A WaterSense toilet must use no more than 4.8 lites for a single-flush toilet and six litres for the higher volume flush and 4.1 litres for the lower volume flush for a dual-flush toilet.
If you still have an old 13-litre or 18-litre toilet in your home, you could save a lot of water by switching to a more efficient model that uses six litres or less.
The amount of water you save by switching will depend on the flush volume of your existing toilet and how often it is flushed.
For example, a family of four that replaces an 18-L flush with a six-litre model, and typically flushes the toilet 15 times per day, can expect to save about 180 litres per day (or the amount to fill a typical bathtub).
A key difference between old toilets and new ones is that the tank and bowl have been redesigned to provide the same or better flush performance with less water.
If you are shopping for a new toilet, you will find a variety of water-efficient makes and models available.
In addition to all the different toilet designs, there are also five common “flushes” available: gravity, vacuum-assist, pressure-assist, tip-bucket and dual flush.
Conventional toilets usually range in price from less than $100 to more than $1,000, but an average two-piece toilet will cost between $150 and $200, and you can expect to pay between $280 and $500 for a dual flush toilet.
One-piece or designer toilets tend to cost more than standard two-piece close-coupled models depending on the options included such as heated seats.
Keep in mind that paying more for a toilet doesn’t necessarily mean it will perform better than a less expensive model.
In fact, before you go shopping, you might want to review the results the Maximum Performance (MaP) Testing of Toilets study that tested and rated the performance of more than 3,000 toilets.
Another option is to choose any toilet model that has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense program.
To qualify as a WaterSense toilet, it must use no more than 4.8 litres for a single-flush toilet and six litres for the higher volume flush and 4.1 litres for the lower volume flush for a dual-flush toilet.
A WaterSense labelled toilet must also be able to flush at least 350 grams of waste in a single flush which is generally more than sufficient for the vast majority of households.
Other things to look for when buying a new toilet are an adequate warranty and the availability of a certified replacement flapper that is designed specifically for your toilet type. (Note that not all toilets use flappers.)
Toilet flappers are vital to the performance of your toilet and should be replaced about every five years because they tend to deteriorate over time and cause leaking.
Leaking flappers can waste thousands of litres of water each year, so it’s a good idea to check for leaks at the same time you check your smoke detectors.
Just add some food colouring in the tank and wait 15 minutes. If the colour has moved into the bowl without you flushing it, you have a leak. It’s wise to shop around before choosing a new toilet. But, no matter what toilet you choose, be sure to choose one with a WaterSense Logo or equivalent.
source: http://www.lfpress.com/2015/10/08/your-home-shop-around-and-save-by-installing-a-water-efficient-toilet
by Christina Haddad
http://www.thisoldtoilet.com
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