PISCATAWAY, N.J.—Based on the simple premise of “push 1 for 1 and push 2 for 2,” dual flush toilets have become a breakout green product success story. Because most perform as well as or better than their conventional counterparts, while saving up to 25 percent on water, dual flush toilets are truly conservation without sacrifice.
Until now, dual flush toilets relied on the push of water to cleanse the bowl in what is known as a washdown flush. Even the most enthusiastic dual flush owners would admit to keeping a brush and towel nearby: the former to thoroughly clean the bowl, and the latter to dry off after unintended splashing.
H2Option, a new flushing innovation from American Standard is a siphonic dual flush toilet, with strong push and pull action created by forceful but quiet jetted action under the rim. Using as little as 1.0 gallon of water on the low setting, H2Option scours the sides of the bowl to remove every last trace of paper and waste.
“If you’ve been thinking about trying a dual flush, but had concerns about performance, H2Option is what you’ve been waiting for,” said James Walsh, American Standard Brands director of chinaware. “H2Option is the toilet that keeps cleaner while going greener.”
The Physics of Flushing
It may not be rocket science, but a good toilet flush is a lesson in physics. When the toilet is flushed, water fills the bowl and the upward leg of the trapway, the S-shape visibly snaking out the back of most toilets. When water reaches the top of the trapway—called the “weir”—gravity pulls it into the downward leg of the S. The rush of water running downhill pulls waste and water out of the bowl. The stronger the push of the water, the stronger the pull of siphon action to cleanse the bowl.
With a washdown toilet, the pull action is weaker because water simply floods into the bowl and up the trapway. To strengthen the push action, the bowls of most dual flush toilets are sloped more sharply than other toilets to give the water greater momentum, which can also increase splashing. The steeped bowls mean a smaller “water spot” or water surface area in the bowl, which makes it more likely that toilet paper or other waste will cling to the sides of the bowl, staining and generating odors.
H2Option uses jetted siphonic action, which adds push to the water from under the rim of the bowl. When the user flushes H2Option, some of the water is instantly diverted to the rim where there are a series of chambers. The air in the chambers pushes the ongoing coming water forcefully out into the bowl. Combined with the force of the rest of the water entering the bowl, the siphon pull action is strong. The bowls of H2Option are a normal slope with a generous water spot.
According to American Standard’s Water Savings calculator, replacing a 1.6 gallon per flush toilet with H2Option saves 1,400 gallons of water per year, enough to fill three hot tubs. There are 15 states that have rebates available for purchasing high efficiency toilets, according to American Standard’s Rebate locator.
Go to American Standard.
