Honestly, I was super skeptical at first—my dad swore by the old tanks and said the new ones would never flush right. But after living with a dual-flush for a year, I’m sold. Yeah, the install was a pain (and I had to YouTube half of it), but the water savings are real. Plus, it’s kind of cool knowing you’re not wasting gallons every time. I do miss the simplicity of the old hardware, though... nothing beats being able to fix stuff with duct tape and a wrench.
I do miss the simplicity of the old hardware, though... nothing beats being able to fix stuff with duct tape and a wrench.
Totally get that—old-school fixes were way more straightforward. Have you run into any issues with the dual-flush yet, or has it been pretty reliable so far? I’ve heard some folks complain about parts wearing out faster, but maybe that’s just bad luck.
I hear you on missing the old days—stuff just seemed to last longer. But honestly, the water savings with these newer toilets is hard to ignore. Even if a part goes out here and there, it still feels worth it in the long run. If you haven’t had any issues yet, that’s a good sign. Sometimes I wonder if the complaints are just from folks who got unlucky or maybe didn’t install things quite right...
MAKING THE SWITCH TO WATER-SAVING TOILETS: WORTH IT?
I totally get the nostalgia for those old-school tanks—they were like tanks in more ways than one. But I’ve actually swapped out two toilets in my place over the last few years, and here’s how it went for me:
First, I checked the water usage numbers. The old ones were using something wild, like 3.5 gallons per flush. The new ones? Closer to 1.28. That’s a big difference, especially when you multiply it by how many times a day a family uses them.
Next, installation. I’ll admit, the first time was a bit of a learning curve. I followed the instructions to the letter, but still had a tiny leak at the base—turns out I hadn’t tightened the bolts evenly. Once I fixed that, no issues since.
Maintenance-wise, yeah, I’ve had to replace a flapper once already, but honestly it was a five-minute job and cost less than a coffee. Maybe some folks run into more trouble if they don’t install things quite right or if their water’s super hard.
All in all, I’d say the water savings are real and worth it. Plus, my water bill dropped noticeably. If you’re handy or willing to learn, most of the “problems” are pretty manageable... at least in my experience.
MAKING THE SWITCH TO WATER-SAVING TOILETS: WORTH IT?
I hear you on the water savings—my bill definitely went down too. I’ll admit, though, I’ve had mixed results with the “luxury” models. Some look great but don’t always flush as well as the old beasts. Guess it’s a trade-off between style, function, and saving water. Still, hard to argue with the numbers.
