Low Flow Toilets-Bathroom
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We need to save Water... Across the country, our growing population is putting stress on available water supplies. Between 1950 and 2000, the U.S. population nearly doubled. However, in that same period, public demand for water more than tripled. Americans now use an average of 100 gallons of water each day—enough to fill 1,600 drinking glasses! This increased demand has put additional stress on water supplies and distribution systems, threatening both human health and the environment. WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by EPA, seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by promoting water efficiency and enhancing the market for water-efficient products, programs, and practices. The WaterSense label indicates that these products and programs meet water efficiency and performance criteria. Make your life easier, look for the Water Sense label. |
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| Dual Flush toilets handle solid and liquid waste differently from standard American style toilets, giving the user a choice of flushes. |
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Dual Flush Technology Rather than having a single lever or button as you'd find on standard toilets, a dual-flush toilet will usually have a system with two buttons or levers, one for solid waste, and one for liquid waste. Dual-flush toilets also have a larger trapway (the hole in the bowl) than a standard toilet, and use a different system to flush waste than standard toilets do. Dual-flush toilets are much more efficient when it comes to water use than standard toilets, but they're more expensive, and solid waste can leave streaks in the bowl. |
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Solid waste Standard toilets use siphoning action to remove waste. When the toilet if flushed, a large amount of water fills a siphon tube and pulls the waste down the drain. In a dual-flush system, water pushed down from above pushes the waste into the drain. The larger trapway makes it easier for waste to be flushed down the toilet, and reduces the chances that the toilet may clog. Liquid waste: The dual-flush toilet is also very efficient in removing liquid waste. While water in the toilet tank is used to flush away solid waste, only the low amount of water that stays in the bowl is used to remove liquid waste, reducing the amount of water that's used. Due to the option of being able to choose how much water you use to flush away waste, dual-flush toilets can save up to 68% more water than standard low-flow toilets. |
Terminology: The bathroom products industry has words commonly used to describe toilets and sinks. Below are descriptions to provide an understanding of these words and clarify the meanings. |
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- Dual flush toilet A dual flush toilet has two buttons for flushing, a half flush and full flush. The half flush, for liquid, uses 0.8 gallons per flush. The full flush, for solids, uses 1.28-1.6 gallons per flush depending on the model. Using the 1.6/0.8 dual flush technology can reduce water usage by 40% compared with traditional toilets that use 2.9 gallons in a single flush and by more 76% if using a 3.5gpf toilet. |
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- High efficiency toilet (HET) Under federal law in the United States, toilets must not exceed 1.6 gallons of water per flush. High efficiency toilets (HETs) go beyond the standard and use less than 1.3 gallons per flush (a 20% savings over conventional 1.6 gpf toilets). The WaterSense label will be used on HETs that are certified by independent laboratory testing to meet rigorous criteria for both performance and efficiency. Only HETs that complete the third-party certification process can earn the WaterSense label. |
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- Easy Height An Easy Height toilet is taller than most toilets and is required for facilities needing to meet the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Height to the top of the bowl is 16" to 17" depending on the model. |
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- The WaterSense Label WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is making it easy to find and select water-efficient products with a label backed by independent testing and certification. Generally speaking, WaterSense labeled products will be about 20 percent more water efficient than their less efficient counterparts in the same category. In addition, WaterSense labeled products perform their intended function as well as or better than their less efficient counterparts. |
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