What's your current advice on low-flush toilets?

[struggle4progress]

My place was constructed before they were available, and I'm thinking I'll upgrade the most frequently used dinosaur to something more water-resource-friendly

I've found a couple of old threads:

Toilet question <3.5 years old>
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=287&topic_id=6156&mesg_id=6156

A Tale of Two Toilets <5 years old>
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=287&topic_id=3204&mesg_id=3204

[Po_d Mainiac]

1. as long as you shat tiny turds.

Or can live with the cramps long enough to save the log for the restroom at work, you'll save water.

Dump a log in a watersaver, and you'll be bailing out the shower in order to get enough hydrolic action to make it go away.

[struggle4progress]

3. Yeah, that's pretty much what the plumber told me a decade ago

[Adsos Letter]

2. What about putting a brick in the current toilet tank?

Or something else to decrease the water used per flush? We had to do this in California when we were under water rationing a few years ago. As long as your current toilet will still clear with the reduced water input.

We have low-flush toilets; they tend to clog if you put too much tissue, or, uh, anything else in there...

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

4. Look Around

They have come out with a power flush about $200.00 $225.00 there abouts.

[CTyankee]

11. They have them all over in Italy, Spain, Portugal and France.

They're designed a little differently but they are in hotels and restaurants.

[struggle4progress]

6. Already have a brick in the tank and the float valve set so I only use about 5 gal/flush

And when I'm not expecting company, I follow the "if it's yellow let it mellow rule"

[struggle4progress]

7. Some calculations:

I estimate .73 cf/flush or about 5 gal/flush, taking into account the brick in the tank

At my current water rates that's about 30 flush/$

Replacing the toilet with a low flow would get me about 90 flush/$

That works out to about $1 saved for every 45 flushes. The toilet I'm looking at would run about $325. So it's got to be flushed about 14625 times to pay for itself in water use. If I flush it four times a day, that'll take about a decade

For a slightly better estimate, I might reckon 29 flush/$ with the old toilet, 94/$ with the new, and maybe I'd flush the new 6 times per day instead of four, with water rates going up about 14% over the next decade so I ought to count the water on average at about 7% above its current rate. Then I'd still be saving about $28/year, so it would take about 11.5 years to pay off

[Kennah]

9. I use a full 2 liter soda bottle in mine. Works fine.

[Warpy]

5. I have an ultra low flow desert special and I hate it

I keep a bucket in the bathroom for when it just doesn't have enough strength to send the contents down, defeating the purpose.

However, there are now models available with 2 flushing strengths. I will get one of these when I get around to upgrading the bathroom. I understand they work quite well, a treat for someone who is used to one that barely works.

[sammytko]

13. We installed one of those 2 flush gizmos

Love it. We had to take out our 1946 toilet because I dropped a toothbrush in it and could not get it out. Even after we removed the toilet, couldn't dislodge the thing. We remodeled so a new elongated bowl toilet was installed. Still have the old one.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

8. Take a look see here:

http://www.terrylove.com/crtoilet.htm

Terry Love is the toilet master. And a very nice man to host such a nice website.

First things first. Get an elongated bowl in comfort height - you will wonder how you ever lived without.

But there is a draw-back ... all that extra exposed surface in the "low flow" toilet and you want to get a model that offers "sanigloss" so you don't get, ahem, "tracks" in the toilet bowl.

Don't skimp and buy a $99 dollar special at Homer's.

[Kennah]

10. Well, I checked on Consumer Reports website, and thought ...

... HOLY SHIT! (I had to).

Looks like August 2009 was the date of the last tests. Only toilet to merit a Best Buy rating, and was under $300, was the Mansfield Alto 137-160 (1.6 gpf) at $150.

In their Recommended rating, there's the Gerber Ultra Flush 21-302 (1.6 gpf) for $300 and the Kohler The Complete Solution Cimarron K-11456 (1.6 gpf) for $350.

Also Recommended, and right at $400, is the Gerber Ultra Flush 1.1 EF-21-318 (1.1 gpf), Gerber Ultra Dual-Flush DF-21-318 (1.6/1.1 gpf), and Mansfield EcoQuantum 148-119 (1.6.1.1 gpf).

[Mist]

12. I upgraded my toilet on my mid-60s mini-ranch, and haven't been sorry. It used what

seemed like 4 or more gallons to flush, and was a slow leisurely flush, so inefficient all around. I spent I think $250 for a decent low flush that I can hold the handle down on for a more vigorous flush. I also got a slightly elevated toilet (about 1.5" taller than standard) figuring as I age it'll be a nice feature. I really enjoyed watching my water bill go down about $8 a month. Those savings start immediately, plus you have a nice new "throne"!