Hands up if you recognize this?
Have you ever used one?
It’s a duel flush system on a toilet. They come in all shapes and sizes. And I’m of the opinion they could be a good thing.
However, this one has a dirty secret. It’s not connected properly.
Now I’m a user of the short flush option so I pressed it. The task in hand required little effort and water!
Nothing happened!
Sadly
I’m beginning to think no one else uses them. Certainly not the people who own the hotels and big businesses that have them copiously installed in their organizations.
This isn’t the first time I’ve come across one that first work properly. They seem to be not connected more often than not.
Another example of green wash.
Let’s give the appearance that our organization is greener
but let’s not really provide a lower water use alternative at all.
Have you found this too?
have you spotted other apparently green options that are false?
Furthermore
Now I launched this post earlier today and I’m already aware of a need for an additional section.
It seems from the comments that duel flush toilets are a less common thing than I had assumed.
This toilet has the option to deliver two different amounts of water. One small for less considerable tasks, one greater for larger tasks.
It also seems that it may be more common in some parts of the works than others.
It seems that in Australia it’s a mandatory water saving device while in the US it may be unknown. In Europe it’s very common.
So if you’re reading this now could you please comment with your continent and whether you’re familiar with this device?
Thanks 😃
Plantbased Health Coach & Recipe Creator
a blog by a multilingual lifelong expat/international, linguist, researcher, speaker, mother of three, living in the Netherlands and writing about raising children with multiple languages, multiculturalism, parenting abroad, international life...
The planet is our home; we need to be more responsible. Here's what I do.
and that...
The planet is our home; we need to be more responsible. Here's what I do.
Dual flush is almost standard even in Turkey! … and yes, ours work 🙂
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Go Turkey looks like you’re well equipped in toilets even if you don’t have squirrel bridges.
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🙂
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Dual flush is the only one available in Australia, due to waterwise measures.
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So in Oz they are mandatory, in Europe they are common but in the US unheard of?
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Reblogged this on Linda's wildlife garden and commented:
Lovely post thank you for sharing Liz have a blessed day
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I am embarrassed to say everytime I find myself at a toilet like these I don’t know which button I’m supposed to push for what….
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Well I think generally the larger button/panel delivers a larger volume of water for an … er … more challenging task…..
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Yes, but sometimes it is more confusing than that – our new toilet has a circle with an inner square and you have to push both parts down for a longer flush. I too have problems sometimes.
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Ah we have one a but like that. But the middle pops up and can then be pressed to stop the flush too. It is confusing!
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Can it? I must look more closely.
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I’ve never seen these…hmmm…
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As I’ve just commented, weird that the two US residents so far aren’t familiar with them….
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Yes, I have seen those but actually I haven’t noticed ones that don’t work…but maybe just because I didn’t pay attention?
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I guess it depends which side you press ; )
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I will surely pay more attention to it!
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That’s good. Helps to know that weird posts I write about toilets make a difference!
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Really?? I don’t think I’ve come across a toilet where it didn’t work… maybe it’s all that excess water you’ve got there in the Netherlands, it’s got to go somewhere!
On a more serious note, using drinking water to flush the toilet, as we do, is kind of criminal 😦
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Often in big buildings where they may have been retro fitted they often don’t seem to work. The less water option normally.
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I had never heard of it..of course here in the states
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Well I’m curious now. Both my American friends here haven’t seen this before. That makes me nervous. Does that mean the US doesn’t have them or am I jumping to conclusions. I had thought of taking photos of lots of different versions for clarity but assumed it was a familiar object.
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We use rainwater 😉
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Aye!
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So do I when we have more than I could possibly know what to do with.
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Great!
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I know this one very well – there simply doesn’t seem to be any point in trying 😦
On the other hand, I saw a fab idea in Japan: when you flush, the water to refill the cistern comes from a tap at the top of the toilet, so the water you use to wash your hands is used for the next flush. I wonder how long it will be before I can get such a toilet here?
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I’ve seen those on tree hugger. Seems so logical to do that.
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Yes, indeed. What is tree hugger?
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A really interesting source for environmental topics. I follow them on Facebook. http://www.treehugger.com
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Thanks!
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Yes but you still have to touch the door handle on your way out of the cubicle. Fine if everyone washes their hands. It is a great idea though for use in the home. Also most toilets in Japanese hotels are incredible all singing, all dancing electronic things that have one electric button for flushing, another for intimate washing front or back, another for drying and often another one for playing music too! Talk about one extreme to another.
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I only saw the toilets with tap for handwashing in people’s homes.
My hotel toilet wasn’t quite so flash lol. And there were plenty of places with squat toilets as well.
Thinking of squat toilets, in China there were places which had no running water or in any case no loo attached to water. So they weren’t even being specifically ecologically minded with their ‘composting’ toilet!
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Yes – isn’t it strange how in Japanese public toilets you often get a choice of western style toilets and squat toilets. There must be lots of people who prefer the latter – well they are so good a squatting out there that they must find them easy to use. I don’t!!!
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I think I’ve spent to many years in Asia…
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Being in other countries does have an impact on awareness.
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And hopefully reduces cultural imperialism 🙂
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Very true ; )
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It’s my knees that is the problem!
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Yes, I can see that causing problems.
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: )
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I think in many cultures, sitting on something that takes human waste is not simply a luxury but also not considered very hygienic. The human bowel is also designed to evacuate more easily in a squat position. I’m not sure it’s just preference.
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Exactly. There’s a lot of writing about human rights and having access to toilets particularly in places where people leaving their homes at night for sanitary reasons are vulnerable.
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Well, yes!
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: )
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Someone I know has just installed a new loo (UK) and opted for the dual flush….disappointed to find it merrily ‘drips’.constantly…apparently a design fault as he has replaced the unit and the problem still exists and is down rated on the company website
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That’s terrible! It’s disappointing when things don’t work particularly when you’re trying to innovate.
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They are pretty standard in Australia, but we’ve just moved to an old flat and it doesn’t have one! I thought they were everywhere here! Most people get it and use the half button. If you don’t have the dual flush you can put a brick in the cistern and reduce water use that way. But you probably don’t want to be carrying bricks round with you and putting them in other people’s cisterns!
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Now that’s an idea! You can also submerge a full bottle or milk type container. It could be more portable ; )
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Ah yes. Much more practical and sensible than a brick! : )
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Still not sure it would be acceptable as a visitor though ; )
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I think dual flush is pretty standard now on new toilets in the UK and I have never seen one that doesn’t work.
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I think it’s retro fitted ones in stores and companies that seem less reliable. I guess it requires dividing the plumbing in some way.
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I would think it was inside the cistern that worked differently depending on which button you press so maybe they kept the old cistern and just replaced the flusher or it’s possible that one side broke because it was used more than the other. Can you believe I am spending so long talking about toilets this Sunday morning? I was going to say I am off to the garden, but it has just started absolutely pouring – how ironic is that!
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Very curious. But it seems that the short flush side is the one that seems not to work commonly v
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