Most homeowners do not think about whether their toilet is efficient, but a toilet that uses too
much water is wasteful and costly. There are some tricks you as a homeowner can do to make your toilet more efficient, but some chores are best done by a professional plumber, including a replacement.

Toilet efficiency is a matter of how much water the device uses every time you flush. Today’s toilets are designed to use 0.9 gallons of water per flush. This is down from the old standard of 1.6 gallons per flush. Even if you have an older model, you can reduce the amount of water it uses by putting a weight inside the tank. This displaces about 1/2 gallon of water, making your toilet use less water with each flush. You can use a brick or two, a sealed paint can, or a plastic 1/2 gallon milk jug. Just place the weight inside the tank opposite the flapper. These home remedies may require more than one flush to get rid of wastes due to the reduced water level.

To ensure that the toilet is running efficiently, call a professional for an evaluation of your commode. Professional plumbers can check for and repair leaks in the toilet that cause it to run more than it needs to, wasting water. If your toilet is cracked, leaking, or you just want to stop wasting water, consider an upgrade.

Though installing a new toilet is a fairly simple process, the size and shape makes removing the old and installing the new an unwieldy process, best left to the professionals. New toilets called low-flow or dual-flush use less water to flush but only need one flush to get rid of all the waste. They are both efficient and effective at their job, which is to get the waste in the bowl out to the sewer or septic tank.

Whether you need a new toilet to replace an old model or are choosing fixtures for a bathroom in a new home, consider having a professional plumber install a modern, efficient toilet in your home. These toilets will save you money on your water bills and they are better for the environment due to their less-wasteful operation.

Benjamin Franklin is a professional plumbing company in San Antonio. They handle installation, leak detection, and repairing plumbing problems.