Dual flush toilet uses two flush-button mechanisms instead of one. The goal of dual flush toilets is to reduce water waste, and they succeed in reducing waste of water by up to 67% in many cases.
Due to their mechanism, they are becoming more popular worldwide, including in Japan, the USA, Canada, the UK, and other countries. However, along with the goal set, you might find some drawbacks as well.
Therefore, it’s pretty rational to learn the mechanism of dual flush toilets, when to use them, and all other basics. Here we will talk about everything to know about a dual flush toilet that will help you to make a decision about them using our resource guide.
Table of Contents
Dual Flush Toilet Explained
As previously mentioned, a dual flush toilet is a toilet with two water-flushing buttons on the top, a lever or a handle. The dual-flush toilet is designed to reduce the use of water.
We generally use around 3.5 gallons of water in every flush and 20 gallons on average a day. But, the dual flushing system has two different buttons for different wastage, like solid and liquid.
So, the different buttons are featured for different amounts of water (3 liters for liquid and 6 liters for solid wastage). As a result, dual flush toilets save 50% to 67% of water waste which is huge.
Though Japan tried to develop the dual flush toilet in 1960, it was not that successful. On the other hand, the first success came in 1980 at the hand of Bruce Thomson of the Australian company Caroma.
Initially, the dual flush used to flow 11 liters for a full flush and 5.5 liters for a half flush. In 1994, the same company designed the modern dual flush, which is currently in the market with less than 6 liters of full flush, and 3 liters of half flush.
Dual Flushing Process
The working mechanism of the dual flush toilet lies on the buttons or the levers. There are two different buttons designed for two types of wastage. One is for liquid, and the other one is for solid wastage.
Likewise, the dual flush system works through two mechanisms. One is known as a dual flush valve siphon, and the other is a dual flush drop valve.
- The siphon is controlled by the toilet handle/lever. When the handle is pressed (half or full), it acts as an internal plunger. As a result, the water draws and is passed to the commode/bowl. Here gravity does the rest of the work after pressing the handle to pull the water.
- On the other hand, the mechanism of the dual flush drop valve is different from the siphon. There are two buttons on the cistern. You have options to press the small button for half flush and two buttons together to flush a full flush.
When the half flush button is pressed, the cistern allows half of the water and then stops more water from flowing by the adjust overflow mechanism.
When you press both buttons together, the adjustment mechanism allows it to pass the full water, and it gets adjusted after the full water has flown.
Amount of Water Dual Flushing Uses
Both theoretically and practically, dual flush toilets save a lot of water daily around the world. In terms of modern dual flush toileting, it is designed for 6 liters for a full flush and 3 liters for a half flush.
But initially, when it was first developed in 1980, the full flush used to draw 11 liters, and a half flush 5.5 liters.
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Dual Flush Toilet Water Usage |
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| From 1980 to 1993 | 11 liters for a full flush, |
| 5.5 liters for a half flush | |
| Since 1994 till now | 6 liters for a full flush, |
| 3 liters for a half flush | |
Comparisons of Dual Flush vs. Single Flush Toilets
The primary difference between single-flush and dual-flush toilets is seen in their name. Simply put, the single-flush toilet uses a single-flush mechanism that empties the cistern entirely with a single press.
On the other hand, dual flush, you know, uses a dual flushing mechanism for liquid and solid wastage flushing differently.
Here is a table comparing the differences between single and dual-flush toilets.
| Single Flush Toilet | Dual Flush Toilet |
| Use single flush for any type of wastage | Use dual flush differently for liquid and solid wastage |
| Flush as low as 1.28 gallons to 3.6 gallons (4.5 liters to 13.6 litter) of water in every flash | Flush maximum of 3 (0.8 gallons) liters for half flush and 6 liters (1.58 gallons) for a full flush |
| Easy to use, less effort is enough to press the button | Comparatively, needs more effort and are not easy for elderly people and children |
| Single flush toilets are easy to maintain | As the parts are a little hard to find, and the mechanism is a little complicated, dual flush toilets need professional maintenance |
| Single flush toilets waste a lot of water | Dual flush toilets significantly save water |
| Single flush toilets are less costly | Dual flush toilets are expensive and aesthetic |
Situations when Dual Flushing is Needed
The earth is full of water, but the irony is only 0.3% of water is usable for us. So, when you ask why you would want one dual-flush toilet, there are many reasons. However, it has both advantages and disadvantages as well.
Advantages
The primary objective of dual-flush toilets is to save water. And dual flush toilets allow you to use the necessary amount of water for both solid and liquid wastage separately.
Aside from this, there are several advantages of using dual flush toilets. They are as follows.
- Dual flash toilets save water, so it’s eco-friendly
- Though the expense of the dual flush toilet is costly, it will last longer. In this sense, it actually saves your money
- Generally, dual flush toilets don’t clog so quickly
- They are aesthetic to look
With the above-mentioned attributes, you may choose dual flush toilets based on your needs.
Disadvantages
Along with many advantages, you might face the following drawbacks of dual flush toilets too.
- The costly expense seems not to fit many people
- The maintenance is a little harder, and harder to clean as well
- Generally, you need professionals to install dual flush toilets or even fix the toilet chain
Dual Flush Lever vs. Button Options
We have already discussed the lever and buttons of dual flush toilets in the “How Does It Work” section. By the way, here is a glance at the comparison between the dual flush lever and button options to understand their differences.
Dual Flush Lever
The lever option is used in the dual flush siphon. You have to operate the dual flush siphon valve through the lever. The lever (handle) is set to handle-down in two settings. Half-down for a half-flush, and full-down for a full-flush. The lever backs to its place automatically after pressing down.
Dual Flush Button
The button option is the traditional and most common type of dual flush toilet. Two buttons are set on the cistern. One is singly for the half-flush (the smaller one). For a full flush, you have to press two buttons together.
Key Takeaways
- Everything to know about a Dual Flush Toilet is that dual-flush toilets are eco-friendly and save water
- Dual-flush toilets have two different options- one for a half-flush and another for a full-flush
- The half-flush flows 3 liters of water and the full flush flows 6 liters of water
- Along with many advantages, the costly expense could be a major consideration for many people