BATHROOM: High-efficiency Toilets (HETs) that flush

We all think the same thing when someone mentions low-flush toilets.  So what are you thinking when I tell you there is a new toilet on the block called a High-Effieciency Toilet or HET? 

HET toilets on the market are designed to ensure both sustainable, efficient water use and a high level of user satisfaction with flushing performance.  A specification and certification was made available on January 24, 2007 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under a new program called Watersense.  The certifcation addresses residential toilets — like the one you are about to purchase for your remodel!!

Under the certification program, single flush toilets will not pass if their flush exceeds 1.28 gallons (4.8 liters) of water.  Note: 1.28 is a 20% reduction from that 1.6 gallon per flush model that was made mandatory with the ultra-low flush toilets in 1992!!  In addition the new HET toilets must be able to handle a greater “load” than the former ULF   Dual flush have similar requirements.  

So will it all go down you ask?  Well studies have shown that a typical loading is 350g, and ranges as high as 450g.  HETs must be capable of digesting 350g.  In order to achieve an EPA WaterSense label, a high-efficiency toilet must be able to completely clear all “test media” from the toilet in a single flush 4 out of 5 times.   Oh, and what is this test media comprised of you ask?  I know some of you want to try this at home…Well, try soybean paste (35.5% water, 33.8% soybean, 18.5% rice, and 12.2% salt) in the form of a sausage,  and last but not least four loosely crumpled balls of toilet paper (no brand specified, but they do require 1-ply).

And who makes high-efficiency toilets (HETs), and what is the price range:

American Standard - FloWise ($359 list)

Caroma - Adelaide, Bondi, Caravelle, Colonial, Royale, and Sydney models

                                          

Kohler – Cimarron EcoSmart ($338 list), Highline Pressure Lite ($508 list), San Raphael Power Litev($986 list), and Wellsworth Pressure Lite ($442 list)

                            

Sterling (Kohler Company) – Karsten, Rockton, and Stanton brands

Toto - Aquia Dual Max ($395-454 list)

Vitra – EverGreen model

To close out, here is some fun Toilet Talk/Facts that are also pretty serious:

• Watersense estimates there are 222 million residential toilets in the US.
• 10 million new toilets are sold each year for installation
• Residential toilets account for approximately 30% of indoor residential water use = 2.1 trillion gallons of water consumed annually
• Each toilet gets flushed approx. 6.8X per day
• When 10% of existing toilets get replaced with HETs the total water savings could be approx. 246 million gallons/day, or a mind blowing 89.7 billion gallons/year
• If a family of four replaced a 3.5gpf toilet made between 1980 and 1994 with Watersense labeled toilet, they could save more than $90 annually on their water bill.  Savings could be 2X as much on a pre-1980 5.0gpf model!

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