The depleting water levels are poised to be the next world war crisis. Global warming, deforestation, and pollution of the existing water resources have caused many scientists to think about the ways in which we can conserve water. Water is used essentially for every purpose in life from cooking, washing, drinking, industries, and habitat for every living species on planet Earth. Toilets consume huge amounts of water and this is a nonavoidable usage. However, the usage of huge amounts of water can be saved by making low flow toilets more water efficient toilets, thereby avoiding better usage and less wastage of water. Even by recycling, the water from these gadgets can be used for flushing systems in the toilet, mopping floors, etc. If thought many ideas will creep into the fold and you need not be a genius to get hold of such ideas, but implementing on a large scale for long-term purposes is a nightmare due to various issues such as lack of awareness, monetary issues, legality, etc.
The most important thing is that conservation has to be brought through policies and enforced implementation through systematic planning, and resourcefulness. It is important for everyone to understand the need to bring about change. Many feel that they alone may not be able to bring about the change, but a start would influence others to follow, the good of being able to change is contagious and it is virtual and can set the wheel in motion for progress in the right direction.
| Image | Product Details | Price | My Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|
 | American Standard 2988.101.020 Concealed Trapway | $$$ | 9/10 |
 | KOHLER K-3988-0 Wellworth | $$$ | 8/10 |
 | KOHLER K-3609-0 Cimarron | $$$ | 8/10 |
 | KOHLER K-3817-0 Memoirs Stately | $$$ | 8/10 |
 | Niagara 77001WHCO1 Stealth | $$$ | 7/10 |
Importance of Using High Efficiency Water saving Toilets
The use of water saving toilets is extremely imperative; where a lot of water is consumed and in countries with larger populations you could imagine the amount of water that just goes down the drain.
There are many ways to make eco-friendly and high efficiency toilets, which are easy to be built and with minimal resources, but there isn’t much awareness about such toilets, hence it has picked up steam and it will take time before they become a runaway hit in many places, especially the villages.
The idea of using water saver toilets came only during the 20th century when people and governments began to realize that water resources are being depleted and they would have to build effective systems to curtail the use they chanced upon making the toilets water efficient because the average person in a household may flush 5-6 times a day and a single flush would take away 6 gallons of water and if there is a four-member household you could calculate the amount of water wasted and hence it was decided that from households to commercial spaces will have a changeover in the water-efficient toilet systems.
What was wrong with the older toilet systems?
The older system not only wasted water but sometimes the pressure would not be enough to flush out the waste because the valve let out the water into the bowel.
How is water wasted?
It has been observed that most amount of the water in the house is wasted in the bathroom, estimated to be about 30% of the total usage by a household. It can be noted that a normal toilet will need at least six gallons of water for a single flush! And what do you know, because of the new improved toilet systems in place you could easily save 20% of the total amount of water that was used before. These water efficient toilets are more useful in commercial spaces such as offices, malls, multiplexes, schools, colleges, hospitals, etc.
By using these new and improved water efficient toilets, people will not only be saving money on water bills but saving water and doing their bit for conserving nature.
It has been approximately calculated that if the entire world switched to this efficient kind of water saving toilet system there would not be a scarcity of water.
How to go about it
Well, when you have thought about a changeover and dive into getting hold up onto one of these water efficient systems then it is better to check out whether they are approved for all that they are claiming. It is then going onto the price which may be slightly higher than the conventional toilet price, but there are places where you can avail discounts or they have certain offers. The best part of buying these water-saving toilet systems is they come in a wide range of colors, and styles and you could easily pick the one that fits your style and comfort and décor of your house.
Options in water efficiency toilets
There are other options in water efficient toilet systems such as the dual flush options where the liquid waste will use one of the flushes which require lesser water for liquid waste flush out. The solid waste flush will let out more water for it to be flushed out accordingly. Though this kind of toilet system are yet to gain popularity as the persons may just in a hurry flush one or the other and end up using more water than required. These are also costlier as compared to other systems.
Another option on the block is pressure assist and the gravity feed. The pressure assist was the application of suction pressure to get the solid waste out but this proved to be too noisy if near sleeping areas in the house but in commercial spaces it may work out. The gravity feed is based on building the commode in such a way that the solid waste slides out automatically due to the angular shape of the bowl, but the total dispatch was not there in some cases.
