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Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

Lurch77

Premium Member

Dual Flush Conversion

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I installed a HyrdoRight dual flush valve today in our master bath toilet. Our city recently raised the water rate by 40%, and we are starting to make some water saving changes. For $20 at Menard I figure it is worth a try. It took some dicking around to get the low flush adjusted just right, but it is working very well now. For liquids and light paper the low flush only uses about 1/2 gallon per flush or so. The full flush is still about the original 1.6 gallon flush rate. Below is a video of the unit flushing in both modes. We'll test it out for a while and if it works out OK we'll convert the hall bath toilet as well.

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· T6VR6PRk


»www.gomjsi.com/products/ ··· nverters

By the way, this is really about a 10 minute job for most toilets. But if you are like me and have the Mansfield style flapper valve, that needs to be changed out for the standard style, which requires removing the tank. All in all it was about a 45 minute job. The next one will go faster now that I know what I'm doing with it.

sempergoofy
Premium Member
join:2001-07-06
Smyrna, GA

sempergoofy

Premium Member

Very cool. I put in low water use toilets in the last few years. I got a significant rebate from my local water authority for having done so. You might want to see if yours has any money they might kick your way for proactively doing this.

Sly
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Tennessee

Sly to Lurch77

Premium Member

to Lurch77
That's pretty interesting. I converted all of our toilets to dual flush a few years ago but did it a different way... I adjusted the flush duration to the absolute minimum required and if I need more I simply hold the handle down longer. Not for everybody, but it's free...
TheMG
Premium Member
join:2007-09-04
Canada
MikroTik RB450G
Cisco DPC3008
Cisco SPA112

TheMG

Premium Member

said by Sly:

That's pretty interesting. I converted all of our toilets to dual flush a few years ago but did it a different way... I adjusted the flush duration to the absolute minimum required and if I need more I simply hold the handle down longer. Not for everybody, but it's free...

That doesn't work for all toilets unfortunately. Toilets with the old-style flapper valve can not be adjusted in such a way, and there are still a LOT of toilets like this around.

Camelot One
MVM
join:2001-11-21
Bloomington, IN

Camelot One to Lurch77

MVM

to Lurch77
I put in dual flush toilets about a year ago, the model picked by the city in fact. Seemed like a great idea, but this particular model takes two "light" flushes just to clear the liquids, so every flush ends up being the full anyway.

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

Lurch77

Premium Member

Yes I have read about that. What I like about this thing I got is it is adjustable. As I said it took a bit of messing around to dial it in just right, but it's there now. The manufacturer gives you a separate instruction sheet for installation, and another for dialing it in. You can can get very exact with it if you really wanted too, marking water levels and using a container to measure the exact water amounts. I didn't do any of that, I just did the basic setup and it works fine.

The tricky part was when you use the minimum flush that works, the tank refills before the bowl gets back to it's normal level after the flush. So I had to increase the minimum flush a bit so that refill time was long enough to also refill the bowl.

BillRoland
Premium Member
join:2001-01-21
Ocala, FL

BillRoland to Lurch77

Premium Member

to Lurch77
40% increase in water rates? Ouch.

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

Lurch77

Premium Member

Yeah, it hurts the wallet. But we are still more fortunate than some other WI communities.
quote:
Unfortunately, Oconto was not the only municipality to have a water rate increase order issued by the Public Service Commission. According to the Summer/Fall 2012 issue of Wisconsin Water Association, these were some of the overall percent increases recently issued: Alma 89 percent, Eastman 99 percent, Green Lake 52 percent, Hurley 67 percent, Knapp 76 percent, Maple Bluff 38 percent, Mattoon 73 percent, Sheboygan Falls 40 percent and Wautoma 36 percent.

Just a reminder to everyone, that a portion of your water bill can be paid each month, in advance, just so it doesn’t hit all at once. I still hope to find a way, to bring it down in the future.

»www.greenbaypressgazette ··· er-hikes

nunya
LXI 483
MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO

nunya to Lurch77

MVM

to Lurch77
Every time I see my water bill, it seems as if they are piping in Perrier.
So I'm considering the same thing. I just have a question. How well does it work for girls on the "#1" setting? (E.G. pee and some TP)

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

Lurch77

Premium Member

Works very well if you follow their directions to dial it in properly. All of my family is happy with its performance.

hitachi369
Embrace Your Rights
Premium Member
join:2001-10-03
Cincinnati, OH
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hitachi369 to Lurch77

Premium Member

to Lurch77
said by Lurch77:

Yeah, it hurts the wallet. But we are still more fortunate than some other WI communities.

quote:
Unfortunately, Oconto was not the only municipality to have a water rate increase order issued by the Public Service Commission. According to the Summer/Fall 2012 issue of Wisconsin Water Association, these were some of the overall percent increases recently issued: Alma 89 percent, Eastman 99 percent, Green Lake 52 percent, Hurley 67 percent, Knapp 76 percent, Maple Bluff 38 percent, Mattoon 73 percent, Sheboygan Falls 40 percent and Wautoma 36 percent.

