How Can Low-Flow Toilets Help Save Water

We recently celebrated World Environment Day and were reminded of the importance of protecting the environment and our limited natural resources. One such important resource is water, which is essential to life, a limited resource and, often, a costly resource.

It’s important that we all take steps to limit our water usage and avoid wasting water whenever possible. One easy way to do this is by using low flush toilets, a bathroom renovation!

Since water can be wasted with just the flush of the toilet, today we’ll talk about low flush toilets, how they work and why they’re important.

Low Flush Toilets

Low flush toilets are toilets that use significantly less water than traditional toilets. Low flush toilets use a maximum of 1.6 gallons of water per flush, as opposed to the 3.6 to 7 gallons of water than traditional toilets use.

For the average home, toilets use more water than anything else, so they present a good opportunity to save some water. For a family of four, the simple step of switching from traditional to low flush toilets can save around 15,000 gallons of water per year.

Obviously, this will not only help you to protect the environment but also will provide a noticeable reduction in your water bill.

All toilets made since 1994 are low flush toilets. However, newer models use even less water, with some using as little as 1.28 gallons per flush. If your toilets were installed before 1994, it’s a good idea to check to see if they are low flush and, if they’re not, to consider replacing them.

How Do They Work?

While there were initially some concerns about low flush toilets, they now work as effectively as traditional toilets while using significantly less water. To achieve this efficiency, they use one of two methods:

• Gravity-driven toilets clear waste when the flapper moves by releasing water and having water flow down into the bowl. Gravity then takes the waste down and through the pipes.
• Pressure-assisted toilets have pressure tanks that work as a water balloon. With this technology, water fills the tank and is held there under pressure. When the valve opens, the water and pressure work in combination to effectively remove waste.

Utilizing these methods, low flush toilets work effectively and efficiently to remove waste. As a result, switching to low flush toilets will not result in a decrease in the effectiveness of your toilets.

Water Use and Conservation

Thanks to everyone reading and sharing this for your efforts to help save water. Water is a valuable, limited natural resource, and it’s important that we all do our part to help conserve it.

It’s the efforts of people like you that are going to make a difference and help to ensure that we protect our environment and resources. With this goal in mind, if you’re not already using them, consider installing low flush toilets throughout your house.

If you have questions about this process or about the type of toilets in your home, call Valley Plumbing and Drain Cleaning today at (801) 341-4222. And, please continue to think of and share ways that we can all work to protect the environment and save water.