TOTO’s extraordinarily smooth CEFIONTECT glaze prevents particulates from adhering to porous, ceramic surfaces. The ion-barrier in CEFIONTECT keeps everything cleaner, longer. Less cleaning means fewer chemicals in the environment and less water used for cleaning.

For regular cleaning of your CEFIONTECT product:

Do:

• Use a detergent or non-abrasive toilet cleaner.

• Use a soft-bristled plastic brush to clean your CEFIONTECT toilet.

Don't:

• Use cleansers, polishing powders or detergents that include gritty or coarse particles which might scratch the china surface.

• Use acid or alkaline detergents or cleaners which could etch the china surface.

• Use metal scrub brushes or steel wool to clean your CEFIONTECT products.

• If you have hard water stains, see How to remove hard water stains from your CEFIONTECT product

• Clogged sewer line or toilet bowl clogs

• Clogged vent line

• Incorrect settings or worn out toilet parts

1. Clogged sewer line or clogged toilet bowl

Symptoms: When flushing, the toilet’s water level would rise in the bowl and slowly drain. This is a telltale sign that your toilet is clogged

Solution: Try plunging your toilet or using a closet auger to see if the stoppage can be dislodged. If you are unable to remove the blockage, you may need to contact a local plumber for assistance.

2. Clogged vent line

Symptoms: You notice that your toilet gurgles or that bubbles blow out during the flush, or you just get a weak flush that may leave materials behind in the bowl.

Every appliance that drains into the sewer line has a vertical vent line that allows air to enter the pipe. (These are the pipes that are sticking up thru your roof) The vent must be open to allow air to come in behind the water and waste as they flow through the pipes. Without the air coming in through the vent, a vacuum is created by the water flow. The vacuum slows down the flow of the waste, which can cause solids to settle out and cause a line clog. There are many reasons why a vent pipe would get clogged, including:

• A previously clogged sewer pipe may have allowed solids to back up into the air vents. When the clog was cleared, materials stayed lodged in the vent pipe.

• A snow and ice storm may have allowed an ice cap to form, closing off the pipe.

• A squirrel or bird may have decided the pipe was a good place to build a nest, or store food.

There is a simple test that you can run to verify you have a clogged vent pipe. Take a large bucket of water and pour it quickly into the toilet bowl. If the vent pipe is clear, the water will go down the drain as fast as you can pour it. If the vent is clogged, the water level in the bowl will rise as the vacuum forms. Stop pouring if the water level rises, as we don’t want to overflow the bowl. Solutions: Whatever is obstructing the vent pipe needs to be removed. The easiest way to do this is to take a garden hose up onto the roof, and run water down into the vent pipe. This water will force the obstruction down into the sewer pipe, clearing the vent. Because of the risk of fall, you may want to hire a professional to do this.

3. Incorrect settings or worn out toilet parts

Symptoms: When you flush your toilet, the flush seems very weak or it flushes well every other flush.

Solutions: Incorrect Settings: The water level in the tank should be about ½ inch below the top of the overflow tube. The chain on the flapper should only have 1 or 2 links of slack and the black refill tube from the fill valve, should be flowing water into the overflow tube during the refill.

Worn out parts: A worn out flapper, fill valve, trip lever or flush valve may be causing the flushing problem. See our FAQ titled: HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU NEED TOILET REPLACEMENT PARTS.

Most toilets have only 4 components that may need to be replaced if the toilet doesn’t shut off.

• The flapper

• The flush valve

• The fill valve

• The trip lever

The first step is to determine where the leak is occurring. There is a simple "no tools needed" test to determine which part is causing the problem.

1. Allow the tank to fill, then close the water supply at the shutoff valve. Mark the water level inside the tank, and let sit overnight. If the water level drops, it is either a problem with the flapper or with the flush valve.

2. To determine if it is the flapper or the flush valve, hold the handle down so the water level in the tank goes out to the level where the flapper and the flush valve meet. Let it sit overnight.

• If the water level does not drop, the problem is with the flapper. See our FAQ titled: How to replace a rubber flapper.

• If the water level drops to the bottom of the flush valve, where it meets the china, the gasket at the base of the flush valve is bad. See our FAQ titled: How to replace a flush valve on a two piece toilet.

3. If the water in Step 1 did not drop at all, the problem is most likely with the fill valve. Other symptoms that help confirm the problem is with the fill valve include: Water is going over the top of the overflow tube on the flush valve.

