To think low flush toilets are worse for the environment?

[Nurseornot]

I think low flush toilets are actually very bad for the environment. It seems like it always takes more than one flush to get everything gone (even just wee) and I always push the max button. I think these new styled toilets are unhygienic and because they are unhygienic they require cleaning more often, which actually uses more water.

I think old fashioned toilets were more efficient although they used more water per flush, they actually used less water overall. AIBU?

I’ve got low flush toilets and they work fine.

I think they vary. I went to a conference at a place where there wasn't enough water to flush stuff away. They were disgusting by 11.00.

I have one of those and I've been thinking about this. Often needs another flush or two, so defeats the object. Or have to fill a bowl up to throw down it!

You have a point.
The ones at work never flush properly. I spend some of my toilet visits trying to re-flush what the previous visitor ignored.

And, it must affect the ladies loos more because we probably use more toilet paper than the men.

I agree op. Ours is crap.

It seems like it always takes more than one flush to get everything gone (even just wee) and I always push the max button.

If your dual-flush toilet doesn't clear wee on the lower flush, it's not working properly. Both of my newly installed ones do, and one of the ones I replaced that was dual-flush also worked properly.

The flush of my new cisterns is fairly powerful, even the full flush manages to dump the entire six litres into the toilet in about five seconds, which clears it very well.

I've the same problem. Always blocking, never properly clear with one flush, and it's a new build. I hate them. They seem to need cleaning a lot more, too, as the less powerful flush doesn't have the same effect of clearing the bowl well each time either.

I have to flush twice sometimes three times. So I think you may be onto something there.

I agree based on my low-flush loo. It needs a lot of cleaning to keep it fresh.

I may be misunderstanding what "low-flush" means, google seems to be suggesting it's more of a US term, and that it refers to toilets that use 4.5 litres instead of 6 litres for a full flush.

However a quick google on UK cisterns and the first one that comes up says it can be configured as either 6 or 4.5 litres for a full flush, but uses 3 for the smaller flush either way, so for the smaller flush I don't think it makes any difference.

I have low flush at home and they are fine, very rarely need to reflush

My understanding is that plumbers are making a fortune out of these low flush loos as pipework gets blocked easily because they dont use enough water.

I agree. Ours always leaves the toilet paper behind and often needs a second flush. Also some washing machines (not all - there are better, expensive ones) claim to use less water but are just smaller so you need to use it more often.

Do you and your family squeeze out particularly large jobbies?

I have two in my house and they both need multiple flushing. The eco Henry hoover pisses me off too, it doesn't suck on the eco settings. It's all bollox if you ask me.

I think the pan and cistern need to be matched. Old-style pans won't clear with a low water flush. Whereas (from what I've seen ...) newer style pans are designed to create a "pull" from the flush, clearing it completely.

Never attribute to malice what can be explained by shoddy workmanship ....

We had to change the cistern on our toilet as the tank wasn’t the right size for the toilet, so the (bigger) cistern wasn’t pushing through the right pressure. You couldn’t tell to look at it though

Doesn't it all depend on the water pressure to your house? If you have old pipes to your house which have become a bit blocked and as a result your water pressure is low, then it would follow that the low flush would be too low.

Doesn't it all depend on the water pressure to your house? If you have old pipes to your house which have become a bit blocked and as a result your water pressure is low, then it would follow that the low flush would be too low.

No, as the water for the flush comes from a cistern storing it. Low pressure would mean a slow fill, but not affect the flush.

Hard water is also a problem. Pipes and outlets get blocked up with scale and it isn't easy to get rid of without corrosive chemicals - also bad for the environment.

Modern toilets are a pig to flush and clean. Until fairly recently we had a really old high cistern toilet with a chain to flush - it never blocked (and I mean never). It's low flush replacement is a heap of shit, doesn't use enough water to reach the front of the bowl properly so it always smells of piss, blocks at the drop of a hat, and almost always leaves loo roll behind even after a big flush.

Yanbu, good point op!

Just replaced a 70s toilet that flushed for about 20 seconds each time, and was worried about this.

Bathroom merchant told me that you need to get the cistern higher so gravity helps.

Modern toilets are a pig to flush and clean. Until fairly recently we had a really old high cistern toilet with a chain to flush - it never blocked (and I mean never). It's low flush replacement is a heap of shit, doesn't use enough water to reach the front of the bowl properly so it always smells of piss, blocks at the drop of a hat, and almost always leaves loo roll behind even after a big flush.

Did you change the pan too ?