For decades now, toilet technology has remained largely unchanged. That is, until recent years, where toilet manufacturers have begun to build more efficient bathroom fixtures. These newer toilets use less water per flush, which may make you wonder, are high efficiency toilets better for septic systems?
Can a High Efficiency Toilet Damage a Septic System?
The answer to this question is short: no, a septic system will not be damaged by a high efficiency toilet. The increased pressure of waste being flushed down isn’t going to affect your system. A high efficiency toilet operates on the same basic principles as an older toilet, it just uses less water to do it.
Less Water is Better for your Septic Tank
Your septic system is built to handle an inflow of water from faucets, toilets, and showers, but too much water is a problem. When too much water flows into the tank(s), the system gets overwhelmed and the tank fills up too fast. Using a high efficiency or “low flow” toilet reduces the amount of water being used per flush, giving your septic system more time to break down waste.
What Kind of High Efficiency Toilet is Best?
Toilets made before the 1990s are likely to use gallons of water in a single flush. Toilets a few years newer may look almost identical, but a truly efficient toilet is easy to identify. Look for toilets with a dual-flush option. These usually have two buttons on top of the tank instead of a lever on the left side of the tank. Dual-flush toilets let users use more water to help flush solid waste, or less water when there is no solid waste to flush.
Getting a new toilet is an inexpensive and relatively simple home improvement project. Not only that, but the water saved by using an efficient toilet can offset the cost of buying the toilet in a few months. If a new toilet helps space out septic pumpings, the upgrade will be more than worthwhile.
If you think your old or inefficient toilet is overwhelming your septic tank, then it is time to get your septic system pumped. Contact us today and schedule service with one of our friendly septic pumping professionals!
