Category: Bathroom Plumbing

Even if you’re not a diehard camper, hiker, or outdoors enthusiast, you can appreciate the natural beauty of our world. The United States has incredible national parks all over the country, and most cities have local parks, big and small, for your enjoyment.

If we all work together, we can have a significant impact on the quality of the air, water, and landscapes in our communities. But don’t worry, you don’t have to devote your entire life to conservation to have a significant impact.

You make some simple changes like choosing reusable water bottles and travel coffee mugs, turning your thermostat down a degree in the winter and up a degree in the summer, or turning off the faucet when you brush your teeth. Many conservation efforts require small lifestyle changes, which are usually free or very inexpensive.

If you’re serious about water conservation and you’re willing to spend a bit of money, you could upgrade your home to low-flush toilets, which even lowers your chances of getting a clogged toilet. In this article, we’ll tell you all about high-efficiency toilets and how you can save money and the planet with every flush.

High-Efficiency Toilets

You’re probably wondering, what are low-flushing toilets? Low-flush, or high-efficiency, toilets are modern toilets that use much less water in each flush than older versions.

If you have old toilets, they’re very likely the biggest consumers of water inside your home. In the 1990s, toilet manufacturers started selling low-flushing toilets in response to US government policies that required them to create more water-efficient appliances.

Unfortunately, the first high-efficiency models were extremely inefficient. Many early models had a smaller water tank, but no other design modifications. As a result, people had to flush multiple times to clear waste, which ended up using even more water than the old toilets. Some large cities experienced excessive backups in the city sewer pipes because the ratio of water to waste was too low.

How Modern Low-Flush Toilets Conserve Water

A chemical-free, easy solution to city-wide sewer backups was for toilet engineers to make appliances with smaller pipes. How do they work?

When you press the lever to flush, the flapper inside the toilet tank rises, and gravity helps the water flow into the bowl.

The flow of water creates pressure and having smaller pipes helps maintain adequate force throughout your plumbing so that solids don’t stick. Well-glazed pipes also help reduce friction to keep things moving.

Some high-efficiency toilets rely heavily on pressure to wash away waste. Inside the tank, these units have vessels that create an air pocket, so when you flush the toilet, the air pushes water through the bowl. When the tank refills, the air pocket does as well.

The combination of gravity and pressure is how toilets have historically functioned. Modern low-flush toilets do a better job of utilizing gravity and maintaining pressure than early models, so upgrading today will actually help you conserve water.

Reduce Your Water Consumption

Wasted water has a big impact on the environment, and low-flush toilets can do a lot to lower your water use. Old toilets can use up to 7 gallons of water in a single flush.

If you upgrade to a low-flushing toilet, you’ll use only 1.6 gallons per flush, which is a huge reduction. Since low-flush toilets use less water, it’s essential that you only flush bodily waste and toilet paper, which is specially designed to disintegrate in water.

If you put feminine products, wipes, or even facial tissue in the bowl, it’ll probably take multiple flushes to get it down, which consumes a lot of water. Plus, those materials do not degrade in the water and have to be filtered out manually at your local wastewater treatment plant.

Other than upgrading your toilet, there are several things that you can easily do to help the environment. Use electronic billing, only run your washing machine and dishwasher when they’re full, and maintain your vehicle regularly so that it runs as efficiently as possible.

You should also try to get your friends and neighbors on board with you. The best way for us to make a significant impact on the environment is to work together. So, how will you pitch in to help the environment today?

Walking into any electronics store you might be amazed by the number of ‘smart home’ products available. How do people know which ones are compatible with your bathroom plumbing? Or with one another? And which ones aren’t worth the money?

Aside from reading reviews, many people take the time to talk to a professional--which is what I wish we would have done. I decided to upgrade our home’s appliances to the new and improved ‘smart’ models only to find out certain brands weren’t compatible with others.

We returned all of the new items we bought and decided to wait until we had time to research these products. It was a real pain, but we’ll know better for next time!

