Low-Flow Lowdown
Contrary to popular myth, plumber Thomas Crapper did not invent the flush toilet. One of his contemporaries, though, did create the first toilet that prevented sewer gases from entering the home. Englishman Joseph Adamson’s 1853 design — the siphon flush — eventually made obsolete both the chamber pot and the outhouse. Adamson’s invention, like all modern toilets, relies on the tendency of a moving liquid to continue flowing, even in defiance of gravity: The tank is kept full, and during a flush, the water rushes into the bowl, creating a surge over the weir (or dam). The flow stops when the bowl is empty, and the tank refills in preparation for the next flush.
Originally, tanks were placed high above the bowl to get water moving forcefully enough to clear the weir, but by 1915, narrower, smoother porcelain passageways allowed quieter, 5- to 7-gallon tanks to be mounted on the backs of bowls. The next giant leap in toilet technology came in 1994, when federal law restricted tanks to 1.6 gallons per flush, but to those who used the first generation of low-flow toilets, this leap seemed more of a stumble. “They often needed two flushes,” says This Old House plumbing and heating consultant Richard Trethewey. Manufacturers largely fixed that problem by further modifying the passageways to move a reduced amount of water more vigorously into the bowl.
Anatomy of a Low-Flow Toilet
FLUSH LEVER: Pulls the lift chain.
LIFT CHAIN: Opens the flapper. A chain float limits the flush to 1.6 gallons by closing the flapper when the tank has drained to a set level.
OVERFLOW TUBE: Protects against an accidental overfilling of the tank.
FLOAT: Shuts a valve on the supply line when the tank level reaches a predetermined depth.
FLAPPER: Releases tank water into the bowl. When released by the chain float, drops against the flush valve seat, sealing the tank so it can refill.
TRAP: Holds water in the bowl, blocking the entry of sewer gases, until the flow from the tank pushes the water over the weir.
SIPHON JET: Concentrates flow from the tank, jump-starting the siphoning effect.
RIM HOLES (not shown): Release water during the flush, cleaning the sides of the bowl.
You can easily integrate this water-saving fixture into your home. your Oklahoma City plumber can fill you in on the best low-flow toilet for your Oklahoma City home and can handle the installation of your low-flow toilet easily and efficiently.
Article Source: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,213021,00.html
If you are looking for a professional Oklahoma City bathroom remodeling contractor, then please call us today at 405-802-7769 or complete our online request form.
A Word to the Water-Wise in Oklahoma City
The basic idea behind water-saving devices is to restrict water consumption rates where heaviest use occurs. Indoor Oklahoma City water usage runs at about 40 percent for toilets, 30 percent for baths and showers (more for baths), 15 percent for clothes washers and 15 percent for cooking and kitchen use.
TOILET WATER SAVERS
The first target for water conservation is the toilet. A number of devices are designed to reduce the amount of water used to flush a conventional toilet.
One such device is a dual-flush mechanism that allows about one-half tank flush for liquid waste by depressing the tank lever handle in the normal manner and full-tank flush for solid waste by depressing the lever and holding it down. These devices can save from 40 to 50 percent of normal water consumption.
There are also water-saving toilets that have smaller holding tanks and use less water to flush.
Leaks in the toilet tank can also be a source of excess water usage. These are usually due to worn out parts. Leaks can be detected by adding dark food coloring to the tank and checking about 20 minutes later to see if the toilet bowl water has turned the same color.
SHOWERS AND BATHS
Showers and baths are the next target for water saving. The most common devices are flow-control valves, flow restrictors and aerators that can be added to existing fixtures. New showerheads can also be installed that feature water-saving capabilities.
There is a distinct difference between a flow-control valve and a flow restrictor. The flow-control valve restricts the flow of water to about 2.75 gals. per minute, automatically making adjustments for water-pressure changes.
A flow restrictor does not make an automatic adjustment if the pressure changes. Therefore, more water is used as the pressure increases.
Some of these devices have manual controls to adjust water flow from flood to shutoff. Many include a weep to help prevent back pressure in the pipes.
Many of these showerheads also have manual controls to adjust the amount of water flow so less water can be used for soaping and more for rinsing.
These devices help restrict the flow of water from a typical rate of seven gals. per minute to about two to three gals.
FAUCETS
The third target for water saving around your Oklahoma City home is the bathroom and kitchen faucets. Like the shower or bathtub, water is consumed at the rate of about 7 gals. per minute. A restrictor (or aerator) can reduce the flow to 2- to 3- gals. Per minute.
There are models which automatically adjust the flow to 2- to 3- gals. per minute. There are models which automatically adjust the flow rate according to water-pressure changes and other models which do not make automatic compensations. Some have manual controls for the Oklahoma City homeowner to preset the amount of restriction.