• It might be hissing or continually dripping from the end of refill tube into the overflow tube on the flush valve.

• If the water is not filling the tank at all, or is filling in erratic starts and stops, it is possible you have debris in the valve. For this symptom, cleaning the fill valve may eliminate the symptom.

4. Erratic flushing may also occur if the trip lever is wearing out. Replacement should solve the problem. See our FAQ titled: How to replace a trip lever.

Watch this short video or follow the instructions below.

For non-dual flush toilets

1. Turn water off to the toilet at the angle stop on the water supply line.

2. Carefully remove toilet tank top, and place in a safe location to prevent breakage.

3. Flush toilet and hold the handle down until water stops flowing out of the tank and into the bowl.

4. Disconnect flapper chain from trip lever arm (note which hole the chain is connected to).

5. Gently slide the arms of the flapper off the plastic pegs on the flush valve assembly.

6. Remove old flapper from the tank.

7. To install new flapper, gently slide flapper arms over pegs on flush valve assembly.

8. Connect the chain to the trip lever arm, and move the clip on the chain so it has a little slack in it when the flapper is in the closed position. Use same hole on the trip lever arm as old flapper was connected to. Note: depending on the flapper for your model toilet, the clip my look slightly different than this photo.

9. Turn water back on and when tank is full, test flush the toilet to make sure flapper operates correctly.

• Unfasten the flapper chain from the trip lever rod.

• Unscrew the nut on the inside of the tank that holds the handle in place. Note: locknut is reverse threaded. You need to unscrew it in the opposite direction from a normal thread.

• Once locknut is removed from rod, pull the trip lever assembly out of the hole in the china.

• Install new handle and tighten locknut by turning clock-wise. Remember it is reverse threaded.

• Do not over tighten as you could strip the threads.

• Reattach the flapper chain to trip lever rod, leaving a little slack in the chain.

Watch this short video or follow the instructions below.

1. Remove the tank lid

2. Turn off the water supply

3. Flush the toilet (hold down the lever to drain the tank)

4. Disconnect the water supply line from the toilet (catch any remaining water with a bucket or bowl)

5. Remove the nut that holds the fill valve in place

6. Unhook the refill tube from the metal clip

7. Remove the old fill valve

8. Identiy the model number of your toilet

9. See the fit chart in the valve instructions to set the height for the correct model

10. Hold the new valve at the bottom and turn the top of the valve counterclockwise until it stops.

11. Pull the bottom to extend to the proper height for your model. (count the number of pegs)

12. Turn the top of valve clockwise to lock it into position

13. Insert the lockin clip over the pegs

14. Set the proper re-fill amount by first turning the aduster off by turning it counterclockwise

15. Check the key setting on the valve instructions for your model

16. Turn the adjuster clockwise until it stops on the key

17. Insttall the pre-adjusted valve into the toilet (make sure it doesn't touch the back of the tank or interfere with the trip lever arm

18. Hand tighten the mounting nut and then tighten 1/4 turn

19. Attach the re-fill tube to the valve

20. Connect the re-fill tube to the overflow tube using the metal clip

21. Re-connect the water supply

22. Turn the water on

23. Flush and fill the toilet

24. If the water level is too low turn the valve clockwise

25. If the water level is too high turn the valve counterclockwise

26. Installation Complete!

• Turn off water to toilet at the angle stop on the water supply line.

• Drain toilet tank by holding down the trip lever until the tank water has drained into the bowl. Manually remove the remaining water from the tank.

• Remove water supply line from fill valve. Use a catch basin to catch any drips.

• Remove the nuts on the right and left of tank.

• Lift tank off toilet.

• Remove tank to bowl gasket from the underside of the tank.

• Remove large nut on flush valve from the underside of the tank.

• Remove flush valve from the inside of the tank.

• Install new flush valve and tighten the flush valve nut by reversing steps 6, 7 & 8.

• Install tank to bowl gasket.

• Reset the tank to the bowl.

• Tighten the tank to the bowl until it make contact with the china. Do not over tighten or you may break the china.

• Reinstall the toilet supply line by hand. Do not over tighten or the fill valve will rotate in the tank and come loose.

• Turn water on.

• Check for leaks.

