Low Down on Low Flow ~ water efficient toilets

If you could save 13,000 gallons of water per year in your home wouldn't you do it?

Of course you would…me too.

That's why I am learning all I can about water efficiency for my upcoming renovation.

Toilets certainly aren't the most exciting thing to start with, but since I need to replace one and add three, I want to get the most water efficient on the market.  

We'll get to the chandys & open shelving soon I promise!

Have a look ~ so you understand why we need to talk basics.  This will be my girls' bathroom.

I did the research on efficient toilets & made my choice … want to learn what I have?  

Read on...

Water–Efficient Toilets

Toilets account for nearly 30 percent of an average home's indoor water use. More than any other home apparatus. (wow! not the teenager 45 minute shower)

Older, inefficient models that use as much as 6 gallons per flush (GPF) are real culprits.  While those made after 1992 are required to use 1.6 GPF. That is still a lot of water & we can do better.

Love the shelving behind the toilet - probably can open up the wall between the studs to achieve that - on the list!

Water efficient toilets, such as dual flush & low flow models are a great way to reduce household water use. However not all are created equal in performance.

Dual flush:   .8 - 1.6 GPF. 

Low flow:     1.28 - 1.6 GPF. 

Even more water savings & superior performance can be had with toilets labeled with the WaterSense certification.

After educating myself on the WaterSense standards I decided to only choose models with WaterSense certification & label.

WaterSense Certification

Toilets that pass the rigorous EPA WaterSense certification are the best options for low water use & superior performance. 

Only toilets that complete the certification process can earn the WaterSense label. If earned it will be displayed on the model for sure.  See the chart above so you know what to look for ~ the white circle label on a product tells you that the item is certified.

By replacing old, inefficient toilets with WaterSense labeled models, the average family can reduce water used for toilets by 20 to 60 percent.

That's nearly 13,000 gallons of water savings and more than $110 annually in water costs.

If all old, inefficient toilets in the United States were replaced with WaterSense labeled models, we could save 520 billion gallons of water per year, or the amount of water that flows over Niagara Falls in about 12 days.

After learning of the water & cost savings, my choice is clear ~ four WaterSense certified toilets for our renovation.  

The model that was most highly rated by consumer reports & most suited for my 1886 Victorian is….

American Standard H2O Dual Flush Model. It comes round or elongated & of different heights, but each variation bears the WaterSense certification.

I found this model on Build.com for $283.40.  A significant savings off the list price and the reviews there convinced me even further.

Ok, one decision made ~ no time to take a seat! ( I couldn't resist… ) Onto tile, appliances, flooring….and the list goes on!

** Kelly **

I received no compensation for this post.  This is information I learned & wanted to share.