Survey: Toilet Malfunction Rated Top Entertaining Disaster By Guests And Hosts

INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- From dusting and fluffing to menu planning and decorating, homeowners put a lot of work into planning an at-home gathering, especially around the holidays. But despite all the preparations, the most likely source of trouble is often overlooked.

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According to a recent Delta Faucet survey of one thousand homeowners, only one in five homeowners worried about plumbing-related issues when planning a party and just 10 percent consulted a professional plumber to address any potential problems. Interestingly, though, respondents reported a toilet malfunction would have the greatest impact on a party, more significant than running out of food or a major appliance breaking down.

"Considering guests and hosts alike cited a toilet malfunction as the biggest disaster they had experienced at a party, we were surprised to learn more homeowners don't factor in proactive measures for preventing a plumbing problem during their party preparations," said Mike Roberts, director of product marketing for fixtures at Delta Faucet Company. "Of the more than 40 percent of homeowners who said they had a plumbing problem while entertaining, only a third knew about the problem prior to the party. That leaves a lot of homeowners subject to a very unpleasant, and potentially embarrassing, party incident."

Delta Faucet has teamed up with contractor and expert craftsman Chip Wade, host of HGTV's hit new show "Elbow Room," to help homeowners properly prepare for a holiday party and avoid such unwelcome mishaps and other holiday home stresses.

"Hosts aren't the only ones who feel the stress of a holiday party – homes get stressed, too," said Chip Wade. "Even just a few extra people in the house means more coats, gloves and scarves to store, plumbing fixtures working overtime to accommodate more flushes and more potential for something to go wrong."

Wade suggests homeowners look beyond decor and dust bunnies and perform some basic maintenance on key areas of the home to ensure their home is ready for the holiday season.

Chip Wade's Pre-party Home Maintenance Tips:

• Enlist the help of a friend. It's easy to be "house blind" or oblivious to smaller home maintenance needs. Invite a friend to help assess the house and offer an objective opinion about the areas of the home that may benefit from a little extra attention or repair.
• Focus on high impact areas. Preparing for house guests doesn't have to be time-intensive or expensive. Rather than try to fix everything, focus on the areas where reliable performance really counts, paying special attention to the things guests are likely to touch or interact with such as front door hardware or the toilet in the powder or guest bathroom.
• Get rid of the clutter. Entertaining even just a few people can make an otherwise spacious home feel a little too close for comfort. Give your guests room to mingle by removing non-essential items. You can store larger items in a room you won't be using or pack smaller things away in inexpensive storage containers and tuck them out of sight.

Given the survey findings, Wade suggests homeowners pay special attention to the performance of their toilet before guests arrive. "You don't have to be a professional contractor like me to prevent an untimely toilet malfunction," said Wade. "Delta® toilets are designed for intuitive, easy installation."

The high-performance and water-efficient Delta® Corrente™ toilet, available exclusively at The Home Depot, offers worry-free installation at an affordable price. The Delta SmartFit™ system includes pre-installed tank-to-bowl connections and an integrated water supply line to reduce potential leak points. Plus, the Delta Corrente toilet kit includes the tank, bowl, toilet seat, mounting hardware, and wax ring, as well as a SmartFit Multi-Tool so no additional items are required for installation. For added convenience, an included EZ Out™ toilet removal kit provides many of the items needed for uninstalling an existing toilet to help make the process easier. The 1.28 gallons per flush toilet is also WaterSense labeled and can save an average of $90 per year in water usage[1].

To help hosts prepare for their own at-home parties, Delta Faucet will be giving away daily $90 Home Depot gift cards and weekly Corrente toilets between now and December 31. To learn more about how to enter, visit www.Facebook.com/DeltaFaucet.

About Delta Faucet

There is a philosophy at the heart of every Delta^® product: there is a better way to live with water. It goes beyond excellent design to incorporate smart thinking that anticipates people's needs. From proprietary Touch₂O^® Technology that turns faucets on and off with just a touch to H₂Okinetic™ shower technology that uniquely shapes the water to create larger water droplets that retain heat longer for a more drenching shower experience, Delta products incorporate thoughtful features that delight. Paired with beautiful, inspirational design, it's another way that the Delta^® brand is more than just a faucet.

Named 2011 WaterSense^® Manufacturer Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Delta Faucet Company is a worldwide leader in faucets and related accessories and sells products in more than 53 countries. For more information, visit www.deltafaucet.com.

WATERSENSE is a registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Media Contacts:

Sarah Sinitean, MSL Chicago

312-861-5274

[email protected]

[1] The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that a family of four replacing its home's older toilets with WaterSense® labeled models will, on average, save more than $90 per year in reduced water utility bills, and more than $2,000 over the lifetime of the toilets.

SOURCE Delta Faucet Company