Many people add the dual flush in their homes to save water because of its dual functioning. It contains two buttons; one flush liquid waste and has low pressure. The second is to pour water with greater pressure and clean the solid waste.
Dual flush toilet problems include broken rubber seals, difficult installation methods, frequent bowl cleaning, confusing buttons, and less durability. Moreover, these are hard to maintain, have more clogging chances, and their zip tie can also break.
People install them in their homes, but these are more expensive than the traditional single-flush toilets commonly present in bathrooms.
| Problems | Solutions |
| Broken rubber seals | Replace seals |
| Installation process difficult | Hire professionals |
| Bowl requires frequent cleaning | Use commercial toilet cleaners |
| Confusing buttons | Label buttons with alphabetic stickers |
| Less durable buttons | Press them carefully and exert little pressure |
| Hard to maintain | Use boiling water to open inlet hoses |
| More clogging chances | Upgrade the plumbing system according to these toilets |
| Broken zip tie | Replace zip tie |
Broken rubber seals
The flush valve of these toilets contains the rubber seal that sits on the bottom corner of the cisterns to control the water supply in bowls.
The rubber seals function with the mechanical valve and control the water flow. The chances of rubber material deterioration are higher because of their flexibility and less durability.
It contains cisterns made of porcelain or grit material. The dirt contaminant from the porcelain and grit can obstruct the rubber seals.
In addition, the rubber can react with the porcelain material and develop cracks. These rubber seals become defective because of the frequent use of the press button for flushing.
Moreover, the water sediments can also obstruct their function and fail to perform their functioning. The failed seals cause water leakage into the bowl and increase the waste instead of saving them.
Check the rubber seals by opening the tank lid when you hear the water dripping sound after flushing.
Difficult installation process
The installation procedure of the toilets depends on their type and design. The designs can make the procedure difficult or easy.
The ones with fewer parts are easy to install and take less time. The dual flush toilets contain a more complex system and various difficult parts to install.
It increases your labor cost because you cannot install them by yourself. In addition, these are costly because of their dual functionality and water-saving properties.
You require experienced professionals for their installation. Sometimes, these are not cost-effective solutions because some of their models are difficult to adjust.
Avoid installing them at home because you can adjust them incorrectly, which can damage their parts and cause leaking. Instead, hire the plumber and invest some cost for their correct installation rather than spending money for their repair.
Toilet bowl requires frequent cleaning
The dual flush toilets require more cleaning than the standard flush toilet systems. The primary purpose of these fixtures is to reduce the clogging issue and clear the solid wastes quickly.
It contains larger traps and bowl surface area for easy movement of solid wastes and large poop. However, the larger surface area requires more cleaning than the smaller ones.
In addition, the cleanliness issue increases because of their low flush system. The less water and their decreased pressure for flushing cause difficulty in clearing up the bowl.
The solid waste residues remain in the bowl because of insufficient water pressure. Therefore, you need to clean the bowls frequently to make them presentable and remove the poop residues.
Moreover, these require frequent cleaning because of the low flush system and water-saving properties. Therefore, clean them with commercial toilet cleaners and soft-bristled brushes daily for easy cleaning.
The stains become dry and hard to remove when you do not remove them quickly.
Confusing buttons
These toilets contain two buttons for the high and low flush system. You can use the low flush system because it uses less water for liquid waste.
The high flush system uses water with pressure to remove the solid wastes from the bowl. These two buttons confuse people because they are not labeled with their functions.
It becomes challenging for older people and children to use them. In addition, the confusing and unlabeled buttons increase the water waste instead of saving them.
People unknowingly press the ones that contain the low flush system. The water waste increases when you again press the high-pressure button.
You can label them with high and low letters. However, I use the stickers of the H and L alphabets and place them on the respective buttons.
Less durable buttons
The buttons in the dual toilets are less durable than the movable handles of conventional fixtures. As a result, these pressing handles for flushing are less likely to become defective and last longer.
These can get stuck down because of the defective flushing mechanisms. In addition, the poor seals and damaged float valve assembly can cause them to stick down.
You cannot release them after flushing because these can get stuck down. These can also stick down and do not return when you press them hard.
Avoid pressing them hard and exert a slight pressure on them for flushing because it can make them defective. Do not allow your children to press them frequently and play with them.
Hard to maintain
Dual flush toilets are hard to maintain and require more cleaning for proper water flow.
The clogged inlet hoses make the flushing difficult, and the poop residues stick to the bowl surface.
Algae growth because of continuous water movement clogs these hoses. In addition, these can also get clogged due to water sedimentation.
Place the mirror on the bowl’s opening to inspect the inlet hose. Use the boiling water and vinegar solution to clear the holes if these are not open.
Flush them with boiling water and then wash them with vinegar to remove fungus and mineral residues.
More clogging issues
Many of my friends using these toilets in their homes complain that these are more vulnerable to clogging than their large bowls and traps.
The clogging issue comes because of their non-compatibility with the existing plumbing system. Sometimes, the existing plumbing system is designed for low-flush toilets and is not compatible with the high-flushing system.
The issue comes because of their low water use for removing waste items. As a result, the clogging chances increase when you use the low-flushing button to remove solid wastes.
You can decrease the chances of clogging by checking the existing plumbing system in your home before their installation. Upgrade the plumbing pipes according to the design and working principle of the current fixture.
Broken zip tie
These fixtures contain the zip tie to keep the fill valve in place. These can come off from the base of the cistern when they are not mounted properly.
The zip ties can break over time and do not keep them in their place. The overfill valve fails to function because of a broken zip tie and causes uneven filling of the tanks and leakages.
You can see water dripping into the bowl because of overfilling of the tanks. These small items are replaceable; you can detect the damage by opening the lid.
Remove the broken zip ties from there and add new ones of the same size and specifications.
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