Dual-flush toilets have been around since they were implemented in the 80’s. Today, the dual-flush toilet is somewhat scattered – many older homes still don’t have one, but more and more people are starting to vouch for them.
In case you’re on the fence over it, thought about installing one, or don’t know what the fuss is all about, here’s everything you should know!
“There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart. – Jane Austen
How does the dual-flush toilet work?
The dual-flush toilet, as the name suggests, is a flush system that has two buttons for two different uses – one for flushing liquid waste, the other for solid waste. Basically, the liquid waste button uses less water, and the solid waste button uses more. But even at the “full-flush for solid waste, it still uses less water than a standard toilet flush. When compared to older models, the difference is dramatic.
Dual-flush toilets rely solely on gravity to push down water and liquid or solid waste naturally. This is quite different from standard toilets that rely on a siphoning tube that when flushed uses air to push the water down the drain – which is why it’s recommended to flush with the toilet covered.
The difference is that standard toilets spend way more water on this process, while dual-flush toilets, even when using the full flush, are much more efficient.
How much money does it save?
On average, it’s estimated that dual-flush toilets save 67 percent of water compared to its regular counterpart.
Many older models can use something around 3.5 gallons per flush (gpf), but often times more. The current industry standard is 1.6 gpf, which is a significant decrease for sure – but dual-flush toilets tend to use even less than that.
Even when assuming you’re using a newer and more economic model, dual-flush toilets use on average 1.28 gpf, which is a bit less than the industry standard. It might not seem like a huge difference, but it’s the kind of thing that adds up over time when you do the math. Remember, using the toilet is a non-negotiable, we simply have to use it, and in family homes, it’s used many times throughout the day. At the end of the month and within a year’s time, the difference becomes much more apparent. This is where you’ll notice something closer to that 67 percent water saving when compared to standard toilets.
But that’s not all. Keep in mind, the dual-flush toilet has a “half-flush option for liquid waste, which usually spends as low as 0.8 gpf.
The money this saves you, however, is not the only reason why you should consider dual-flush toilets – water conservation is more important now than ever before. Think about all the water you’re using more efficiently!
What are the pros and cons of dual-flush toilets?
The cons are actually very minor, especially when compared to the significant pros, but let’s go over all of it so you can have a better idea.
The pros we’ve already listed extensively above – dramatically more efficient use of water, which in turn, saves you a lot of money on water bills over time.
As far as the cons go, it boils down to being slightly harder to clean the mechanism since it uses less water, and the fact that older homes may have incompatible plumbing to implement the system. Note that it’s not impossible to install in older homes, but you will need some extra plumbing work to get it installed, which might be a turn off.
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