PERRYSVILLE, OHIO – Are you flushing money away? If you have an older toilet that uses more than 1.6 gallons per flush (Gpf), the answer is “yes!”
With the focus today on gaining efficiencies in the home — energy efficiency, solar efficiency and water efficiency — choosing a low-flow toilet is a key way to save on water bills.
“Selecting a low-water consumption toilet doesn’t mean sacrificing performance,” says Adriana Miller, product manager at Mansfield Plumbing in Ohio. “Toilet manufacturers today are focusing on ways to provide enhanced flushing technology while using very little water.
“Gone are the days when a toilet needs five, three, or even two gallons of water to effectively and cleanly flush away human waste.”
How Much Water is Needed to Flush?
Three water-efficient toilet options are widely available throughout the United States: 1.6, 1.28 and 1.0 Gpf. On the top end, the DenaliTM Power Flush toilet uses just 1.6 Gpf and can remove 1,200 grams of waste — more than 20 percent greater than the highest MaP rating (a testing combination of waste and toilet paper). The powerful flushing system has been tested to one-and-a-half times the industry standard for carrying waste further down the drain line — up to a 60-foot drain line carry distance.
Miller cites the Summit 1.28 Gpf toilet that features MagnaFlushTM flushing technology as a prime example of performance married with low water usage. This toilet can flush 1,000 grams MaP with just over a gallon of water. The high efficiency toilet (HET) meets the WaterSense® rating criteria set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Another way to save water in the home is by selecting a dual flush toilet. Two push buttons at the top of the tank give the user the option to use less water to remove liquid waste and more water to remove mass from the toilet bowl. The Summit Dual Flush uses just 1.1 Gpf for liquid waste versus 1.6 Gpf for mass removal. Also earning the WaterSense rating, this toilet combination is ideal for homes with larger families.
How Low Can You Go?
Want to go even lower in your overall water usage? QuantumOneTM toilets use just 1.0 Gpf with every flush. The high efficiency toilet tank provides pressure-assist flushing action with superior performance over conventional gravity flush toilets.
“According to the EPA, toilets are the main source of water consumption in the home, with almost 30 percent of indoor water usage related to toilets,”* says Miller. “When you consider that the average person has at least five flushes per day, this can add up to substantial water bills for a family.
“Our advice is to start by calculating how much water your family can save by replacing even one toilet in the home with a high efficiency toilet. Go to the free Water Savings Calculator at https://www.mansfieldplumbing.com/resources/water-savings-calculator/. This will show you within seconds how much water you can save each year by investing in a WaterSense rated toilet.”
Mansfield Plumbing precision manufactures millions of pieces of sanitaryware and bathware each year at its facilities in Perrysville and Big Prairie, Ohio and in Henderson, Texas. Founded in 1929, Mansfield Plumbing, which is owned by Corona, is a leading producer of top-quality, high-design, performance plumbing fixtures and fittings for use in residential, commercial and institutional markets. For more information, visit https://www.mansfieldplumbing.com or call 877-850-3060.
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