When I first heard about dual flush toilets I mistakenly assumed they were a particularly wasteful bathroom fixture for people with high fiber diets, but I was happy to lean “Dual Flush” doesn’t mean it flushes twice, instead it has two flush modes in order to conserve water. What a great idea!
The Persuade from Kohler has two flush modes: an already low flow 1.6 gallon flush for solid waste and a reduced 0.8 gallon flush for liquid waste. Using this toilet in lieu of a traditional 2.8 gallon model will reduce your water 67%. The Persuade costs about $225 and some models cost much more, besides the expense, replacing a perfectly good toilet is kind of a waste so for those of us not remodeling a retrofit kit may be a better option. With a dual flush kit you can outfit your existing toilet with new innards turning it into a dual flush throne for about $50! The kit is fairly easy to install and if you have a screw driver, a saw, some pliers and some elbow grease you should be all set.
I love my dual flush kit I don’t think it is the same one but it really works great. I am saving tons of water and saving money as well. Take a look at what I used as I know it works great.
I would encourage anyone with a 1.6gl/flush toilet to upgrade to a dual flush toilet. I replaced my 1970s era toilet with a Toto dual flush toilet (read more about my toilet here: http://www.urbansherp.com/abode/building-green/dual-flush-toilets/) and noticed the reduction on my water bill right away. If your toilet was purchased before 1994 chances are the average gallon per flush is 3.5 gallons or more! Flushing water down the toilet that is better than most people’s drinking water!
If your toilet doesn’t need replacing, the dual flush kit is a great solution to reducing your water waste.