Dual Flush Toilets are disastrous

jondy · Post: # 105863Post **jondy** » Tue May 27, 2008 8:53 pm

According to a very well informed website http://timesonline.typepad.com/environment/ Dual flush loos are disastrous. (see Apr. 2008) Stories there of people using loads of water due to these systems draining away water, bad design etc. I have two of these, the sort of loos with 2 buttons on the top, small flush, large flush.

Another excellent loo story on this site (see May 12 2008) is about composting loos whether you are into this sort of stuff or not the article and video are well worth a watch. Also lots of other very good articles here.

About to set up a loo to run off of rainwater, (just got a watermeter) anyone else tried this?

John

Captain Caveman · Tue May 27, 2008 10:38 pm

Thinking of doing this myself, wondering about the costs etc
The water company say that not only can you save on your metered water bills but that as the water from your gutters is not going into the sewage sytem they will give you a discount also!

John Headstrong · Tue May 27, 2008 11:25 pm

I have heard (but cant find the source now, maybe tomorrow) that toilets in the UK where required by an really old law not to waste water, but that law was changed in the past few years.

(this is from memory) The law (1800s) was to stop fresh water being wasted, people used to prop something up with a stick (leather value?) so a law was passed that toilets had use some failsafe value thingy. that is why older style toilets last for 50 odd years and new one only last 5 years.

(sorry for the vagueness, it is late)

or maybe this http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/0 ... _sink.html

Jandra · Post: # 105904Post **Jandra** » Wed May 28, 2008 6:50 am

The real problem seems to be the legislation and poorly implemented flushing systems and not the idea of dual flushing toilets at all.

Jandra

edited

ina · Post: # 105908Post **ina** » Wed May 28, 2008 7:22 am

It's one particular type of dual-flush that seems to be the problem - the drop valve (no idea what that means!). Seeing that dual flush is standard in other countries, and that in those countries you pay for every drop of water you use, I think they would have found out by now if they were such water wasters!

Brij · Post: # 106049Post **Brij** » Wed May 28, 2008 5:03 pm

Yeah, it's not the dual flush themselves that are dodgy, it's a problem somewhere in the design/installation of specific toilets that does it.

snapdragon · Wed May 28, 2008 9:08 pm

I have two of these - and yes I have had the first one continue to flow water - now I wait till it's stopped before I leave it.
If it does continue I just lift the top of the cistern and tweak the plunger and it stops

the newer one (a more basic set up) has been fine so far