|
Dual Flush Toilets
The effort to save water in parts of the
world that experience water shortages has
led to the development of dual flush toilets,
also known as ultra-low flush toilets.
Flushing the toilet is responsible for about
30% of total indoor water use. Dual flush
toilets can save the average household between
3000 to 4000 gallons of water a year because
these toilets let the user choose how much
water to use by selecting one of two flushing
options. For solid waste, the button that
releases 1.6 gallons (6 liters) can be chosen;
for liquid or light waste only, about 1 gallon
or less (3 liters) is required, which can
be released by a second button (hence the
name "dual flush"). Using only
the required amount of water with each flush
can result in substantial water bill savings.
Dual flush toilets are made by companies
that specialize in plumbing fixtures, but
they may be hard to find in bathroom showrooms,
so they may have to be specially ordered
from catalogs or by going online.
If you are thinking of buying
a dual flush
toilet, consider the following:
- The controls for flushing the toilet are
usually mounted on top of the toilet. One
popular design is a large button divided
into two sections. The larger part provides
the full flush and the smaller the ultra
low flush. Models that have two separate
buttons are not as intuitive to use, a feature
that is important if you have guests or others
unfamiliar with the toilets operation frequently
using it.
- If ou have a septic tank, you will especially
benefit from having a dual flush toilet,
since with lower water usage, there is less
wear and tear on the septic system.
- Many dual flush toilets have a large 4 inch
trap way, so blockages are virtually eliminated
even with the lower flush volume.
|
|
|
