A sanitaryware inspection in India checks that finished WCs and basins match your approved sample in dimensions, glaze, function and packing, and that defects are within the acceptance level you agreed. It takes place when the order is packed, before the balance payment and before the container is sealed.
Sanitaryware is more fragile and less forgiving than tile. A warped bowl or a crazed glaze is obvious to the end user and expensive to fix, so the inspection needs a checklist that fits the product.
What is checked on a WC?
Inspectors compare random units to the approved sample and the drawing. For a WC, the checklist covers:
- Overall dimensions, the rough-in distance and the mounting hole positions, against the drawing.
- Glaze colour and finish, including pinholes, crawling, specks, blisters and dull patches.
- Cracks, including hairline cracks that show only under light or in a water test.
- Warpage, checked by placing the unit on a flat surface and looking for rocking, and by checking the seat fit.
- Trap and waterway, including a ball or gauge test where the specification asks for it.
- Flush performance and water seal, where a flush test is part of the order.
What is checked on basins and other pieces?
Basins, pedestals and counter-top units are checked for size, tap-hole position, overflow position, glaze defects and flatness of the mounting surface. Pedestals and basins must fit together, so inspectors test pairs, not only individual pieces.
Seats, covers, cisterns and fittings are checked too, since they often come from other suppliers. See sanitaryware fittings, cisterns and valves and soft-close seat covers for what to look at.
How does the sampling work?
Inspectors draw a random sample according to an agreed table and count defects by class: critical, major and minor. The lot passes only if the counts stay within the limits. Our article on AQL for tile inspection explains the logic, which is the same for sanitaryware, though your acceptance level may be stricter for visible defects.
Test results matter alongside the visual check. Request the factory's test reports, and read how sanitaryware is tested to know what they should cover.
Why is packing and loading part of the inspection?
Most breakage happens after the goods have passed. The inspector should check carton strength, inner protection, pallet condition and that units cannot touch each other. See how sanitaryware is packed and sanitaryware breakage rate.
The inspector should also witness the loading, count the units, record the container and seal numbers and photograph the load. That record is your evidence if goods arrive broken; see broken sanitaryware on arrival.
Which factories can you rely on?
Inspection finds faults; it does not make a factory careful. Audit the plant first, using auditing a sanitaryware factory, then inspect each lot.
Next step
Give the inspector your own reference sample and, if you have one, a drawing with tolerances. Without these, the inspector can only compare units with each other, which will not reveal a systematic error such as a wrong rough-in distance on the whole lot. Photographs of each defect type help you decide whether to accept, re-sort or reject.
We inspect sanitaryware lots in Gujarat for buyers and supervise loading. Book a free sourcing review or read about our services.