Tidy Toilets

Spray heads used for cleaning the toilet bowl are a love-hate proposition. Those designed for connecting directly to the specific toilet are typically hooked to the vacuum breaker and will only discharge water when the flushing mechanism is engaged. For the most part, they work but the flow of water can be anemic. A better solution is to install a hand sprayer independent of the toilet, connected directly into the RV’s water system. Doing so will result in a stronger spray of water — but there are precautions to consider.

As you can see, there’s not a lot of room to work behind the toilet, especially if you have big hands. Here, the 4-foot hose conceals nicely behind the toilet. The sprayer was connected to the toilet flushing system originally, but that limited water pressure and washing effectiveness.

I’ve tried at least three spray heads dedicated to this purpose — and all of them leaked after being in service for a while; when you’re a full-timer, parts are subject to faster wear cycles. Finally, I purchased a high-quality sprayer and hose made by American Standard and it’s lasted for many years without any signs of leaking. It’s not cheap, selling for around $43, but the quality is obvious — and by comparison, making repairs caused by leaking water are much more expensive and time consuming. I ordered the sprayer and hose from Amazon, but the write-up found there is confusing. When I checked prices at Amazon and a few other home improvement stores, the price of the spray head (part number M953668-2950A) shows that the hose is not included — but that was not the case. Checking the American Standard website and after talking to a consumer products agent, I learned that the hose is pre-attached to the nozzle and is only sold as a package. So, buyer beware of that inconsistency in the write-up, along with the option for a chrome or nickel finish. I chose the latter.

An adjustable showerhead bracket was used to hold the sprayer to the wall; this is a common part used in most RVs. The sprayer comes with a 4-foot hose, which is overkill, but any excess can be concealed behind the toilet. Figure it will take around an hour to make the new connections and clean up the water that spilled after pulling the source pipe from the toilet. It goes without saying to turn off the water (or shut down the demand pump) and bleed water pressure before starting this project.

The American Standard spray head provides a strong stream of water that easily washes down the bowl after flushing and can also be used to rinse the bowl after cleaning. For around 50 bucks you can keep the toilet bowl clean without using an unsightly brush. And if you’re adventurous, you might even find other uses for the spray head.

In retrospect, the longer hose made it easier to maneuver the sprayer when washing down the bowl after use or when it came time for general cleaning. The American Standard spray head is more expensive, but is well built and provides a strong stream of water — the result of connecting the sprayer directly to the RV’s water source rather than the toilet.