There was a system of waterless urinals, which were also made odorless. Here a lighter-than-water sealant was used so that it floated above the urine and hence hid the urine from view and placed in the u-bend hidden from view. Here the sealant and cartridge have to be replaced regularly. Even the use of deodorizing blocks gets activated during the process of use of the waterless urinals. It is a good alternative where there is a paucity of water in commercial toilets on highways and in desert-like areas.
To this further modifications were made to make totally odorless like fixing tubes made of rubber that carry the urine right down or even silicon curtain-like pieces. These revolutionary toilets are getting huge acceptance across the world especially with commercial usage increasing.
Let us look at some of the best low flow toilets.
American Standard 2988.101.020 Concealed Trapway Cadet 3 Right Height Round Front Flowise 1.28 gpf Toilet
As a user you would try to buy toilets that do not cause clogging frequently, uses less water for flushing, are easy
to clean, should have good styling that matches the décor of your bathroom and last but not least it should fit your budget. When you first check out the new American concealed trapway toilet with the right height to suit your needs, you would definitely be interested to check out the other features that it has to offer you and how you would be surprised that the new age toilet has so many options to choose from.
- It has a three-inch oversized flush valve which will give you a clean flush in one go.
- The concealed trapway is the plus point of this brand of toilets. The siphon action and smooth-sided bowel will not allow for the staining and quicker flow out of the residue.
- The new ever clean surface added to the feature f the toilet will not allow grime, mildew, and staining to accumulate.
- The slow-close seat covers and the top mount with an easy lift-off feature are good and avoid unnecessary noise.
- It comes with a five-year warranty, so it can be your Best Buy.
- It has the water sense certification; hence these are eco-friendly water-saving toilets.
- There is also a facility for free shipping, which is currently only for domestic as per the conditions that are applied by the store.
- It is also featured in the best sellers’ ranks so it will be a good buy too.
With so many pros to taking home, it is the best bet for anyone installing a new toilet or replacing and old one.
KOHLER K-3988-0 Well worth Two-Piece Elongated Dual-Flush Toilet
The user is spoiled for choice in the selection of the newest toilet range that is put out for sale. The features and accessories along with the shape make the toilets a kind of masterpiece in the making. The newer technologies employed are eco friendly and also very user friendly too, thus an edge above other brands put out there.
The marvelous features that make it stand out are –
- The elongated bowel feature makes it easier for more room and comfort.
- The dual flush allows less usage of water, the left side will allow to flush out the liquids and the other flush will allow for the solids to flush away where water will come with a little more intensity than the former.
Here you have the choice of picking gravity flush toilets.
- It has one year limited warranty period.
- The toilets have been certified.
- It is also listed in the best sellers rank. And is with good reviews from the users.
- At present only it is domestically shipped and is not eligible for overseas shipping.
- It has the class five flush system and the trip lever for the left-hand flush, this all saves water and eco friendly toilet system.
- Since it is a two-piece system the water tank or storage is done separately and the two flush handles in the opposite direction will allow you to remember to flush the right one.
- This toilet comes in white which adds to your bathroom décor, it suits bigger bathrooms perfectly.
So, while choosing a toilet, check out the features and see what suits your style does not burn a hole in the pocket, this toilet suits most of the needs of the user with an added dual flush system.
KOHLER K-3609-0 Cimarron Comfort Height Elongated 1.28 gpf Toilet
Purchasing a toilet is no longer a standard job, there are sanitary showrooms, and even online shopping gives 3D viewing of what kind, style, color,
size, type, etc. The whole range of toilets that are available will blow your mind with enumerable accessories to go with it. It’s your choice, budget and what really fits your bathroom is your priority and there is no one fit for all cases here.
The features that are available are
- It’s a two-piece toilet and comes with a flush tank that is separate to store water.
- The elongated bowel feature gives more room and comfort and helps the user to ease him/her easily. As it is height is adjusted to the height of a chair for a standard adult size.
Here you would not get the seat and supply line together.
- It is certified by the watersense, hence it is considered eco-friendly and water wastage is minimized by the installation of this toilet.
- It uses aqua piston technology and helps to flush out the residue faster. This technology enables only one flush to plug out anything in the bowel, hence saving water from the number of flushes.
- It is in the best sellers rank and has got good customer reviews.
- At present, it has only domestic shipping and is not eligible for overseas shipping.
- It has a period of one-year limited warranty.
- The best-in-class bowel is fitted and because of the new flushing technology fitted the cleanliness of the toilet is maintained always.
The good performance of this toilet is not hampered by the water saving feature making it more attractive for buyers to purchase and contributing to eco friendly environment.
