Replacing Existing Plumbing Fixtures with Water-Conservation Fixtures

R. Dodge Woodson/Lone Wolf Enterprises, Ltd.

www.lonewolfent.net

Replacing Existing Plumbing Fixtures with Water-Conservation Fixtures

            What is involved with replacing existing plumbing fixtures with water-conservation fixtures? Is it worth the cost of new fixtures to save some water? I have heard that low-flush toilets don’t work well, is that true? How much of the work can I do myself? These questions often come up when homeowners consider installing water-conserving plumbing devices. Short answers are simple, but there is more to these questions than what meets the eye.

            The manual labor required to switch over to water-saving plumbing devices is not extensive. Nearly anyone with basic mechanical skills, a few tools, and a spare afternoon on their hands can do the job. A shower head can be replaced in less than 30 minutes by most amateurs. Faucet replacement could take about an hour for a homeowner to accomplish. Replacing a toilet can be done by many homeowners in less than an hour. None of the jobs are lengthy or complicated.

            What is the value of water-conserving fixtures? If you pay for your water through a municipal system, there is a clear financial gain to be achieved when you use less water. If you get your water from a well with an electric water pump, you will save money on electricity and wear and tear on your pump when you use less water. There is also the reduction of wastewater that has to be treated to take into consideration.  Let’s look at a simple example of what you might gain in financial savings over the coming years. Old toilets often consume 5 gallons of water each time they are flushed. More modern toilets use 3 gallons of water. Most residential low-flush toilets use 1.6 gallons of water. Now think of how many times a day your toilet is flushed. Multiply that number by 365 to get your yearly use and compare the number of gallons of water that can be saved. If you are paying for your water by the gallon, it adds up. The same is true for shower heads that use 5 gallons per minute, 3 gallons a minute, or less. How long to you spend running the water in the shower? Do the math.

            Is it true that low-flush toilets don’t work well? This is a tricky question. In a new installation on a modern plumbing system that is installed in compliance with code requirements, the low-flush toilets work just fine. You can experience problems with low-flush toilets when they are used to replace toilets in homes that contain old, cast-iron piping. This piping is rough on the inside and rusts. Sometimes the piping is not installed with the pitch/slope/grade that current codes require. The pipe works fine when 5 gallons of water floods and flushes it. This same pipe trying to do the same job with 1.6 gallons of water can falter.

            If you have plastic drain pipes in your home, the low-flush toilet should be fine. A 3-gallon-per-flush toilet will usually work with older cast-iron systems, but a 1.6-gallon-per-flush toilet might not have enough force to work reliably with every flush.

            All in all, most homeowners can benefit, as can the environment, from the installation of water-conserving plumbing devices.