How Good are New Toilets?

[Pete the Feet]

Family home is on a septic tank. After, well really during covid and the toilet paper shortage they had a Shataf fitted (and used) which reduced their toilet paper concumption grately. Now having become used to the idea and practise of washing over wiping themselve clean they rarely use paper. Noticably their tank is emptied far less and the outflow from the tank (to a soakaway) in much cleaner and ceratinly less grey. Even the wife who was a bit 'off' about using the Shataf is now OK with it and we have fitted one on our toilet.

We still get people who think we are wierd and have funny toilet habits 'cause we have one.

We have a bidet with just a mixer tap fitted. However I've been considering one of those Shataf jobs. A bit awkward on the install due to the tiling. A friend of mine has them installed on all his toilets in his newly renovated house. I asked him if he had fitted them to WRAS standards. It appeared not from his answer. Although I don't think a separate break tank is necessary on the cold supply I think double check valves on both the hot and cold supply should do it. May I ask if you have fitted anything similar on you installation.

 

[amfisted]

But they used about 30 litres of water per flush. Efficiency is about doing more with less, so they're technically the opposite

It may surprise you that fresh water is in short supply in the modern day and age - https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/2024/03/21/meeting-our-water-needs-for-the-next-25-years/
.. and like many things finite in resource the answer is not "carry on burning through it at the same rate and find ways to make more", it's "use less"

I've just installed a grohe skate in-wall slimline cistern that's 2 inches thick and puts about 3 litres into the bowl on the small button. The bog is the cheapest back to wall one that Victorian plumbing supplied and amazingly it's enough to clear the bowl of all reasonable solids..

How much TP do you use per wipe? Does the bowl clear if you do a halfway flush when it's less full of paper? Could be an indicator you're using too much

If no, then perhaps the answer to your double flush routine is to replace the bowl?

Oh, I fully appreciate that those old toilets were made for an era when there were fewer concessions towards water conservation. It just so happens that I remember that impressive gravity-fed gush and the maelstrom that followed it with nostalgic affection, and compare it ruefully with the pathetic "swish" of my bog in a box. As for TP, the paper always disappears whatever the quantity used, whereas the skiddies don't. So the more I think about it, the more I'm angling towards a "glue in the poo" situation. Guess my next move is to find out what's upset her.

 

[denso13]

Although I don't think a separate break tank is necessary

That's the only way to do it correctly.

 

[Pete the Feet]

That's the only way to do it correctly.

Yes, it looks like there's no way around it. If the hose was restricted from entering either the toilet or bidet pan, it wouldn't be any use.
It makes you wonder how people retrofit those Japanese bidet toilet seats that are available.
In the hospitals where I have worked the toilet supply was always tank fed for both hot and cold. They also had a device called a Closomat on the ladies wards. These were a combined toilet and bidet. There were foot operated switches to activate the retractable water jet and the heated fan for drying off. I personally thought that they were very unsanitary, due to the potential for fallout on the water jet.