Low-flow toilets work well and save water

It’s unlikely that too many people these days own one of the oldest toilets that literally flushes huge amounts of water uselessly. There are some in older houses and it would be wise to replace them as soon as possible, both for the savings of money and for the environmental benefits.

In the early 1990s, water use laws were passed that, among other things, required certain plumbing fixtures to meet water use standards. While the aim of the laws was well-intentioned and much-needed, the result was anything but a success at first. The first generation of low-flow toilets did not perform well.

The problem with the first attempt at introducing low-flow toilets was that while the amount of water was reduced from as much as a whopping seven gallons per flush to the greener 1.6 gallons per flush common today, there was no a real change in the design of the unit and the results were less than desirable.

But that soon changed when people started using them and they weren’t really up to the task. They didn’t do a great job flushing the waste down the drain line. So the engineers made some changes and now they run to the same performance standards as the old wasteful models.

So now you’re probably wondering what’s wrong with these devices and how much can we expect to save. Well, there are some estimates available that suggest that the total volume of water used for toilet flushing, in residential homes, represents about 75% of the total amount of water used in the urban area. That means nearly 5 billion gallons of water are said to be dumped down drains every day in the United States alone. Therefore, on an individual level, it is estimated that American households use 9,000 gallons of water per year for their toilets.

The numbers are pretty staggering and are not meant to suggest that the actual amount of water is being wasted, but they do serve to illustrate how much would be wasted if no one used low-flow toilets. Just multiply by 4 and you get a good idea. Fortunately, most people use low-flow toilets these days. When you choose to install low-flow toilets, you will significantly reduce the amount of water you use per year. That’s also why the government ordered the changes that led to today’s low-flush toilets that will do the same job as before, but only use 1.6 gallons of water each time they flush.

Chances are, you’re already taking advantage of modern low-flow toilets in your home to save water and save money in the process. Not because you’ve made the conscious decision to do so, but because it’s the standard that manufacturers have had to meet for nearly two decades. But if you recently bought an older home, or have had your toilets since before water use laws went into effect and are using one of the older toilets, now is the time to swap out your old one for an eco-friendly one that saves money. money. model.