Ticking Time Bombs In The Bathroom
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - There could be danger lurking in some of South Florida bathrooms.
Exploding toilets are ticking time bombs that could put you and millions of others at risk. There are tons of YouTube videos online which show the aftermath of a toilet that went boom.
At first, everyone's reaction is to laugh. Home inspector Skip Walker said these toilets are no laughing matter. In spite of a series of nation-wide recalls on the toilets, he continues to find them when inspecting homes for sale.
"The pressure built up blew the entire porcelain area off the toilet, so violently across the room it made a hole in the wall," described person on a YouTube video.
Walker said that the issue is how the high pressure Sloan Flushmate system works. Unlike traditional toilets which use gravity to flush, the Sloan actually uses 40-80 pounds of water pressure to force the toilet to flush, according to Walker.
The water pressure is great for preventing clogged toilets in commercial models, however, when they made the residential model they went to plastic instead of metal, which Walker said is not as durable.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued two recalls for the Sloan high pressure flushing systems, but they remain in homes across the country.
"What if it's a small child standing eye level with a toilet when it occurs, this is a really serious problem," said Walker.
And while so far there are no reports of injuries, Walker worries and said it's only a matter of time.
"After my son went to the restroom, a violent explosion occurred," said one mother on a YouTube video. "Thank goodness nobody was sitting on it."
The valves themselves were sold at Home Depot and Lowes but they could have also come pre-installed in many toilets.
If your toilet had a recalled Flushmate system, you should turn off the water supply to the unit, flush the toilet to release the pressure and contact the company.
