What to Consider when Buying an Eco-friendly Toilet

Over the course of your life, you’re going to flush a toilet about 140,000 times. That’s a lot of flushing and a lot of strain on the environment! Also, your toilet accounts for approximately 30% of your home’s water usage.

If you don’t already have an eco-friendly toilet, it’s high time to get one. You’ll save water and money if you invest in an environmentally responsible commode, but first here are some things to consider before you go green in your bathroom:

Dual Flush

A dual flush toilet has two functions. On its tank, there are two buttons, one is for a half-tank flush, and the other is for a full-tank flush.

This Australian invention is becoming more and more popular with Canadians because you can use your discretion on which flush button to push. These eco-friendly bathroom thrones posses the best water conservation system of any other toilet available. A dual-flush toilet uses only 6.9 gallons of water per day compared to the 9.5 gallons used by a low-flow toilet.

With a dual-flush model you can save up to 2,250 gallons of water yearly, and you’ll notice big savings on your water bill, too. Keep in mind that the price of installing a dual-flush toilet can run high. However, you will save in the long-term because of all the water you’re conserving.

Litres

There are three options to choose from when it comes to how many litres a toilet needs to flush: 6-litre, 4.5-4.8 litres and 3-6 litres.

A dual-flush toilet uses about 3 litres for a short flush and between 4-6 for a long flush (depending on what you’re flushing). Your current toilet, if it is not eco-friendly probably has a 13-litre flush. Thirteen-litres is the standard in traditional toilets and, well, that’s a lot of water being used if you have a family of four and two bathrooms.

Pieces

Energy-efficient toilets come in two or one-piece units.

One-piece units are easier to install and more expensive than their two-piece equivalent. Both are equally effective, so you may want to consult a green plumber before deciding on purchasing the one or two-piece option.

Pricing

A higher priced toilet does not translate to more water conservation. Just because a toilet is costly doesn’t mean it conserves more water and energy than its less expensive counterpart!

You don’t have to visit a specialty store to buy an eco-friendly toilet. Big box Canadian retailers such as Rona and Canadian Tire offer environment-friendly and wallet-friendly options.