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There are different types of flushing mechanisms available in today’s toilet designs. Some work by activating water to flush waster matter down the drainage while others use little or no water.
Increased need for conserving water drives innovation in the manufacture of toilets. As such, toilet manufacturers are continually designing toilets that reduce the amount of water used in a single flush.
Besides conserving natural resources, alternative flushing mechanisms reduce the need to use leach field and septic tank systems.
Moreover, as a property owner, you have to consider your budget, not forgetting your willingness to adapt to change. As such, you’d need to consider newer toilet designs when remodeling your home.
Standard Toilet Tanks
Most homeowners are familiar with standard toilet tank systems. The flush mechanisms in standard toilet tanks operate by pulling a handle or pressing a button that activates water to flush waste matter down the drain.
Upon flushing, the toilet tank refills to the set water level. An S-shaped drainage line that sits upside-down, known as a siphon, is connected from the bowl to the toilet drain. When the tank empties water into the toilet bowl, it creates pressure within the siphon, thereby forcing the toilet bowl contents to get emptied.
While this is the most affordable toilet design, it consumes the most amount of water in a single flush. Thus, it’s least efficient in water consumption.
Tankless Toilets
Another toilet design is tankless toilets. The toilet seat and bowl of this toilet design resemble those of standard toilets. However, in this design, there’s no toilet tank. The design relies on a pressurized flushing mechanism.
Most tankless toilets used in public or commercial properties usually have a chrome-plated and exposed piping. The models used in residential properties usually come with a concealed piping within the wall framing.
These toilets are more efficient than standard ones in terms of water consumption for every flush. However, their higher efficiency makes them more expensive when compared to standard toilet designs.
Dual Flush
Yet another toilet design is a dual flush toilet. This toilet design further reduces water consumption by having a separate option for solid and liquid waste. As such, the word dual flush is used in reference to the toilet’s dual buttons or handles.
The toilet uses both low-flow and pressure technologies to operate. It works in a way that the button for liquid waste uses less amount of water when compared to the button for solid waste.
Dual flush toilet systems are available in most home improvement outlets. They save more water than standard tank toilet systems. Their price falls between that of tankless and standard toilet systems.
Alternative Toilets
You can also find toilets that use extremely little water while others don’t use water at all. As such, alternative toilets don’t have a flushing mechanism.
These toilets are generally known as alternative toilets. One type of alternative toilets are chemical toilets. Chemical toilets usually store waste and chemical flushing fluids in a container until disposal and are mainly used airplanes and boats.
Another alternative toilet design is composite toilets. Composite toilets generate usable products from the excreted human waste. Instead of flushing, a composting toilet traps waste within a container.
The container is sealed and incubates the waste until it’s ready for gardening and landscaping purposes. Both composting and chemical toilets are ideal for use in areas that don’t support the use of cesspools or septic systems.
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