Make Your Toilet a Water-Saving Low Flush Toilet

In this modern day, everyone is becoming more energy conscious. Saving energy and water is a big deal. There are numerous new appliances on the market to install in your house to save water. This helps if you're doing new construction or remodeling a home, but I found a way to modify your existing toilet to save water with nothing to buy using items you probably already have on hand.

There are actually two methods that you can use to accomplish turning your toilet into a dual flush toilet. One method is to adjust the float arm so that it is lower in the tank and it will fill up sooner. The second method is to put a displacer, such as a 1/2 gallon plastic jug full of water, in the corner of the tank making sure it will not obstruct the movement of the arm or float.With either method, you'll need to drain the water from the tank in order to test it. It may take a couple tries before you get it just right.

If you choose the first method, you will need to remove the float from the arm and bend it slightly. What you want is a 10-15% bend. You need to be very careful though, they can break easily.You want the float to sit lower in the water. The mechanism that stops the toilet from filling is when the water level reaches the float and lifts it up. Typically older toilets hold anywhere from 3.5 to 7 gallons of water. How long you depress the handle determines how much water is used to flush the toilet. A quick flush will empty about half the tank, while holding the handle down longer will completely empty the tank. The newer models are made more efficient by only using 1.5-3 gallons per flush. But not everybody can afford to buy a new toilet right away. If you do plan on buying a more efficient toilet, you can use this as a temporary fix to save money in the meantime.

The second, and easier method is the displacement method. The concept is that the jug of water takes up water space in the toilet making it appear fuller than it is. Like when you fill up the tub for a bath and when you get in the water level rises. The simple method is just to fill up a half gallon plastic milk jug with water. Remove the tank lid and see how much room you have in the corner of the tank because it will need to fit without obstructing the working parts of the float and arm. A half gallon size plastic jug is usually a good fit. If you have a bigger tank you could try a larger jug if you want to. Now to make it a dual flush toilet all you need to do is if it is liquid and paper, hold for 1 quick flush. Any solids you will want to hold down the handle to empty the tank.You should be using less than 3 gallons per flush. And That's all there is to it.