Efficient toilets can save up to $100 annually on water bill

Q. The old toilet in our master bathroom does not flush well, and we’d like to replace it.

Also, we are thinking about adding a first-floor half bath.

What are the best types of toilets to get for each room, and which ones save the most water?

A. You could probably repair your old toilet yourself so it will work better, but it would be better to just install a new watersaving model.

The flushing of toilets typically accounts for 30 percent of the water usage for a family, making the toilet, by far, the greatest single water-usage appliance.

Depending upon how old your masterbathroom toilet is, it may use either 3.5 or 5.0 gpf (gallons of water per flush).

The average family can save up to $100 per year in water costs by installing watersaving toilets. I recently replaced an old toilet with a 1.6 gpf toilet that cost less than $60 at Home Depot. Such a purchase can provide a payback for homeowners in less than one year.

The standard for new toilets is a maximum of 1.6 gpf. Many of the new toilets now use only 1.28 gpf, and some are as low as 1.1 gpf.

With the new internal water flow designs, toilets flush effectively with these smaller amounts of water.

There are techniques and kits to reduce water usage for old toilets, but they sometimes require double flushes for solid waste.

A standard gravity-type 1.28- or 1.6gpf toilet would be the best choice for your master bathroom. These toilets flush effectively and are reasonably quiet. Two-piece (tank and bowl) models are usually less expensive than more stylish one-piece models. Toilets are also easier to handle in two pieces; the only drawback is that the gap between the two pieces is harder to keep clean.

There are dual-flush gravity toilets available that use either 1.1 or 1.6 gpf for liquids or solids respectively.

On some toilets, you push the handle either up or down, depending upon the flush volume needed; on others, there is a dual push button located on top of the tank. Both flushing styles are equally effective.

For your new first-floor half bathroom, consider installing a pressure-assist model in which the incoming water compresses air in an internal tank. This compressed air creates a forceful, rapid flush.

Pressure-assist toilets are common in public restrooms. The flush is louder than with a gravity model, but that should not be a problem on the first floor.

If you have several men in your family, consider installing a small wall-mounted urinal in the new half bath. These use less than 1.0 gpf and flush quickly. To save space, some urinal models are designed to collapse into the wall and are hidden when not being used.

If your house is built on a slab — or if you are putting a toilet in a basement — it can be difficult to install the drain. In this case, use a macerating toilet, which grinds up the wastes and pumps them upward (up to 15 feet) to an existing drain. These toilets are expensive, but they are less costly than installing a new drain.

The following companies offer water-saving toilets:

American Standard (800-442-1902, www.americanstandard-us.com), Briggs Plumbing (800-888-4458, www.briggsplumbing.com), Kohler (800-456-4537, www.kohler.com), Saniflo (800-5718191, www.saniflo.com) and Toto (888295-8134, www.totousa.com).

Q. When I read books about energy conservation, I often come across the term “thermal bridge.” From the context, I assume that it is not a good thing. What is a thermal bridge?

A. You are right — a thermal bridge is not a good thing.

The term refers to a gap in the insulation envelope around the living area of a house.

For example, wood studs inside an insulated wall are thermal bridges. Heat readily flows through them, as compared to through fiberglass insulation.

A thermal break is a gap in a heat transfer path, and this is a good thing. An example is a vinyl strip separating the indoor and outdoor aluminum window frame halves. Even just a thin strip that creates a gap can be effective.

Send inquiries to James Dulley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit www.dulley.com.