The tips below are for any TOTO china product (including CEFIONTECT):

Hard water marks are composed of minerals from the water supply. They will not dissolve using bleach or detergents. It takes a slightly acidic cleaner like vinegar or a lime dissolving cleaner to remove the minerals. Neither of these cleaners will harm the CEFIONTECT finish.

You can use vinegar or lime dissolving cleaner and a non-scratch scour pad made for porcelain. Allow a little contact time to allow the cleaner to dissolve the buildup.

If the stain at the waterline in your toilet bowl persists, you may need to remove some water from the bowl. Then reapply the vinegar or lime dissolving cleaner at full strength. Removing the water prevents the solution from being diluted.

Removing the Balance Spool:

• Turn both water stops (hot and cold) clockwise to shut off the water to the valve.

• On the valve, the balance spool is located next to the cold-water stop and looks like a hex nut.

• With a wrench turn the hex nut counter clockwise and pull the balance spool out.

• The balance spool consists of the large cylinder with a smaller cylinder inside. The inner cylinder should move freely inside the large cylinder.

Cleaning the Balance Spool:

• If the inner smaller cylinder is stuck, shake or tap the spool to release inner cylinder. Rinsing the spool with warm water will help loosen the cylinder.

• Clean both the inner and the outer cylinders with warm water, vinegar, or household cleaner and rinse.

• Reinsert the inner spool (cylinder) into the large spool and verify that the inner spool moves freely.

Installing the Balance Spool:

• Verify that the balance spool has an O-Ring next to the lip of the hex nut.

• Verify that the inner spool moves freely inside the large spool.

• Insert the balance spool (both cylinders) and turn clockwise with wrench and tighten.

• Check for leaks when the water stops are turned on.

Mold: How it may have gotten there, and how to remove it.

What is Slime Mold?

Slime mold is a special class of mold that forms a slime coat to protect it from harsh environments. A toilet bowl provides the perfect atmosphere for any type of microorganism as it has food, water, air and a nice warm location.

Mold can come in a variety of colors – most are black or dark brown, but they also show up in pinks, blues, reds and some of them are absolutely beautiful. Don't let the pretty colors fool you, if you don't remove them they will take over the toilet.

How Did Slime Mold Get in my Toilet?

Mold spores are everywhere, and can travel through the air. (Ever wonder how the mold got on that slice of bread?) When one hits the toilet bowl, it may start a small colony, and if left alone, will completely cover the inside of the bowl. It can also grow in the tank if that is where the spore landed. It is not uncommon for the mold to show up in all the toilets in a single home, especially when the homeowner uses one toilet brush to clean all the toilets.

When we explain this to customers, their first reaction is "No way! I am a meticulous housekeeper." This is not an indication of poor house keeping. The spore may get picked up on your clothes during your daily travels, and fall into the bowl when you use the toilet at home. It is also possible for the spores to have come in on the tools that were used to install the new toilet.

How do I Eliminate Slime Mold?

Chlorine will kill the mold spore, but if it has already developed a slime layer, chlorine alone won't work. In order to remove the spots, you need to:

• Scrub the colony off the china, using a non-scratching scour pad.

• Then you need to follow up with a chlorine rinse to kill the spores that you removed, or they will just form another colony.

It may take repeated treatments to finally kill off the colony. One way to ensure continuous treatement is by using an in tank Chlorine tablet. Our installation manual warns against the use of these in tank tablets, but we need to address the mold issue, and we are only going to use it once. The tablet will last about 30 days, and each time the toilet is flushed, it will wash all the water contact surfaces with a little extra chlorine. This step is essential if the mold has grown up in the rim holes, as you will be unable to scrub that area.

To find the toilet model number and color code:

Watch this short video or follow the instructions below.

• Look inside your tank or under your tank lid. Always exercise caution when removing the tank lid, as it is a fragile item.

• On the china walls inside your tank you will see a model number stamped or engraved in the porcelain. They will have letters with a three-digit number. There may be more letters following, depending on additional features available on that model of the toilet. This stamp maybe on your tank lid as well.

  For Example:

  ST743E

  CST 854

  C733

  MS974CEFG.

• The most common location for these markings is on the back wall of the tank, or on the right hand wall, opposite the trip lever.

• The color code will start with a # followed by a two-digit number.

  For Example:

  #01 - Cotton White

  #03 - Bone

  #04 - Grey

  #11 - Colonial White

  #12 - Sedona Beige

  #51 - Ebony