Low-flow toilets have been the butt of many complaints since they first came out in North America in the 1990's. Today we will flush out the truth about them, and how they can keep your money from going down the drain.
(All right, no more toilet humor)
The History
Low-flow toilets began making an impact in North America in 1992, when the US Government made them mandatory in new home construction. Canada followed suit in 1996. Since then, many municipalities and regions have developed rebate programs to encourage people to change from their old toilets to the new models.
The Savings
Toilets made in the USA previous to 1992 used anywhere from 3.5 to 7 gallons (13 to 26 liters) per flush. This meant that a family of four with a 7-gallon toilet (averaging five flushes per person per day) could use up to 51,135 gallons every year. The low-flow toilets, which use only 1.6 gallons (6 liters) per flush, have the potential to reduce that family's water use by 39,447 gallons per year (divide the numbers in half for a family with a 3.5-gallon toilet). Think about what you pay for water, and you'll see that this can soon add up to some substantial savings.
The Problem
When 'low flow' became the law, companies rushed to get a 1.6-gallon toilet onto the market. Many of these first generation, 1.6-gallon toilets were modifications of existing designs that did not successfully address the needs of a system flushing with less than one third the water. The result was toilets that just didn't flush with much enthusiasm. Solid waste did not clear the bowl on the first flush. Soon there were lots of multiple flushes, and lots and lots of consumer complaints.
The Solution
Over the next few years, designers worked on developing new and better low-flow toilets to eliminate the flushing problems. Bowls and tanks were redesigned, and new flushing systems were created. The earlier problems were solved and you can now find a wide variety of effective 1.6-gallon toilet models on the market.
How They Work
All 1.6 gallon toilets on the market fall into one of two categories: toilets with flappers and toilets without. Now, before you start having images of 1920's starlets in your bathroom, the flapper in a toilet is the rubber stopper that keeps the water from flowing out of the bottom of the tank until the handle is pushed.
- Toilets with flappers commonly use a combination of gravity and special tank and bowl designs that increase the siphoning power of the water as it flows. This creates a vacuum that assists the force of gravity to pull the waste out of the toilet.
- Toilets without flappers generally use a pressure-assist system to flush. Inside the toilet tank is an air- and water-tight container that traps air. As the tank fills with water, the water pressure compresses the trapped air inside. The compressed air is what forces the water into the bowl. So, instead of just gravity, the pressure-assist unit provides an extra push to get the waste out.
Which model works best?
Like most things, 'the best' low flow toilet is often a matter of preference. With plenty of good low-flow toilet models to choose from, you will need to shop around, and there are consumer reports out there to help you. One of the most comprehensive is the MaP: "Maximum Performance Testing of Popular Toilet Models." This joint Canada/USA project is updated every six months. It tests a wide range of Low Flow, High Efficiency and Dual Flush Toilets to see how well they perform when flushing solid waste. It can be found on the California Urban Water Conservation Council website (www.cuwcc.org).
Dual flush toilets
The dual flush toilet is relatively new to North America, but has been used for decades in Australia. The toilet has two buttons: one for half-flush, one for full-flush. A toilet bowl containing liquid waste only can be flushed with three liters of water by pressing the half-flush button. The full-flush button will flush six liters of water to dispose of solid waste. Since the average person uses a toilet about five times a day, and only one of those is for solid waste, the dual flush system makes a lot of sense, and can save you a lot of dollars.
One Last Water Saving Tip
Did you know that most toilet leaks aren't noticed, and that a leaky toilet can waste up to 50,000 gallons of water a year? If you think your toilet might be leaking, put food coloring into the tank and leave it alone for about 15 minutes. If the food coloring shows up in the bowl, you have a leak.
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