A Flush of Exhilaration: Benefits Of High Efficiency Toilets

More and more homeowners are looking for ways to "go green," and for many that includes conserving water and choosing "efficient" toilets. Consumers want a flush that gets the job done and uses less water - two very important goals. This has created demand for high efficiency toilets.

High Efficiency Toilets

There are three different technologies available today for high efficiency toilets that save water. The right selection depends on your personal preference and needs, and the type of plumbing system in your house.

The choices include:

• The traditional gravity toilet now only uses 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf), reducing water use by 20 percent compared to the older requirement of 1.6 gpf. This technology uses a siphon to "pull" water through the trapway.
• The dual-flush toilet is designed with two options for flushing volume; one button is for a full flush (1.6 gpf), which is meant for solid waste, and another button for a partial flush, 1.0 gpf for liquid waste. The operator needs to understand when a partial flush will get the job done, since if the user always uses the full flush there is no water savings. This, too, uses siphon technology.
• An alternative system is a 1.0 gpf pressure-assist toilet. This system is used the same way as conventional systems; however, there is a vessel inside the tank designed to use water line pressure to "push&q...