CSI Section 22 41 13: Residential Toilets

Since 1992, federal law has mandated that nearly all new toilets use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf)– the exception being commercial blow-out toilets, which are still allowed to use 3.5 gallons in some states.

As toilet flushing is the largest single use of water in most residential and commercial buildings (accounting for up to 40% of residential use), water savings from toilet replacement is very significant. In addition to improvements to the traditional gravity system, pressure- and vacuum-assisted flushing systems have been developed that offer superior performance, albeit with the addition of some noise.

Dual-flush toilets have been available for years overseas and are now making inroads in the U.S. These save additional water by making two flushes available: one for solid wastes and a lower-volume flush for liquids and paper. Products listed here must meet the minimum standards of the Uniform North American Requirements (UNAR) for toilets, which includes elements of the Maximum Performance (MaP) flush-quality testing protocol and Los Angeles Supplementary Purchase Specification (SPS), which discourages the use of toilets that might be adjusted to use significantly more water.

Products listed here use at least 20% less than the federal minimum of 1.6 gallons (6 liters) per flush– that is, 1.28 gallons (4.8 liters) or less. The toilet must also evacuate at least 350 grams of solid waste per flush, as tested under the Maximum Performance (MaP) protocol. Toilets that are included without MaP testing are extremely low-water use or have other unique green features. For dual-flush toilets, we factor water savings by averaging the high and low volume flush levels. Two reduced flushes and one full flush cannot average more than 1.28 gallons per flush. Other factors considered in GreenSpec evaluations include bowl washing effectiveness and water surface area.

(See also 22 42 13 - Commercial Toilets.)

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American Standard FloWise Toilet American Standard Metzi 0.6 gpf Toilet Bogo Global Turbo Capizzi Capizzi Adelaide 270 Dual-Flush Toilets Caroma USA, Inc. Bondi Dual-Flush Toilets Caroma USA, Inc.	American Standard FloWise Toilet American Standard
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