The Flushmate Recall:
How to Check a Pressure-Assist Toilet Tank
Some toilets hide a sealed plastic pressure vessel inside the tank. Millions of them made between 1996 and 2013 are under recall because the vessel can burst and crack the tank. The check takes two minutes and a flashlight.
If a toilet flushes with a sharp, fast rush instead of a gurgle, there’s a good chance it’s pressure-assisted. And if it is, there’s a decent chance the pressure vessel inside the tank was made by Flushmate, the division of Sloan Valve Company that supplied units to Kohler, American Standard, Crane, Gerber, Mansfield, and a long list of other toilet brands.
Between 2012 and 2018, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced four separate Flushmate recalls. Added up, they cover about 4.5 million units sold in the U.S. The problem in every case is the same: the sealed vessel can burst, and when it does, it can crack the porcelain tank.
The check is simple. Lift the lid, read a six-digit code, compare it to two date ranges.
How a pressure-assist toilet works
A regular toilet is a gravity toilet. Water sits in an open tank, and when you flush, it falls into the bowl.
A pressure-assist toilet adds a sealed plastic tank inside the porcelain one. Flushmate describes it as a vessel that holds air and water and “uses the water supply line pressure to compress the trapped air inside.” When you push the button or handle, that compressed air shoves the water into the bowl. The result is a strong flush on less water, which is why builders and remodelers liked them in the late 1990s and 2000s, after federal rules cut toilets to 1.6 gallons per flush.
Because the vessel lives under pressure all day, a weak seam is a problem that ordinary toilets don’t have.
The four recalls, in order
All four are on CPSC’s site. The Series 503 is the Flushmate III, a rectangular, black, two-piece vessel. The 501-B is the Flushmate II, a rounded black oval.
| Recall | Unit and date codes | U.S. units |
|---|---|---|
| June 2012 | 503, made Oct 14, 1997 to Feb 29, 2008 (101497 to 022908) | About 2.3 million |
| January 2014 | 503, made Mar 2008 to Jun 2009 (030108 to 063009) | About 351,000 |
| July 2016 | 503, made Jul 2009 to Apr 2011 (070109 to 043011) | About 453,000 |
| October 2018 | 501-B, made Sep 3, 1996 to Dec 7, 2013 (090396 to 120713) | About 1.4 million |
The hazard wording in the 2012 release is plain. CPSC said the vessel “can burst at or near the vessel weld seam releasing stored pressure,” and that the pressure “can lift the tank lid and shatter the tank.” At the time, Flushmate had received 304 reports of bursts, with property damage and 14 impact or laceration injuries.
The 501-B recall in 2018 had more reports behind it: 1,446 in the U.S., about $710,000 in property damage, and 23 injury reports, one of which required foot surgery. No deaths appear on any of the four recall pages.
Brand names matter less than the vessel itself, but here’s who used them. CPSC’s 2012 list named American Standard, Crane, Eljer, Gerber, Kohler, Mansfield, and St. Thomas. The 2016 expansion added more, including Universal Rundle, Vitra, Vortens, and Western Pottery. The 501-B went into American Standard, Corona, Crane, Kohler, and Mansfield toilets.
How to check yours
Take the tank lid off and set it somewhere it can’t fall. It’s heavy porcelain and breaks if it hits tile.
Look inside. If you see open water, a flapper, and a float, it’s a gravity toilet and none of this applies. If a black plastic vessel fills most of the tank, find the label on top of it.
Read the serial number. On the 503 it’s 16 characters; on the 501-B it’s 15. Either way, the first six digits are the date code, written as month, day, year. A code that starts with 061505 was made June 15, 2005.
Compare it to the ranges:
- Series 503: 101497 through 043011 is recalled (October 14, 1997 through April 30, 2011).
- Series 501-B: 090396 through 120713 is recalled (September 3, 1996 through December 7, 2013).
If the label is gone or unreadable, call Flushmate with the model and the date you think the toilet went in. Flushmate’s recall page says the model and serial numbers are required for verification, so a photo of the label is worth taking before you call.
If it’s on the list
CPSC’s instructions are to stop using the toilet, shut off the water supply valve behind it, and flush to release the stored pressure. Then contact Flushmate.
For a recalled 503, the remedy is a free repair kit. Call Flushmate at (800) 303-5123. Its recall page lists hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday.
For a recalled 501-B, the remedy is a free replacement unit and installation by a technician. That line is 844-621-7538. Details are on Flushmate’s 501-B recall page.
Neither Flushmate page says the program has closed. If a call doesn’t get you anywhere, CPSC’s recall pages are the record to point to.
For the other recalled and warned-about products that turn up in older houses, see how to check a house for recalled products.
Real Inspection Photos
Water Pressure Readings From Russ's Inspections
Russ screws a gauge onto a hose bib to read static water pressure on every inspection. These three read above 80 psi.
-
At this Vancouver house the gauge read 120 psi. The report recommended a licensed plumber install a pressure-reducing valve. -
A reading slightly above 80 psi in Portland. Flushmate lists 80 psi as the maximum supply pressure for its units. -
Another above-80 reading, in Gresham. High pressure loads every valve and fitting in the house, not just the toilet.
Water pressure, and what the inspection covers
The recalls blame the weld seam, not household pressure. Still, Flushmate’s installation sheet gives the 503 an operating range of 20 to 80 psi and a maximum supply pressure of 80 psi. That’s the same 80 psi ceiling plumbers work to for the whole house, and it’s the point where a pressure-reducing valve is expected.
Russ measures static water pressure with a gauge on every inspection, usually screwed onto an exterior hose bib. High readings aren’t rare here. In the 269 reports in his defect library, 44 have a finding for pressure above 80 psi (about one house in six), and one Vancouver house read 120 psi. Each of those gets a recommendation for a licensed plumber to install or adjust a pressure-reducing valve. That helps every fixture in the house, not just a pressure-assist toilet.
He also operates every toilet. What gets written up is what he can see and test: a toilet that rocks on the floor, a fill valve that runs or hammers, a crack in the tank or bowl, a leak at the supply line or the base. He doesn’t look up serial numbers against recall lists, because that isn’t part of the Oregon or Washington standards of practice. The date code check above is yours to do, and it takes less time than reading this post did.
The supply line feeding the toilet has its own failure history, separate from any recall. See toilet, faucet, and washer supply lines for the plastic-nut connector settlements and what to check.
If your toilet has a black plastic Flushmate vessel inside the tank, read the first six digits on its label. Series 503 codes from 101497 to 043011 and 501-B codes from 090396 to 120713 are recalled. Shut off the water, flush once, and call Flushmate for the free fix.
Pressure-assist toilets show up most in houses built or remodeled from the late 1990s into the 2010s. The posts on buying a 1990s home and buying a 2000s home cover the other things from those years worth a look, and what to look for in the plumbing before you make an offer covers the rest of the water side. Russ wrote up another recalled product that hides in plain sight in the post on Cadet wall heaters. To schedule an inspection anywhere in the Portland metro or Southwest Washington, you can book online.
Flushmate Recall FAQ
