If you have an older toilet in your Whiteface, Texas, home, you may be flushing money down the drain. Many older homes have toilets that use large amounts of water for the flushing process, increasing your water usage. If your house was built before 1994, and you have not replaced your toilet, consider investing in a high-efficiency model. Let’s look at how replacing your older toilet with a new one can save you money.
What is a High-Efficiency Toilet?
An energy-efficient or high-efficiency toilet is designed differently from standard older toilets. Instead of using several gallons of water per flush (GPF), known as water volume, they use speed, called water velocity, to remove waste. Before 1992, toilets used between 5-7 GPF. After 1994, federal standards required toilets installed in new homes to use only 1.6 GPF, which is substantially lower than older toilets.
Today, a high-efficiency toilet uses between 1.28 and 1.08 gallons of water per flush. Many high-efficiency toilets offer a dual-flush option so that you can press a button that uses the least amount of water for flushing liquid waste. Using the liquid waste option, the toilet will only use about 0.8 GPF and when both buttons are pushed for flushing solid waste, only about 1.3 GPF’s are used. When purchasing a high-efficiency toilet, choosing the dual-flush option will help to save even more water. There are many benefits to installing a high-efficiency toilet that can help you save money while helping to conserve water.
Save on Water Bills
On average, a person flushes the toilet about five times per day, and the more people in the house, the more flushes there are. If you are using an older toilet, that is a tremendous amount of water going to waste. By installing a high-efficiency toilet, you will not only conserve water, but you will see a reduction in your water bill, saving you a substantial amount of money per year.
Save on Energy Bills
If your home uses an electric water pump to pump water into your home, you are using electricity every time you flush the toilet. If you are using an older model toilet, the pump is engaged more often, using more electricity. In addition, the lifespan of your water pump can be reduced if it is constantly cycling on and off for toilet flushes. By having high-efficiency toilets in your home, you can save money on electric bills and potential plumbing repairs, or a water pump replacement.
Save on Parts and Repairs
Because toilets built before 1992 are old now, it may be challenging to find parts and can be expensive to replace broken and malfunctioning ones. Because these older toilets have been used for many years, they run the risk of breaking down and may require an emergency plumbing call. Those weekend, holiday, and late-night plumbing emergencies can cost quite a bit of money. Instead of putting money into patching your old water-guzzling toilet, consider installing a new, well-built, high-efficiency one that will last for years to come. You can save on repair costs with a new modern toilet.
Save On Septic System Issues
If your home is on a septic system, water conservation is always on your mind. Excess water inside of your septic tank can cause it to overflow, creating a smelly, and unhealthy mess that requires an emergency pump out that can cost quite a bit of money. It is vitally important to install a low-flush toilet while on a septic system, or for optimum water conservation, choose the dual-flush option for minimal water use. You will save money by not having to have your septic system pumped out so often, and can also save money on expensive emergency pump outs and repairs.
With water conservation and water restrictions being set in place across the country and even globally, water conservation should be a high priority for everyone, and by investing in a modern efficient toilet, you can help to save water. Saving water can help you save money and help to save the environment.
If you would like to discuss changing your old toilets for high-efficiency or dual-flush ones, call Bruce Thornton Air Conditioning today at 806-589-1014.
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