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In the United States, there are plenty of kinds of toilets and restrooms, however there is largely only one flushing method, and it’s costing us all a great amount of water. Older toilets use about 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush, but it doesn’t need to be that way.
There are plenty of efficient models out there, but to be sure about what you’re getting into, focus on getting either a low flush toilet, or a dual-flush toilet, which has two settings.
Low flow toilets use only 1.6 gallons per flush and save a typical family between 8,000 and 20,000 gallons of water per year, per toilet. They have only been in the United States since the early 1990s, but are gaining traction as homeowners seek to trim water and energy costs.
Dual-flush toilets take savings to the next level, because they have two buttons; one for a light flush at 0.9 gallons and the other for a heavy flush at 1.6 gallons. Dual-flush toilets are very popular in Europe and Asia, and have been for years. They have become the norm in places like restaurants and hotels as they are much more cost efficient and sustainable when used at such a high volume. They save an average of approximately 26% more water than single-flush 'Low-Flow' models, and you can control when you need more or less water.
The ROI Calculation is based on a typical toilet costing about $150 and the dual-flush models costing about $300 with an average savings of 15,000 gallons and the cost of water at about $1.50 / 1,000 gallons.
GREENandSAVE.com is a free resource for anyone that wants to save energy, money, and the environment. The articles, product reviews, online tools, and return on investment calculations are researched from a diverse range of public and private sector sources. Overall, the company is passionate about saving money as well as creating healthy homes, offices, and lifestyles.
For more information, check out GREENandSAVE.com’s take on Dual Flush Toilets. Or, for a better idea of what projects will be cost-efficient in the long run, take a look at their Return on Investment Table for Green Home Remodeling Projects.