KOHLER K-3817-0 Memoirs Stately Comfort Height Two-Piece Elongated 1.28 GPF Toilet with AquaPiston Flush Technology
Lending its classic good looks to your bathroom, ultimate comfort is the byword that the KOHLER K-3817-0 toilet offers. A two-piece toilet with chair-height seating at 17.5” (including the toilet seat), the product makes sitting down and standing up a lot easier for most adults, specifically the handicapped and aged. It is designed with an elongated bowl, specifically to provide more room than other designs normally do.
KOHLER K-3817-0 is equipped with a two-stage aqua-piston flush technology with a canister-type flush valve and a large flush pipe. The gravity flush system needs nothing more than a light touch flush after each use. The highly efficient combination of this flushing system helps conserve water usage and save on water bills while ensuring a surprisingly silent flush each time. Very modern in look and design, its straight lines make after-use cleaning easier. The tank cover has the same profile as the base of the bowl. This small detail adds to the classic symmetry.
The ‘no-slam’ toilet seat with its flat clean design has to be ordered separately. It automatically closes down with each usage. The trip lever is very strategically placed for ease of operation with the left hand. The product is available only in white color, in keeping with its regal looks. It is covered by a one-year limited warranty similar to all other products by KOHLER.
If you are looking for sophistication and a sturdy ergonomic look to grace your bathrooms, you should look no further. Wrapped in attractive pricing, the KOHLER K_3817-0 is the one choice that you need to make.
Niagara 77001WHCO1 Stealth 0.8 GPF Toilet with Elongated Bowl and Tank Combo
The name says it all! The NIAGARA 77001WHCO1 Stealth Toilet assures an optimum and silent stream of water with each flush that makes
toilet clogging a thing of the past. Highly economical in water usage, at just 0.8 gallons for each flush – which is almost half of what other standard toilets would normally use –this highly environment-friendly product saves tons of water and refills in a jiffy too. Its vacuum or siphon flush technology is pressure-assisted and hence highly efficient. It works quietly and powerfully, every time you flush and ensures that there is no sound, whatsoever, as water refills stealthily. With this toilet, which holds a “Water Sense” certification, you can bid goodbye to double flushes forever. The product sits high, at 17.5’’comfort height, and is, therefore, the right choice for use by elders, especially the disabled and aged.
The ergonomic design of the bowl facilitates easy after-use cleaning. It is also easy to install and comes in two pieces with all other required accessories except a soft closing elongated lid and the wax ring, which are required at an additional cost. The hand/lever is placed very conveniently at the top of the tank. Very reasonably priced, the product is easy to install even without the help of a plumber, with its floor-mounted design. It delivers worry-free performance and is available only in one color, white.
The NIAGARA 77001WHCO1, is a ready and appropriate replacement toilet if you are remodeling your bathroom, as its dimensions are standard and definitely match the existing toilet’s “rough-in” measurements.
The new technologies to the fore
To improve the efficient usage of water two innovations became prominent low flush toilets and high-efficiency toilets, which have been discussed below.
Furthermore, no touch or sensor toilets were thought to be the best way to health and hygiene, and the usage of hand after using the toilet will carry a large number of germs and be transferred to the knob of the flushing system. But the sensor flush was not saving water and more flushes were generated, hence not a good way for conserving water, hence this kind of toilet system is not so popular.
The places where efficient water-saving toilets can be used
To conserve water and make better usage of urine collection can be done by waterless urinals. These urinals have found a large number of users in public restrooms, restaurants, train stations, etc.
The fitting of these urinals is still quite expensive compared to the traditional toilets as we have to look into the material for the pipe and the way it is fixed as the urine is corrosive in nature and collection overtime of the urine may cause a stone formation thus blocking the flow of urine through the pipe. There is another thing, the staining of urinals is more and has to be cleaned frequently but still, it is a great water saver.
How the efficiency is proven beyond water saving
The smartness these toilet systems were to prove how the solid waste was carried farther down the pipe to the sewer system with one or few flushes. Why this is important, is that in course of clogging which may occur if the waste just doesn’t reach the sewer system and gets stuck halfway down the drain pipe this would cause clogging and this definitely will require you to call the sanitation workers to unclog the drain for you. This would be a huge problem of not being able to use the toilet and also expenditure.
It has to be noted while purchasing that the drain hole in the bowl of the toilet should be shallow this will allow better cleaning and it will be better than the deeper drain hole ones.
