Everyone talks about conserving water, and the new “in” thing is WaterSense faucets and toilets. But those WaterSense toilets still use up to 1.28 gallons per flush – EVERY flush. So, thanks to the suggestion of a friend, it made sense to me to look into dual flush toilets.
New WaterSense guidelines (from the EPA Web Site) are as follows: “The effective flush volume has been established as 1.28 gallons, which is a 20 percent reduction from the 1.6 gallons per flush standard that became mandatory pursuant to the 1992 EPAct.” The EPA claims that replacing an older toilet with a new, efficient WaterSense model can save a homeowner 11 gallons per toilet per day, which translates to nearly 4000 gallons per year. With a dual-flush toilet, the operator is using close to 40% less water with nearly every flush (in partial flush mode).
For your most common usage, urination, the flush water usage is only .8 gallons (partial flush). Less often, for your other evacuation, the American Standard FloWise Dual Flush Toilet uses 1.6 gallons (full flush). On average, considering a person may flush 10 times per day (8 partial, 2 full), you would use approximately 33% less water per day over a single flush WaterSense toilet.
We purchased the American Standard FloWise Dual Flush Toilet from Lowe’s. They did not have it on the floor; we had to special order it. In fact, the sales people weren’t familiar with it. Home Depot had it available via internet sales only. The price for the complete toilet (tank and base) was under $299.00. Sure, you can purchase a low-end complete toilet for under $100. They may also be certified as “WaterSense,” but still consume 1.28 gallons per flush, and the porcelain will probably not be as high quality (which may scratch during cleaning, and easily stain and/or discolor).
Another benefit of this model is the full skirt – nice and smooth for easy cleaning. The circular and full coverage motion of the flushing water keeps the bowl cleaner. It is a very attractive toilet, with a split chrome dual-action flush button centered on the top of the tank. It was easy to install, and American Standard provided detailed instructions for all the components.
The toilet seat is made of long-lasting and easy-to-clean plastic, preventing the need for replacement, reducing its, and your, carbon footprint.
Other manufacturers of dual-flush toilets include (but are not limited to) Toto, Kohler and Glacier Bay. But carefully check the water consumption – the Glacier Bay toilet offers 1.1/1.6.
If you are truly trying to make a difference in the environment, dual flush toilets are really the only way to go.
For more information, go to:
http://www.epa.gov/watersense/products/toilets.html
http://www.americanstandard-us.com/products/productDetail.aspx?id=2037
© K.S. Brooks – Blue Planet, Green Blog