Ideal standard toilet seals fail annually

Sago48

Hi there. We had an ideal standard close coupled toilet installed 6 years ago and since then we have had a replacement pan - the original was "deformed" and didn't flush properly - a new inlet unit, and two sets of inlet and outlet seals. All under the warranty. Now we are out of warranty and both inlet and outlet seals have failed again (a year after the previous fail) and the toilet isn't useable at present.

I'm reluctant to simply replace the seals again and am looking for a more long-lasting solution - for example there may be third party units that are proven to be more reliable?

I'm also puzzled that a firm which I'd thought had a good reputation produces such shoddy goods. They seem totally unconcerned that they have manufactured such a poor quality loo. What experiences have others had?

Thanks

Furts

In recent years, with numerous reputable companies, the quality has gone down the pan.

OK I could not resist that one!

Seriously, even with reputable brannds there has been a tendency for the hidden pieces like switches, knobs, screws, seals to be sourced from cheap and dubious places. Indeed, I would not be surprised if Ideal Standard have no idea where your seals are made. Of course they may say our supplier is...blah blah and they are reputable. However, that supplier will, unknown to Ideal Standard, be sourcing the seals from a back garden shed in Vietnam.

You also have to look at the concept of fashion, and built in obsolence. I have recently had a case, on behalf of a customer, with a reputable UK shower company. This company put the following to me...

"Your client has received the benefit of our product for 11 months. We accept that this experience has not been satisfactory. However, we expect your client to be considering upgrading to a new product after this period of time."

In other words, the product had survived for 11 months, and it was now time for a change to the latest "better" product. I pointed out that the new product was technically inferior, but the company responded saying that was what the market demanded. They explained that customers did not demand solidity, durability, strength etc. Hence if they offered these attributes they would not sell their products and they would go out of business.

andyhop

Ideal have got worse and worse over the last few years

Hold little or no stock, furniture is all made to order and is always poorly packed ...it's rare that we receive any that isn't damaged !

We've had various bath problems , some marked and chipped, black rash marks and one that delaminated in less than 3 months. On the upside there warranty isn't bad and once you speak to the correct person it generally gets sorted swiftly. Our last issue with the delaminated bath was settled in full by ideal standard at a cost of £3500, there isn't many companies out there that would compensate the installer by this amount for a £250 product