Just a reminder to everyone, that a portion of your water bill can be paid each month, in advance, just so it doesn’t hit all at once. I still hope to find a way, to bring it down in the future.

»www.greenbaypressgazette ··· er-hikes

Do you know why your water bill is going up so much? In my area they are saying there is record low usage, are you having the same problem? I can't imagine that it is a sourcing problem as you are within close proximity to a large body of fresh water much like myself.

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

Lurch77

Premium Member

I don't know enough about it to elaborate, but it comes down to an incompetent local government. Something about they had to change the fee structure because they hadn't been in compliance with rules and laws for a long time. Most of the people in the know around here are saying the city is calling it a fee when in reality it is a tax. We just elected a new mayor, and she is working on getting answers.
Lurch77

2 recommendations

Lurch77

Premium Member

Click for full size
Have had it for a week or so now, and it has worked very well. Picked up a second one and installed it in the guest toilet today. This time my 10 year old did almost all the work. It is really that simple to install. And now he understands how a toilet works. Life lessons are always good.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy to Lurch77

Premium Member

to Lurch77
I won't bother installing these as the landlord pays the water. Did get a call from the landlord's husband last summer about a high water bill but that was because the neighbor on the other side of the duplex filled and drained a full size kiddie pool constantly last summer. And they are having problems paying the rent yet they use more of the landlords resources (water as they are a family of five and our side is me and my mother) than we do. Can't wait for the neighbors to move out or get evicted as they've become a problem for both us and the landlord.

If the landlord pays for the dual flush valve, I'd gladly install them (in my unit only).

In Massachusetts, the landlord is legally responsible for the water in a rental.

Raphion
join:2000-10-14
Samsara

Raphion to Lurch77

Member

to Lurch77
That is one space-agey looking flush valve. Do you need a degree in physics and engineering to work on it?

nunya
LXI 483
MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
·Charter

nunya to Lurch77

MVM

to Lurch77
Is this the same kit?
»www.homedepot.com/Featur ··· Id=10051

Our new Menard's is still under construction.

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

Lurch77

Premium Member

Yes, same thing. That is their newest version, which comes with the lever instead of the push button. The button is still an option. Lever up for small flush, down for normal flush.

R4M0N
Brazilian Soccer Ownz Joo
join:2000-10-04
Glen Allen, VA

1 edit

R4M0N to Lurch77

Member

to Lurch77
Good thing you went with the Hydroright. I picked up the Fluidmaster Duo Flush system and it was a waste of time. The half flush wouldn't work at all and half the time the flush valve wouldn't close all the way. I packed it back up and returned it the next day.

I too had to convert from the Mansfield to a Douglas flapper system. At least I don't have to deal with the Mansfield leaking all the time now.

I might pickup the Hydroright model now that I see someone who did it and likes it.

nunya
LXI 483
MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
·Charter

nunya to Lurch77

MVM

to Lurch77
I just did mine too. I had my two helpers with me, so it took a little longer.
Mine is pretty similar except it has two levers built into one. Both go down. If you just grab the whole thing and flush, it's in poop mode. If you push the secondary lever (in the middle) it does pee mode.
Very cleverly designed. If you have guests who might not understand what "one drop" and "two drops" means, it defaults to poop mode.

I did have one problem. There was some scale on the tank outlet hole, so it wasn't sealing properly with the new kit. I took it out and cleaned with CLR. Now all is well. Got it all dialed in.

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

Lurch77

Premium Member

Yeah the lever option is nice. I was under the impression it was up or down. Interesting to see it is how you described. That is one thing about the button option, most people can figure it out, but I usually tell guests it is a push button flush the first time they go in, just to be sure.

Robert
Premium Member
join:2001-08-25
Miami, FL

Robert to Lurch77

Premium Member

to Lurch77
Must have a been a pretty bright light that he needed to wear a hat.

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

Lurch77

Premium Member

He's turning into one of those kids that worries about looking cool. And he's only 10.

hitachi369
Embrace Your Rights
Premium Member
join:2001-10-03
Cincinnati, OH

hitachi369

Premium Member

I would tell him to enjoy the hair and not cover it up, judging by dad (no offense implied) it isn't long for this world.

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

Lurch77

Premium Member

Oh yeah, it is coming. Both his dad's and mom's sides are full of bald men.
talz13
join:2006-03-15
Avon, OH

talz13 to hitachi369

Member

to hitachi369
When do you have "the talk" with him about his likely future baldness?