I want to share some information with the residents of Lucerne. As one of the customers of the California Water Services Company we received several free toilets the company gave us to replace older toilets.
The toilets are manufactured by Caroma, an Australian company. They were given to me and many other Cal Water customers to save water. The toilets are dual-flush and do save water in that respect. However, what I have found out the hard way is that there is a $5 washer (seal) that allows the units to leak a gradual stream of water. It is such a nearly invisible leak that it may not appear to be a big deal, but it does leak constantly and has been doing so for an undetermined length of time. Both toilets in my home were leaking. No wonder my water bills have exceeded $100 per month with limited use. The problem is it is difficult to problem-solve and one cannot hear the units leaking. Granted these commodes are about three years old and possibly a normal toilet would start to leak as well. But, parts are readily available in any hardware store to correct any problems if that did occur. The seal for this had to be tracked down by calling Cal Water. I was told to contact the company representative that turned out to be in British Columbia. The representative at the company pointed out that the seals routinely fail after about three years, which is planned obsolescence at it”s best, in my opinion. To those who may be concerned, the seal is for the M5 toilet, (Sydney Smart) and has a product number of 750017. It is very easily replaced and can be done in less than 10 minutes. To contact Caroma call 800-605-4218, Debbie Foley. She mailed me three of the replacement seals that fixed the leaks. They make a great product and if maintained, are much better than traditional American-style toilets.
Cody Fincher
Lucerne
