Wasted Water - 7/24/2011
A typical household uses 185 to 300 gallons of water a day and the majority
of it goes down the drain from the toilet and the shower. Updating your commodes
will serve as a conservation effort while lowering your water bill.
Today's toilets use less water, prevent staining and resist clogging
better than the older toilets and you might be surprised at how easy they are to
install. Replacements generally cost from $100 to $300.
Toilets made in the 1950's used, on average, seven gallons per flush.
Compare that with one that only uses 1.6 gallons per flush and it's a big
saving. Multiply by the times a toilet is flushed in a year and the number of
toilets in your home and it will save a lot of water.
| Gallons of Water Saved in a Year with 1.6 gpf |
| Age of
Toilet |
Gallons Per
Flush |
Flush 3 times a
day |
Flush 5 times a
day |
| Prior to 1950's |
7.0 |
5,913 |
9,855 |
| 1960's |
5.5 |
4,271 |
7,118 |
| 1980's |
3.5 |
2,081 |
3,468 |
| After 1994 |
1.6 |
- |
- |
Watch this
video to see how easy the project is done and even if you decide to hire a plumber, you'll have a better understanding of how it works.
