apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

This might be a stupid question... but how can you tell whether or not you have a low flow toilet? I bought my house a few years ago. The previous owners did a lot of work to the bathroom, but I have no idea if they replaced the toilet or not.

If you notice the toilet running for a long time, then it's an old toilet. when i moved into my apt, i swear the toilet took 5 whole minutes to refill. now i keep a 2 liter soda bottle in the tank and it save some water. and, as gross as it may be, i try not to flush the toilet unless "necessary".

Yeah...rip that old sucker out and throw it in the landfill.
Does this guy work for a plumbing company?

If it is yellow, I let it mellow! We probably save 5 to 10 flushes a day. Even at a low flow 3 gallons, thats lots of water!

Seriously, water is so precious. I am thankful enough that I have toilet paper to use!

While it is always smart to weigh the environmental impact of throwing out a functioning object, water conservation is a worthy cause in my opinion.

Not all low flow toilets will work properly with a single flush, so if you want to replace your old unit (or ask your landlord if s/he pays the water bill) make sure you are getting a well designed model. There is a new technology that uses pressure assist to give a complete flush with 1.6gallons or less.

If the water runs for a long time after you flush, there may be a leak in the tank. Try some food coloring in the tank and see if it leaks into the bowl. If so, you may need a new seal inside the tank.

Jen-The date of manufacture of your toilet should be stamped into the lid of the tank.

I manage 100 apartment units and our policy is to replace any toilet that needs repairs with a new low flow model. We also put in low-flow toilets on turns. A basic toilet is cheap ($100-$200) and we figure we recoup the cost of the toilet in a few years of water savings.

We have a bathroom original to our mid-70s rancher, and a new one added to accommodate my S/O's wheelchair. Mine is an old toilet, his is new.

We have far more problems with his than mine -- clogging, needing more than one flush to get stuff down. Same in my previous house, where one old toilet had to be replaced and was a constant clog hassle, while the other was fine.

I do my part to conserve water by letting some yellow mellow for a while. Grosses me out, but it works. I put the lid down so I don't have to look at or, God forbid, smell it. However, it's a sturdy, well-made and -maintained toilet, and I have no qualms about keeping it. When you get rid of an older toilet, they don't stay in the dump; renovation companies buy them from the companies that maintain the dumps, and you see them in huge quantities in vintage resale shops.

Gerber makes good flushing low-flow toilets in regular and ADA heights that work on the first flush and aren't as expensive as TOTO.

I found this after a long search when redoing my parents two bathrooms. The plumber suggested TOTO (easy to install) but for 500 bucks to get what mom and dad wanted, and the other bath not being able to get what they needed from TOTO, I looked around and got the right height and distance from the wall, and the whole shootin' match cost $120 for the ADA height and <$100 for the guest bath (10" rough in). They flush all the stuff away and are low flow.

When I told the plumber what I got, his eyes lit up and said Gerber was good, too! He does clean work and I've referred him to everyone who's ever asked for a plumber.