The Truth About Ultra Low Flush Toilets
Despite record levels of customer satisfaction, many question whether today's ultra-efficient fixtures can actually do the (admittedly) dirty job for which they were designed. Such concerns aren't completely unfounded. Manufacturers concede that there were problems in the "early days," stemming mostly from incompatibilities between the "flapper" valve and bowl. Some of those fixtures often required "double flushing" to remove waste. It's a memory that, unfortunately for today's porcelain purveyors, still lingers.
That was then, this is now
In recent years, however, manufacturers have spent millions to improve overall design and performance. Tanks and bowls are no longer at odds. Flapper valves are more durable and long-lasting. As a group, ultra low-flush (ULF) toilets are more reliable than ever because there is, quite literally, inner harmony among all vital components.
Some recent refinements include:
- New water Jets
These are improved openings that fill the "trapway" the part that carries waste to the sewer line and initiate the vacuum-like "siphonic" action that draws waste away. - Redesigned Bowl
These new bowls have an improved shape and a steeper slope for faster flushes and fills. - Restructured Trapway
Traps have been glazed and reshaped to reduce water friction and increase flush velocity.
- Flapperless Toilets
Some new toilets have actually eliminated the flapper inside the tank.