PROOF: Liberals are Full of It-Low-Flow Toilets Cause Environmental Problem

San Fransisco Chronicle ^ | 28-FEB-2011 | Phillip Matier,Andrew Ross

[The Antiyuppie]

Link to article. San Fransisco's sewer system having trouble with less water throughput; harmful chemicals used to "solve" the problem:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/02/28/BAVP1HUSUD.DTL&tsp=1

[w1andsodidwe]

These stupid liberal always start out with a false assumption. In this case, they assume that because you use water it disappears from the face of the earth and can never be used again. My flushing a toilet in no way reduces the available molecules of H2O on earth.

The earth is actually quite good at cleaning up water and with a little help from treatment plants it cleans up even better.

It boggles the mind that the liberal mind thinks that using less water is a solution to anything. Then, I wonder about the intelligence of legislature that vote for this and executives that sign such laws. IQ test for public office please.

[marron]

I solve the problem with low-flow-toilets by flushing about 4 times each time.

[DJ MacWoW]

When there's not enough water the toilet paper catches on part of the septic before it hits the tank. So everytime it clogs we have to dig it up. You just sigh when trying to decide to tell guests to either flush with extra water or tell them "Don't flush the toilet!". LOL

We don't get many guests. ;-)

[Gen-X-Dad]

My new home came with Gore certified low-flow toilets. Any amount of toilet paper would require multiple flushes to get it down (thus saving water /sarc) and multiple times a year the toilets would back up forcing me to steam clean and mop large areas (thus saving water /sarc). I finally bit the bullet and replaced them with toilets that could flush a bucket of golf balls and all my problems went away.

All Gore approved lights, toilets, and electrical cars will be the same. Unintended consequences of “do-gooder” technology that does not work and does not save anything when you look at the entire life time of the product. Just another scam to make a few con artists like Gore a boatload of money.

[headstamp 2]

As a plumber I’ve had more problems with low flow toilets and long runs of 4” drain lines. There is simply not enough water per flush to clear out the main line of solids. The blockage then builds with every subsequent flush.

I’ve reconfigured many drain lines to prevent blockages. I simply tell the homeowner to thank the government for the added expense.

Now to add insult to injury, the newer toilets use even less water than the “older” low flows. (1.28 GPF)

The toilets also do not have enough water surface area in the bowl to begin with. This results in increased cleaning. I won’t get any more graphic than that.

[MarkL]

I’ve looked at those toilets that “claim” they won’t clog, but I’m not willing to drop $300+ and the labor to find out if the “claims” are true.

Go to a good plumbing supply house, and check out some of the newer toilets. They have amazing "power."

I used to have a 2 gallon toilet, and it worked just fine. But I needed an ADA toilet to replace my old one, and got a Toto. The rep I spoke to asked me how many potatoes I needed to flush at a time! I'm pretty sure that mine will do at least 3 at a time! Big Idaho bakers!

Mark

[The Great RJ]

Another example of green solutions having more environmental consequences that the “problem” they hope to fix. I still can’t understand why filling our homes with mercury containing CFLs that require hazardous material disposal and inevitably will put more highly toxic mercury into the environment is better than using incandescent light bulbs.

[sjmjax]

I think he's saying that the last visit took five flushes.

And, is proud of it!

[blueunicorn6]

Photo caption - “Our union members stand together cheek-to-cheek in San Francisco.” I’m afraid to see the potties in the womens room.

[libstripper]

I have a newer toilet that flushes a maximum of 1.6 gal. but, given its druthers, will go with a lot less and a miniscule water spot. Unfortunately, if I use it in the low flow configuration and do not hold the handle down to allow the water spot to fill, it rapidly ends stinking of stale urine. Its other “charming” feature in the small spot configuration is there’s a gyeser every time I flush it, really intersting if I’ve passed a musher or am flushing a dog accident down.

[Cyber Liberty]

I got a Kohler ADA john. Hardly any water in the flush, but it’s true it needs cleaning more often.

I need another one.

[secretagent]

I finally bit the bullet and replaced them with toilets that could flush a bucket of golf balls and all my problems went away.

What's the name of the toilet? I think I have have the exact same problem.

[secretagent]

I’ve reconfigured many drain lines to prevent blockages.

What does that require? How do you know when to reconfigure, and when to just get a better toilet?

[secretagent]

“But I needed an ADA toilet to replace my old one, and got a Toto.”

Which one?

http://www.totousa.com/Products/Toilets.aspx

[MarkL]

Re: Toto Toilets

Which one?

I wish I could remember. I ordered it and was having it installed, but then I wound up in the hospital for 2 months, and eventually had to sell the house because I can't handle the stairs.

Be aware that although you can get discounts, Toto toilets are pretty darned expensive.

Mark

[Political Junkie Too]

Sure, blame it on the toilets.

It's probably all the veggies, tofu, and organics that they eat in San Francisco. < /sarc>

-PJ

[Michigan Bowhunter]

I am sure a Toto toilet is one which will flush Dorothy’s little dog......tornadic flushing action

[headstamp 2]

“What does that require? How do you know when to reconfigure, and when to just get a better toilet? “

I’ll usually reconfigure when I have a long horizontal run of 4” cast iron especially that is constantly backing up with a low flow toilet. On one such job I cut out the cast iron in a crawlspace and replaced it with 4” ABS and shortened up the run by using 45 and 22 degree fittings instead of right angle sweeps that were on the cast iron. This kept the drainage velocity up. I also pitched it more than the usual 1/4” per foot of run. This alleviated the problem. You are talking about major work though.

Other times I’ve actually reduced the diameter of the drainage to 3” for faster flow though this can be tricky.

Not sure what you mean by a “better” toilet. A 1.6 gallon flush is a 1.6 gallon flush as far as water volume being flushed down the piping goes. This is a problem that occurs in the actual drain piping not the toilet itself. Some people I will just recommend a double flush with solids no matter what. The toilet is functioning fine but the second flush clears the waste from the drainage piping downstream of the toilet.

Vertical runs of pipe usually are not an issue with these toilets unless that vertical run turns into a long horizontal run in the basement that gives the waste a chance to slow down and then start backing up.

I would be willing to bet most problems with these toilets would be alleviated if they didn’t go below 2 to 2.5 gallons a flush and left it at that. The new 1.28 GPF toilets will just make this problem worse.

[headstamp 2]

“It’s probably all the veggies, tofu, and organics that they eat in San Francisco.”

You will laugh but experience proves it out. Vegetarians on average need a septic tank pump every two years. All others usually go 5 years or more.

The organic plant matter does not break down and therefore fills the tank much faster.

I had a guy from the “Honey-Dippers” look in the tank and tell me that the customer was a vegetarian. And he was absolutely right. That man knew his business. LOL

Sorry, a little plumber humor.

[SZonian]

Thanks for the info Mark, I’ll look into it.