Dual flush retrofit

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Tubetec
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Dual flush retrofit

Post by Tubetec »

I recently installed a new porcelain throne in my place , its fitted as standard with a two button dual flush system ,to save water .
They've had this in continental Europe for over 40 years and although all modern fitted Wc's will have it here ,theres a lot of old fashioned lever flush units left in the wild .

Replacing the entire set with a modern unit is likely to require the services of a plumber and run into hundreds of euros/dollars , but retrofitting an existing toilet with a dual flush can easily be done yourself , with minimal tools .

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/flomasta-dual ... alve/712gf

Were not charged per cubic meter here for water although it is metered , so theres no incentive to save a drop , with summer coming in there already issuing hose pipe bans , and in places drinking water quality is already way below spec .
A simple retrofit like the Flowmasta , which costs 10euros is a no brainer , Im not sure exactly what the saving in water are but its likely household use might be cut by 40-50% ,

Ive now talked myself into a job retrofitting a friends two toilets , she's a former local authority worker , so in the interests of the environment and , of course as a talking point with her old work pals ,it was an offer she couldnt refuse .

If the ( now privatised) water utillity company stopped spending money advertisning and making warnings about water usage and sent every houlsehold in the country the 10 buck retrofit kit for free , our water supply issues could be much reduced or eliminated .
The politicians . captains of industry and guys in suits from the utillity company should have a dual flush system installed at both ends of their pipework , for the amount of shit that comes out of them :lol:
flyboy71
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Re: Dual flush retrofit

Post by flyboy71 »

I don't know how much toilets on that side of the pond are different but my Kohler has a canister valve that one quick tap flushes #1 and holding the lever takes care of #2. That seems to be what you posted I guess but with a cable. Fortunately I'm on well water but public sewer.

https://www.kohler.com/en/support/find- ... it-1188999
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"Things are more like they are now then they ever were before" - Dwight
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mediatechnology
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Re: Dual flush retrofit

Post by mediatechnology »

flyboy71 wrote: Wed May 07, 2025 6:36 am I don't know how much toilets on that side of the pond are different but my Kohler has a canister valve that one quick tap flushes #1 and holding the lever takes care of #2. That seems to be what you posted I guess but with a cable. Fortunately I'm on well water but public sewer.

https://www.kohler.com/en/support/find- ... it-1188999
Is it a private well or public well?
How do they meter your sewer charges?

In Dallas they compute sewer on 3 months average winter water usage.
flyboy71
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Re: Dual flush retrofit

Post by flyboy71 »

Its a private well. They don't meter our sewer but we pay $350 per quarter flat rate. Its stupid expensive because of poor planning and mismanagement on the part of the township supervisors for not properly seeking grants for sewer plant upgrades. Our treatment plant is in our township but its owned by the adjacent township so its a shared facility. Our township pays their share based on inflows, which is 300k gallons/day vs the other twp which is around 100k gal/day. So we pay $350/qtr they pay around $70/qtr. The reason its so high is because there is an old development with aging sewer lines and uncapped laterals where spring water just flows into the sewer constantly. There is a new development being built across the road from me, in my township but since they are on the adjacent township water they only pay $70. The stupid supervisors claim they need more development to increase the number of users to lower rates but keep making exceptions for wealthy developers to skirt the system. Not required to connect to sewer if you build >100ft from a main line, not required if lot size is >2 acres, etc so they allow developers to modify plans to suit. The whole situation is a mess.
My projects site: https://ornerscorner.neocities.org/

"Things are more like they are now then they ever were before" - Dwight
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mediatechnology
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Re: Dual flush retrofit

Post by mediatechnology »

That's some expensive wastewater fees...

We had two water leaks develop beginning in November that began to set off alarm bells in early December. By January it had gotten to about 1100 gallons/day. No sign of leaks within the house at all and we're pier and beam and can see all the mechanicals.

It wasn't freeze damage.
One leak was in the irrigation system where Amazon had driven into the yard making one of their famous in-the-driveway-and-yard three point turns. When they got onto the grass they crushed the PVC supply line.
The second leak had been a slow leak until we had a drought in the fall.
A cedar tree had gotten thirsty and knew just where to break a copper coupler in a line to a faucet in the yard.
There was no significant wet spot because there was a rock over the line deflecting the leak into a trench that the sewer line had been laid into.
Our January bill was just under $500 with usage of almost 40,000 gallons. It's normally less than 7500 gallons in the winter.
With the leak repaired our usage dropped to 6000 gallons.
I applied for a leak adjustment which got the sewer reset to 6000 gallons for the year - about $43/month.
A couple of weeks later they gave me a $502 bill credit by reducing the "punitive" tiered rate to the base rate.

We still have to repair the irrigation system but need to consider "countermeasures" to keep Amazon delivery cars off the grass.
We have a circle drive which is sometimes blocked and they don't know to use the straight section to deliver despite it being in the instructions.
Tubetec
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Re: Dual flush retrofit

Post by Tubetec »

I got the dual flush unit installed on one toilet today .
It allows you adjust the small flush cutoff threshold so you can save between 30 and 65% of the water when the full flush isnt required .
Installation took less than 30 minutes with only minimal tools , screw driver , hack saw , pipe wrench . Plumbers are hard to get these days ,especially for small jobs and they often have a minimum call out charge (100-150 euros)
While all modern toilets have the dual flush system as standard now , the vast majority of toilets in this country still have the old fashioned wasteful single flush lever system .
Its actually a really good business oppertunity and Im hoping to pick up a few cash in hand jobs here and there doing the upgrade ,especially with the environmentally conscious era were now in , the idea should sell itself .
dual flush.jpg
Tubetec
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Re: Dual flush retrofit

Post by Tubetec »

I did the sums of the water usage before/after the retrofit :

Each full cistern fill is 8 liters ,
so on the basis of ,lets say 6 flushes per day ,(conservative estimate)
thats 48 liters per person per day ,


With the new system installed ,
we\ll assume two full flushes , 4 half flushes ,
that comes out to 32 liters per person per day .

Thats a saving of 33.3% on toilet water usage ,
Having said that , if I have 10 bottles of beer of a night ( not something I do often) :lol:
Im probably going to flush the toilet at least 6 extra times , the savings are even more signifigant.

I think I deserve a beer or three now after all my hard work :D
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mediatechnology
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Re: Dual flush retrofit

Post by mediatechnology »

Tubetec wrote: Sun May 11, 2025 2:19 pm
Having said that , if I have 10 bottles of beer of a night ( not something I do often) :lol:
Im probably going to flush the toilet at least 6 extra times , the savings are even more signifigant.

I think I deserve a beer or three now after all my hard work :D
Here in Texas we just go outside and pee on the fire ant mounds at night to kill them.

You do deserve that beer.

Our post-leak water use works out to be about 200 gallons/day for two of us and the dog.
Until summer.
We've had an unusually cool late April and May but there's a 102 F forecast for next week.
Probably about time to get the irrigation system repaired.
Tubetec
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Re: Dual flush retrofit

Post by Tubetec »

You could try caltrops along with a "Do not drive on the grass' sign for the Amazon guy , once would be enough to learn him a lesson :oops:
Caltrops.jpg
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mediatechnology
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Re: Dual flush retrofit

Post by mediatechnology »

Effective yes.
But I'd have him stuck in my yard with a flat pissed off.
I may line that part of the driveway with some limestone blocks.

Our short-term solution is to always park my wife's car on the paved pad in front of the garage and keep the circle drive open.
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