Dual flush toilets are wonderful inventions. They save water with each flush, and they can sometimes make your toilet bowl last longer. Dual flush toilets also come in different styles so you have a lot of options to choose from.
There is one minor setback to dual flush toilets; they are not always easy to install. If you don’t know how to install this type of toilet or you want to know more about them before making such a large investment, take a look at this post for everything you need to know about dual-flush toilets!
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Contents
What is a Dual Flush Toilet?
Unlike other American-style toilets, dual-flush toilets have two flush options; one for liquid waste and another for solid waste. There are many different styles of dual flush toilets, but the most common type is a push-button style with a lever on either side of the bowl. The liquid flush option will typically use less water than the solid flush option.
When it comes to conserving water, a dual-flush toilet is a right option. For this, countries with a shortage of water supply get benefits from dual-flush toilets.
Let’s compare dual-flush toilets with the typical single-flush toilets for a moment. If your bathroom has a single-flush toilet, each hygienic flush can use around 13 liters of water. So, if we do a rough estimate, it can be up to 100 liters of water per day if you have a family of four.
Sounds huge, right?
And, here comes the necessity of a dual-flush toilet. Although it’s not only about saving water, environmental impact, cost-saving, and other related points come according to the discussion.
Dual Flush Toilets Pros and Cons
As we said before, dual flush toilets come with two different flushing options. You can choose between a small or large flush with each trip to the bathroom. This not only saves water but also helps keep your toilet bowl cleaner and healthier in general. Dual flush toilets are also easy to install and maintain when compared to the majority of other toilets on the market.
Pros of Dual Flush Toilets
- It Saves Water with the best flushing performance.
- It Saves Money compared to Single flush toilets
- Affordable option
- Easy to Install
- Environmental-friendly
Cons of Dual Flush Toilets
- Cleaning the toilet bowl can be tricky
- Flushing Buttons are confusing sometimes
- Dual flush toilets have old flushing mechanisms
- Looks cheap
- Not properly hygiene toilet compared to the one-piece toilet
How to Install a Dual Flush Toilet
Dual flush toilets can be difficult to install. It’s because they require your tank to be replaced with a dual flush tank, and that isn’t always possible. You may also need to do some rewiring or redoing of the wiring for the toilet itself.
However, if you are handy with plumbing, this should not pose much of an issue. One way around needing to replace your tank is by using an adapter kit; this kit replaces your existing tank with one that has dual flush capabilities, saving you the hassle of replacing your entire toilet base unit.
Environmental Impact of a Dual Flush Toilet
Dual flush toilets are gaining popularity and for good reason.
Dual flush toilets do exactly what their name implies: they allow you to choose between two separate flushes. Since single-flush toilets tend to consume more water than dual-flush ones, you may want to go for the more environmentally friendly option, a dual-flush toilet.
You may cut your toilet’s water use in half by choosing a toilet that allows you to utilize two different water settings.
You lose 0.8 gallons of water for a half flush and 1.6 gallons for a full flush when it’s a dual-flush toilet. Worth noting that the full-flush is used to flush down solid waste whereas the half flush is to get rid of the liquid waste like urine.
This is why you’ll notice two buttons on a dual-flush toilet. However, some users claim that dual-flush toilets aren’t user-friendly enough, they are difficult to flush.
Well, there are buttons on the top of the tank that does the job. But you may need to press the buttons with greater force sometimes. Still, it makes sense for elderly persons as they may not find it easy to use.
That is, it will not only save you money on your water bill over the life of the toilet, but it will also have a good impact on the environment.
Cleaning And Maintaining a Dual-Flush Toilet
Let me admit the fact, neither single-flush nor dual-flush toilets are easy to clean. It depends on the toilet’s design, the bowl, tank lid, or rim construction. Moreover, the materials and flushing power of the toilet also matter in this case.
Since the necessary spare parts of a dual-flush toilet are even harder to find, maintaining a dual-flush toilet may be more challenging than other alternatives.
About the maintenance cost of a dual-flush toilet, well it’s costlier compared to a single-flush toilet. Although a dual-flush toilet will be more economical in the long run (for the low water consumption), the maintenance cost will be higher.
Additional Tips to Save Money on Water Bills
Here’s a tip that will help boost the water efficiency of your toilet regardless of it’s a single-flush or dual-flush type. Consider adding a plastic bag or PVC bag or something like these with the toilet cistern. It will help the toilet use less water every time you press the flush button.
Or, you can get a water-saving fill valve that does the same job for lowering water consumption. You’ll get one available from conversion kits on the market.
Bottom Line
Dual flush toilets are much costlier than other available alternatives. They are undeniably more expensive than a standard toilet. The purchase and installation costs are both more than for a standard toilet. However, the features and advantages they offer, the cost is worth it.