The installation of a sewer dosing unit which is now been used for all new constructions to help reduce the consumption of water and prevent water wastage to a great extent. The best part of this unit is that it can be adjusted to allow a liquid flow in showers and toilets where a single flush or gush from a shower is total waste of water if the pressure of the water is high.
Initial hiccups in implementing water efficient toilets
As all new ideas throw up a lot of challenges and implementation on a larger scale as mentioned above has always been a problem. It was pointed out that a single flush of this toilet would not flush the solid waste away and required two flushes hence defeating the purpose of saving water. It was also observed that the drain pipe would get clogged in a short span of time as the solid waste would not go far in the drain pipe and would accumulate in a single place. This problem was tried to be solved by flushing in chlorine bleach but environmentalists were against this as it would cause water pollution. Another solution of reducing the diameter of the pipe so that the waste doesn’t accumulate and flows freely.
The problems associated with water efficient toilets are
The cost of purchasing such toilets is comparatively more than the traditional ones. Here it may cost quite a bit but there are certain discounts or installment-based payments that can be made.
The pressure assist these toilet systems are quite noisy and if installed as an attached toilet to the bedroom, it can be a nuisance.
When plumbing repairs occur, they it is more cumbersome than normal repairs and these repairs may cost you more too.
Some of these toilet systems such as the dual flush system may require different pressures of water to generate the flush which may not be the available pressure of water in all homes.
The important part of flushing is to get the waste out of the drain bowel which if done in a single flush, is better but it requires more than one flush to get the residue then it defeats the purpose of water efficiency.
Points to be kept in mind while installing low flow toilet systems
The first and foremost point is to check that the drain pipe of your house to the sewer is proper and unclogged.
While buying the toilet it is better to purchase one single unit or one piece water closet which will be easier for installation in smaller bathrooms and easier to clean too. Though it is a bit expensive it will not vents to get dirt trapped there making it difficult for cleaning purposes, unlike two piece closets.
There are so many choices that the user can make according to his budget, décor, and usage. Concealed flush tanks concealed flush valves, Etc. use less space as they are in the wall. Concealed flush tanks are less water efficient and also require harder pressure from the user to generate a flush.
Using grey water, that is water used from washing dishes, washing clothes can be used in the flushing tanks of toilets, this will not only help in conserving good clean water but prevents the wastage of water.
To check for any leakages in pipes etc. Most of the water is lost through this kind of neglect which can be dealt with by proper maintenance set in place.
Avoid metal pipes that are corrosive in nature and will have to be replaced frequently hence it is better to give a PVC piping for toilet fittings for long-lasting and expenditure problems management.
To keep the over head tanks clean as dirt, algae, etc accumulation will block the pipes and proper flushing of the toilets cannot be achieved.
By rainwater harvesting such water collected can be used for the flushing of liquid and solid waste in toilets.
The condensation collector for the water that is used in the air conditioners in commercial spaces can be accumulated and used once again.
The use of sensor water taps for washing in washrooms. To avoid the wastage of water.
Keeping the floors of the washrooms dry to avoid soiling floors and slippage.
Avoid using chemical bleaches to clean urinals that will get carried forward into the water table or soil which causes the pollution of those sources.
Avoiding unnecessary flushing, the use of toilet paper reduces the use of water.
To avoid deep drain bowels in the toilets which are cumbersome to clean and take a lot of water to flush out residues.
To stick and educate the importance of water conservation in washrooms and make them aware of how every wastage would lead to a bad move for them and their future.
It has to now keep in mind the existing laws that have to be abided by every citizen when installing toilets as it is now mandatory in some places that that only a particular quantity of water is used for flushing systems or certain pressure should be allowed in bathrooms. Even in certain countries only certified toilets can be fitted which are water efficient.
Stringent rules will bear fruit as violators are plenty a lot of water wasted and used in households apart from the normal washing, cooking, bathing, drinking, washing cars, and pets, having swimming pools, moping floors, watering gardens, etc the total water consumption and wastage are increasing day by day of every household. There is a certain notion that you are footing the water bill, it’s your prerogative to use as you want. But it never occurs to the mind that water is not a renewable resource and wastage will just add to the scarcity of this resource.
It has to be noted that water-saving techniques however implemented have both pros and cons but for a better future and to avoid a huge problem that will eventually engulf us, it is better to change the way in which can best conserve water which is a scarce resource and to get clean potable water would be a dream in distant reality. Hence, it is better that all put in extra effort to pull forward an initiative of saving water through various means and one of them being using, installing, suggesting water efficient toilet systems.