its technology can benefit your bathroom.
We want to delve deeper into the spec lists to fully understand what each product within this range offers. Our focus shall be on the flushing mechanism, bowl and tank style, the trapway, and overall design. For a full list of things we look for in a toilet, visit our home page.
The 238AA104CP.020 is a self cleaning toilet, capable of washing the bowl more thoroughly than many of its competitors thanks to its uniquely designed flushing mechanism.
It achieves this through its jetted scrub which includes LYSOL cleaner, and EverClean glaze, keeping the bowl in pristine condition and devoid of odors.
It consumes less water than standard 1.6 GPF units too, with a highly efficient 1.28 GPF that scores an excellent 1000g on the MaP scale.
If you're big on hygiene, but don't particularly enjoy the manual cleaning tasks that are usually required, then the PLUS could be a smart choice.
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| Plus | Heritage | Townsend | |
| Model number | 238AA.104CP.020 | 205AA.104.020 | 2922A104.020 |
| Rough in | 12" | 12" | 12" |
| Flush type | HET | HET | HET |
| Touchless | |||
| Trip lever | . | ||
| Button | |||
| GPF | 1.28 | 1.28 | 1.28 |
| WaterSense | . | ||
| CalGreen | . | ||
| MaP | 1000g | 1000g | 1000g |
| ADA | . | ||
Rim height
Height without seat
|
16-1/2" | 16-1/2" | 16-1/2" |
| Elongated | . | ||
| Round | |||
| Square | |||
WSA
Water surface area
|
N/A | N/A | N/A |
Water level
Rim to surface |
N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Dimensions | 30.2 x 17.9 x 32.2" | 30.2 x 19.8 x 30.8" | 10.6 x 27 x 29.8" |
| Weight | N/A | 99 lbs | 94.5 lbs |
| Trap size | 2-1/16" | 2-1/16" | 2-1/16" |
| Flush valve | Dual | Dual | Dual |
| Concealed trap | |||
| Skirted | |||
| One piece | |||
| Two piece | |||
| Intelligent | |||
| Floor mount | . | ||
| Wall mounted | |||
| Colors | White | White | White |
| Seat | |||
| Soft close | |||
| Bidet | |||
| Supply | |||
| Rating | 84% | 82% | 82% |
Described by American Standard as being able to clean twice as well as conventional toilets, this is a flush innovation that could be of interest to many consumers.
They no longer use rim holes within this product design, instead choosing a single jet of water to circle the bowl. The advantages of this? It's able to clean the otherwise difficult to get to areas around the rim, leaving a cleaner, more hygienic space for the next washroom user.
In fact, in comparison to conventional options, which use around 70% of the tanks water for starting the siphon and 30% for rim washing purposes, the VorMax does this the other way around. It uses 70% for cleaning the rim, and 30% for the siphonic action.
With built in CleanCurve rims, and EverClean surfaces, this is a company that has produced a product capable of giving the bowl a more thorough rinse, leaving much less bacteria and waste particles on the bowl compared to standard mechanisms.
We have a set criteria for our ratings, used to help us discover the products with the attributes that stand out from the rest. We analyze our favorites below, and help our readers understand why we picked them through detailed analysis of their specifications, functions, and design features.
Featuring a solid design, built with several kinds of unique innovations designed to keep your bathroom cleaner.
The first of these technological specs is the CleanCurve rim. The rim was once a breeding ground for all kinds of germs and bacteria, and often a place where water didn't effectively reach. The 238AA104CP.020 solves this problem thanks to improvements on the design allowing the solution to hit the most difficult areas in the rim.
Next up, the powerful flushing action with dual injection valves. This model utilizes fresh infuser packs containing LYSOL to combine with its 1.28 GPF flush, to send a solution that scrubs the bowl clean more effectively than its standard, gravity fed, counterparts. The manufacturer claims the infuser can last for up to 360 flushes.
The bowl is right height, a recommended choice for the disabled, and it has an elongated shape, which is a good choice in terms of comfort than round or square models. It's also better for the male anatomy, as it provides the necessary space in that area.
So to round it all up, we have something here that is ADA and WaterSense compliant, has a strong 1000 gram MaP score, and cleans itself. To top it all off, it also comes equipped with a soft closing seat with a quick release feature.
The 205AA.104.020 has a two piece design that's finished in a bright white, measures 30.2 by 19.8 by 30.8 inches and weighs 99 pounds.
It offers users a low flow flush (1.28 GPF or 4.8 LPF). This is something that's important to us as it plays a role in protecting the environment and ensures users save on their household bills. It also meets CALGreen and WaterSense criteria. The savings made can add up to tens of thousands of gallons of water throughout the product lifetime, depending on how many people live in the household and use the bathroom each day.
The bowl is siphonic, and is of a spacious elongated style. Dual injection flush valves send a strong current through from the tank, providing a powerful rinsing action that removes all waste. This works well with its anti bacterial glazing.
Externally and aesthetically, it's not the most beautiful product we've come across. But it includes the functionality and performance many people require for heavy usage. And the 1000g MaP rating is testament to this.
Unlike the two above, the 2922A104.020 has a one piece design that has a more aesthetically pleasing, contemporary design. It comes in white, and includes the seat and cover in the price.
The bowl is right height, elongated and features the useful CleanCurve rim that eliminates the cavity areas where dirt used to be able to hide.
