WHO SHOULD RETROFIT AND WHY?

By Lloyd Hathcock

If the fixtures in your bathroom were installed before 1993, you are a prime candidate to benefit from a bathroom fixture retrofit.  It was in 1993 that the federal government first issued a “water saving” mandate stipulating that  all new toilets had to use 1.6 gallons of water per flush (GPF) or less. Before 1993, the average toilet used 3.5 GPF, and sometimes even more that that.

But even if your bathroom fixtures were installed after 1993, you might still be in a position to gain from a fixture retrofit. That’s because the 1.6 GPF toilets that were being manufactured in the 90s in response to the federal mandate were “low flow” but not very efficient. They simply didn’t flush well—or at least they didn’t flush well consistently. The problem was that the technology at the time lowered the flush volume but didn’t significantly change the bowl, base or trap designs. For a long time, toilet design remained more or less the same as that of its predecessors—and people who didn’t have to get a new toilet were more likely to stick to their pre-1993 models just because they could rely on their flush power.

The good news today is that technology has caught up with intent.  Tanks, traps and bases on new toilets have been completely redesigned and reengineered.  In fact, there are so many high efficiency toilets on the market that retailers like Home Depot have developed a 1- 10 rating system—with 10’s being the toilets that can handle the most solid waste—to help consumers determine the best choices.

One of our most popular retrofit toilets at Niagara Conservation is the EcoLogic™ Flapperless model. The flapper is the rubber mechanism in the tank that seals the water in when the tank is full and lets the water out when the toilet is flushed. Flappers have to be replaced frequently or they will begin to disintegrate. Replacement can be challenging, and if you get the wrong replacement model and wind up with a bad fit, there can be leakage.

The Flapperless toilet features a bucket instead of a sealing system. It is the bucket in the tank that fills with water; not the tank itself. When you flush, the bucket tips, dispensing the water. This ensures that the tank never “sweats” and thus there is no rust or mineral buildup on the inside of the tank. Flapperless models can use as little as 1.28 GPF.  High-performance bowl hydraulics ensure that they flush well and quickly.

The Flapperless is particularly well suited for retrofitting. Because the base and tank are just large enough to cover the footprint from any previous toilet, repainting walls or re-tiling floors is never necessary.

We suggest that consumers go to the WaterSense before choosing a toilet. WaterSense is an Environmental Protection Agency program designed to encourage water efficiency in the United States through the use of a special label on consumer products. They can be found at www.epa.gov/watersense.

In addition to a toilet, a bathroom fixture retrofit should include a new showerhead and a faucet aerator. All showerheads these days must use 2.5 gallons of water per minute (GPM) or less, but there are many great models on the market that use far less than that. Again, the WaterSense website is the place to go to get the information you need to make the right choices. As for aerators, these small, easy-to-install and inexpensive gadgets can actually cut faucet water usage in half. Every faucet should have one.

A basic toilet, showerhead and toilet retrofit can cost as little as $150.00—plus the plumber’s fee if you are not planning to install your new toilet yourself. But before you begin the retrofit process, check with your water utility company to see what programs and / or rebates may be available to you. Some county and city governments are offering energy efficiency assistance programs, especially to low income consumers. Utility and government programs may also be offering weatherization programs, so check on that too when you contact them.

Believe it or not, you can save as much as 30 percent on your water bills by retrofitting your bathroom(s), especially if your fixtures were first installed prior to the government mandates.  And you will have the satisfaction of knowing that your conservation practices will be helping to save the planet as well.

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A nationally-recognized water conservation expert and frequent public speaker at water conferences coast-to-coast, Lloyd Hathcock currently serves as director of program development for Niagara Conservation Corporation.  Niagara Conservation’s retail store offering toilets, showerheads, aerators and more can be found at www.ItsEasyBeingGreen.com.

The Niagara corporate website is located at www.NiagaraConservation.com.