Perhaps you have a brand new toilet and tossing it for a new model would seem wasteful. Perhaps you have an old toilet that’s part of the character of your bathroom.
A kit we came across online lets you keep the toilet you have while benefiting from the water savings of a dual flush toilet.
(Note: despite the comical appearance of this photograph, this is not a Hot or Not.)
TwoFlush Dual Flush Toilet Retrofit Kit
The TwoFlush kit replaces the flush valve in the tank of a standard toilet -- the clear tank above is for demonstration purposes only. It takes a bit of DIY, and if you’re not comfortable with that, the company claims that a plumber can install it in less than an hour, though that would cut into the cost advantage compared to a new dual-flush toilet.
Turn the small handle for liquid waste, and the big handle for everything else: in theory, the amount of water used corresponds to just what’s needed.
Here’s the caveat: we’ve not used a TwoFlush before, and a few spelling bugaboos on the company’s FAQ don’t do much to inspire confidence in the product. It’s also hard to say whether a half flush will fully evacuate the bowl in a toilet that was designed to be flushed with more water -- and the answer to that question depends on the toilet.
But if it works, the $50 cost is certainly much less than replacing a toilet. Quite frankly, we’re skeptical -- but we’ll give it the benefit of the doubt for now.
Has anyone used one of these before?
Comments (8)
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Gaiam.com has a similar item for $36. I haven't tried it yet, but I am very tempted as the toilet in our older home uses an inordinately large amount of water per flush.
view icequeen220's profile
you can also just put a brick or two in the tank to use less water.
view coyotejed's profile
if bricks would harm the toilet....or fill a 2 liter bottle with water to displace the fill up.
view kaanswfm's profile
Of course displacing the water in the tank will use less water BUT The point of a "Dual" flush toilet is that Sometimes ya Need more water than usual. Get it?
view MoJonson's profile
NOT
view hdtex's profile
I agree with kaanswfm! As a child of the 90s I learned that from Bill Nye the Science Guy! A couple of left-over Aquafina water bottles and you're a-go!
view scaram0uche's profile
K&B Direct in Raleigh, NC offers a more complete retrofit kit that really works for $30 as well as HET toilets & other water conservation devices www.kbdirectllc.net
view herrmill's profile
Saving water makes cents… $ Displacement of the water just is not always the answer because yes, you do need that water sometimes. :) At times we get so focused on energy savings in the house we forget we have a water bill we can save money on as well. Another easy product to install and at a very low cost to high savings ratio is a dual flush retrofit kit for your current toilet. A SelectAFlush , the leader in dual flush conversion kits, installed in each toilet of a home of an average family can save a swimming pool of water each year…now that is green or in this case BLUE. I have 3 installed at my house and I feel this is the best one on the market. Please buy some kind of water saving device for your toilet so you can save water even if it is a low flow toilet . We are in real trouble with water, we all have to do our part.
view Water Response's profile