Save 8,000 Gallons of Water per Year by Flushing a Power Assisted Toilet
Monday August 11, 2008
Few things are worse than a low-flow toilet that will not flush. Fortunately, the advancement in technology of the pressure assisted toilet has now enabled super low volume toilets that both work (a nice feature) and save even more water than early 1.6 gallon per flush toilets (required since 1992).These new power assist toilets use as little as 1.1 gallons per flush and can save up to 8,000 gallons of water per year for a family of four over a 1.6 gallon per flush toilet.
And if you have an older style toilet that uses 3.5 to 5 gallons per flush, well the water savings with a power assisted toilet will, well, blow you away!
Comments
Good Idea but too expensive. Kohler lists start at 3000+ to 5000+. Gerber did not list price and American Standard could not be opened. $3000 for a toilet? That’s lots of water and could not see it paying, even in the long run. Parts wear out before payback could be realized. (My opinion) What about a retrofit kit that would be more reasonably priced for the “common man?”
Hi Ed,
Thanks for the heads up on the bad link. I attached a different American Standard product to the link and it’s fine now.
These toilets don’t have to cost a fortune. I’ve added a “COMPARE PRICES” link and it shows you who you can get these starting at under $350.
Viva la Common Man!
Bob
I just had the Gerber installed and I love it.Reasonably priced at $500 in my opinion.
Very interesting. Some people put a two-liter bottle filled with water in the toilet tank to save water in every flush. We should all try it. It works.
I have a 1.6 gall Kohler — with the Kohler flapper installed — I can flush using only 1/3 of the tank about 90% of the time !!
I would play “dueling toilets” with you on water savings !!!
I had one installed and it cost about $300. The only downside that I have experienced is in a power failure [if you have a well] you can flush because you cannot fill the tank with water as you can in the old-fashioned toilets.
I meant that you cannot flush….
Hey boston_bill,
There is a tradeoff by reducing water flushing volume with gravity toilets and that is your drainline waste carrying ability decreases as water volume is decreased. This means that as you reduce water volume in a flush with a toilet not intended to have the reduced volume, whether using a filled 2 liter bottle or brick in the tank or just using a partial flush, the waste material may not be fully carried to your vertical soil stack. See the “Drain Carry Performance” diagram linked on this page http://homerepair.about.com/od/plumbingrepair/ss/toilet_pressure_2.htm.
Regards,
Bob
I’ve been saving water with my Kohler since 1993 although it is a condo apt building. So maybe the soil pipes are larger than a SF house.
Aren’t there pressure tanks designed to fit inside a conventional toilet without replacing the whole thing?
My only objection to pressure assisted toilets is that they are noisy. Have they gotten any quieter?
Thanks,
Pat
I own an older home with long cast iron runs I have heard that the power assist toilets are the better choice than low flow. Your thoughts.