Motion Lights: Only The Beginning of Smart Homes

Outdoor motion-sensing lights have been a security feature for a number of years. A few years back, we were introduced to ‘smart’ TVs that were wi-fi enabled and offered several programming options outside of cable and satellite.

Now, people consider a ‘smart home’ to be a home that has any number of these appliances that adjust to your behaviors and wants.

A smart home can be an older home or one that is brand new--it can have all of the ‘smart’ appliances available or just a few--the house can even feature a smart bathroom!

Making Your Bathroom ‘Smart’ With a Digital Shower

If you didn’t already know, the digital shower market is booming! Just about every plumbing fixture company manufactures these showers to sell at a range of prices. Unfortunately, these systems are expensive to purchase and can be expensive to install.

Aside from these two caveats, you won’t find much else wrong with them! Digital showers allow you to program your favorite temperature and preferred water pressure. In addition to this, it can allow you to change the temperature throughout your shower time.

Basically, if you enjoy long showers in the morning that often make you late for work, it would be possible to have the shower switch to cold water at a set time. Likewise, some people find a jolt of cold water at the end of their shower makes their skin and hair softer. This too is possible!

The Perfect Showerhead

If you aren’t sure whether or not you want to spend the money on a digital shower, we completely understand. However, you shouldn’t have to forgo luxury completely! Instead, you can install a new showerhead that fits your needs. To give you an idea of the number of showerheads on the market, here are just a few options:

• Rainfall
• Chromatherapy
• Body jet
• Sliding bar
• Bluetooth-enabled

In addition to these options, you can also find showerheads that have a water purification system built into them ensuring you shower in uncontaminated water.

The Plumbers For The Job

Showerheads may not be considered a difficult installation job, but with more and more technology available in these pieces of plumbing, it is smart to call a professional. Should you be interested in a digital shower or upgrading any part of your plumbing to ‘smart’ plumbing, give Super Plumbers a call!

We can help you from the beginning to the end, making sure each product is installed properly and set to your liking! If you’ve learned a thing or two about ‘smart’ homes, appliances, and plumbing, take a minute to share this article with your friends!

On the list of things that can go wrong with your bathroom plumbing, a toilet that won’t flush is high up on the priority list. Unlike a leaky faucet that you may be comfortable waiting a day or two to address, a broken toilet can become problematic sooner rather than later.

The good news is that most flushing issues can be fixed on the spot, usually without help from a plumber. However, there are occasions when you maybe have a clog that needs a professional hand. Discover these expert tips for fixing a toilet that won't flush and sleep easier tonight knowing you’re prepared for the worst.

Fix the Toilet Flapper

Sometimes all you need to get a toilet flushing again is a little jostle to the flapper.

Sometimes it can get tangled in the lift chain, or just not sit properly on the hole at the bottom of your tank. Inspect the flapper for signs of cracks or if it has been warped in any way.

This bathroom plumbing fixture won’t cost much to replace, only about $10.00 or so. They can be found at any hardware store in Taylor, TX, and are fairly easy to replace.

Pour Water from a Bowl into the Toilet

Usually, we don’t find out a toilet isn’t flushing until after we have used it. This can be an embarrassing moment for any person. There is, however, a way to solve the problem immediately before anyone finds out.

Fill a bowl of water, or a bucket, or anything you can find. Lift the toilet seat and lid, and dump the water into the toilet bowl. At the same time, flush the toilet.

Adding water will help the toilet flush, and the force from dumping the water will make the contents go down into the pipes, avoiding any unnecessarily awkward conversations.

Call a Professional to Resolve the Issue

If your problem isn't the flapper or lift chain, and pouring water down the drain didn't fix the overall issue, then it’s time to call in the big guns. No one wants to have to spend money on calling a plumber to come to your home.

However, it’s better to have a knowledgeable, trained professional look at your bathroom plumbing that can get the job done right. Additionally, a plumber can spot any future issues that may soon to arise that you were not aware of.

The best way to ensure long-lasting peace of mind is to take proper care of your plumbing system. Have regular maintenance done, and keep track of the lifespan of your appliances and fixtures. Keeping on top of these small things can save you huge in the future.