It fits a standard twelve inch rough in, has dimensions of 10.6 by 27 by 29.8 inches, and it weighs 94.5 pounds.
Looking into the flushing mechanism, it's a gravity based, 1.28 gallon flush, that falls in line with the Environmental Protection Agencies WaterSense standards.
It has a ten year warranty policy that provides some coverage and protection to users in the event something breaks or becomes defective.
Taking everything into account, this is a model that has power, conservation, and positive feedback to back it up. And for that reason, it makes our list.
Alternative collections - Similar to all major brand names in the bathroom industry, there are differing product ranges with some unique qualities of their own. It's important to spend time researching all available options to assess which is best for your own requirements. The Cadet 3, Champion 4, Colony, Edgemere, Town Square ranges are all worth looking into in our opinion.
Rough in measurement - If you're already aware of what your rough in size is, we have useful pages for 14" and 10" products. However, for those among you not sure how to make this measurement, it's quite simple. What you have to do is measure from the middle of your closet bolts that secure the base in place, to the wall directly behind the tank. Round down to the nearest standard rough (10", 12", 14").
One vs two piece - Some people are happy to do a bit of extra work in the installation process, others want the quicker and easier route. Both of these styles require a little experience in DIY or plumbing, but a one piece product will be easier out of the two simply because there is no need to attach the bowl to the tank separately. There are also fewer points from which it can leak. However, two piece units may be a smart investment if you don't want to spend as much money on your upgrade.
Bowl shape and height - Consider the width, height, and length of the bowl. Who's going to be using it? You need to account for everyone in the household and decide the best way forward based off everyone's needs. For example, if you've got either a tall or elderly person living with you, you may want to install a toilet with a comfort height bowl. The opposite applies to shorter people and standard sized bowls. The size you choose should also take into account how big or small your bathroom is.
Surface coating - The glazing that coats the ceramic china is very important. Whilst you may have been made aware of EverClean elsewhere in this guide, there are also several other names for other types of glaze. This includes Cefiontect and SanaGloss, PuraClean, and HygieneGlaze. Each one tied to a specific brand name in the industry. Their purpose is to fight off mold, mildew, dirt, and bacteria in general by smoothing over and covering pores on the surface. It's also the resulting slickness that makes the various flushing systems out there more effective at cleaning the bowl, since waste is less likely to stick.
Water spot - The water spot size varies from company to company. Some are more generous, others less so. If you've found your current model leaves too many streaks below the water line, you may want to look into something larger. The bigger the water surface is, the better it is at odor control too. If this is something that interests you, our comparison charts always display the water spot dimensions wherever possible. Readers should also note that the larger you go, the higher the water level. Meaning that there is a risk of getting into splashing range. So make sure the water is at minimum 5 inches from the rim height.
Trapway - Would you rather save money on a non skirted unit, or spend a little extra to get skirting that hides the trapway and adds a few points to its aesthetics?
Will a standard size be sufficient for everyday use, or will you require a larger trapway that has the ability to move significantly more waste?
Flush type - There are plenty of different systems out there to choose from, but the mains ones to consider in are either single or dual flushing. Single flushes is limited to whatever GPF the tank sends through the bowl, and the users have no control over that. They deal with whatever the manufacturers give them. However, dual flush options offer two options as you would expect. One to produce a stronger current for clearing heavier amounts of waste. And one which is eco friendly and designed to handle liquid rather than solids. The ability to choose between them will help you save water every month.
Activation - You will no doubt already be aware of buttons and trip levers used to control when you send water through from the tank. However, there is a more hygienic, convenient alternative to this, which is known as touchless. This system utilizes sensors built into the tank that run on batteries. It's designed to sense when you wave your hand over it and automatically flush when it does. One such collection that incorporates this technology is ActiVate.
Power - We share the view point that flush performance can make or break a product. One of the first steps we take to understand this is through MaP ratings. These are reliable performance scores based on a set of tests made by a company named Maximum Performance. As a rule of thumb, buying anything less than a 400 grams score is completely unnecessary.
Efficiency - We suggest upgrading to a WaterSense toilet. The positives of owning one far outweigh the negatives in the majority of cases. If we crunch the numbers, a family with four members in it stands to save over two thousands gallons of water per year on average, which can equate to over a thousand dollars in household bills over its lifetime. And while they manage to make huge savings in this regard, performance doesn't suffer much thanks to modern improvements in flush mechanisms. In fact, you'll find a number of eco units achieving the coveted 1000 gram MaP score.
Seat and supply - Check whether the toilet seat is included or not. Modern seats can get quite expensive depending on the type you pick. So it's important to budget for a scenario where you may need to buy it separate to the rest. We recommend getting yourself either a quiet closing seat if you're on a tight budget, or a bidet / washlet if you're not too worried about price. Bidets are a much more hygienic way to clean yourself up after using the washroom, but they increase water usage, and the majority of the modern ones require a power source.
Consumer feedback - Too many negative reviews are usually a give away that the product has too many flaws or has a likelihood of getting broken in some shape or form. This feedback on various products is available for free on the biggest online shops, so it would be sensible to take advantage of it. Stick to the higher star ratings and you stand to filter out many of the poorly made models on the market.
The VorMax collections we've picked out above are modern, powerful and come with a number of great features that enable it to handle waste effectively and efficiently in a residential setting. If you're looking for strong flushing performance that leaves the bowl spotless, they could be a worthy contender as an upgrade in your home.