Several states, such as New York and California, have code requirements on faucets and showerheads. Since these water-saving devices also control the proportion of hot water used, they have the additional selling point of being a fuel saver.
regardless of state mandated use of water saving devices, it is in your best interest to modify your water usage. Your Oklahoma City plumbing contractor knows the benefit of all these devices and can advise you as to which will be most beneficial in your case and will then gladly install any water saving plumbing fixture for you.
Article Source: http://www.acehardware.com/info/index.jsp?categoryId=1267597
If you are looking for a professional Oklahoma City plumbing company, then please call us today at 405-802-7769 or complete our online request form.
Wasted Water is Money Down the Drain
Conserving water is a fantastic habit to get into to because it saves water and reduces waste-water treatment costs. Conserving hot water can even save you money on your Oklahoma City heating and cooling bills.
Let us start by explaining how conserving water can result in potential cost savings. Basically it’s a simple process in which all the water that drains away from showers, sinks and toilets ends up in the sewage treatment plant. The more water that the sewage plant has to process, the higher the costs are. So the more water generated by a toilet flush, the brushing of your teeth, washing of your hands, showering, etc., the more waste water ends up at the sewage treatment plant. If you could reduce the amount of water being generated, by perhaps having a 3.5 gallon toilet installed instead of a 5 or 7 gallon toilet or even just using water efficient fixtures installed, you could cut down on the costs of treating the water.
When trying to conserve water, the water meter is your best friend. If you are on a public Oklahoma City water system, it should be easy to find your water meter because it will be located either on your property or very close to it. The water meter will tell you how much water you are using and it can help you detect leaks. To read a water meter you need to take the second reading and subtract the first reading from it. The answer will equal how many cubic feet of water you have used. Keep in mind; there are 7.5 gallons of water in one cubic foot of water. It should also help to know that a family of four uses about 1500 gallons of water per day maintaining an average Oklahoma City household and a garden.
Water meters can also be used to detect leaks. All you have to do is turn off every plumbing fixture in your house for a couple of hours and take a meter reading. If the reading changes, a leak exists. Keep in mind; you mustn’t forget to shut off the built-in icemaker or the reverse osmosis water filtration system because they turn themselves on automatically.
Bathrooms are the rooms that use the most amount of water. On estimate, toilet use adds up to about 40% of your water use. If you are looking to conserve water you should definitely use a 3.5 or 1.6 gallons per flush toilet. Simply converting from a 7 gallon toilet to a 1.6 gallon toilet can reduce your overall water use by 25% or more. Furthermore, a leaky toilet will waste 50 gallons of water or more per day regardless of the size.
If you think your toilet might have a leak, there is an easy way to find out for sure. It’s called the food coloring test! Simply place a few drops of food coloring into the tank and allow the toilet to go unused for about15-20 minutes. When you return to your toilet you should check to see if the water in the toilet bowl has a tint of the food coloring in it. If so, you are the lucky winner of a toilet leak. The leak is usually the result of loose fittings or worn washers. Try installing a new washer or tightening the fittings. If that doesn’t work, have your Oklahoma City plumber fix the problem right away.
Another way to conserve water is to install low-flow water fixtures. These are especially useful for shower heads. Traditional shower heads allow a flow of seven gallons per minute which for a five-minute shower equals to 35 gallons of water. By switching to a low-flow shower head, using 3.5 gallons per minute, you can reduce the water used in a shower by half. Also, if you are using less hot water, it will reveal itself each month when you get your Oklahoma City gas and electric bill. Your plumber can have a low-flow shower head installed in no time.
Lastly, you can conserve water by keeping an eye on the kitchen and laundry situations. Dishwashers and clothes washers use 17 to 35 gallons of water per load so it would be a good idea to run full loads at all times. Also, during the summer, you might want to watch how careless you are with your outdoor water use. Simply washing an automobile can use 100 gallons of water and watering the grass can add up to even more.
Article Source: http://www.plumbingkey.com/conserving-water.html
If you are looking for a professional Oklahoma City bathroom remodeling contractor, then please call us today at 405-802-7769 or complete our online request form.
Add Conserving Water To Your 2012 Resolutions
Many of us have no idea how much water we consume on a daily basis. We often take for granted the seemingly endless supply that is available to us and the end result is thousands of gallons of unnecessary consumption each year. Did you know that the average Oklahoma City family uses approximately 127,000 gallons of water each year? We can greatly reduce our consumption by simply turning off the taps when not in use, taking shorter showers, keeping drinking water in the fridge instead of running water until it’s cool and only running full loads in the dishwasher and washing machine amongst other water-conserving practices. A more aggressive approach would be to have your Oklahoma City plumber perform a plumbing inspection to determine where overuse may be avoided, and, if possible, install new plumbing fixtures and appliances with more efficient options.
If you are looking for a professional Oklahoma City plumbing repair contractor, then please call us today at 405-802-7769 or complete our online request form.
