Sunday, May 02, 2021

UNWRITTEN RULES -- LOW FLOW WATER

Have you noticed that household breakdowns, appliance malfunctions, even personal health problems for some unknown reason usually occur at the end of a week or on a weekend, challenging obtaining the service or care needed, or does that just happen to me?  What I recently experienced was no exception to this unwritten rule.

Perhaps I should forewarn you this topic focuses on bathroom issues in case any have sensitivities on such matters and want to skip reading further.  I figure there's little we can't talk about here though I suppose there still are some unpleasant, even taboo subjects.  

I encountered a serious household complication late one Thursday night, with a sudden stopped-up toilet.   I felt pretty lucky that the timing for service went well, even better than I expected, with no complications when the service people called first thing Friday in response to the recorded message I had left for them the night before.   The office person said the plumber was scheduled to come a couple hours later that morning.  Wonder of wonders the plumber called later that he was able to come an hour or so earlier than originally scheduled, "...to arrive in about twenty minutes, if that was convenient."   Convenient?  I was thrilled!

While awaiting repair service and during the time that service is being provided, I've found the logistics of timing when needing to use the bathroom can sometimes be tricky with that facility out of commission.  I don't recall this was ever a matter of as much concern when I was younger, or before this cursed pandemic, since going out somewhere to use other's facilities isn't as easy for me now -- and where to go?  Even that matter resolved without my having to leave the house.

The repairman arrived, ran his grinding rooter cable through the sewer line, discovered he had to further assess the problem which revealed a re-seal on some connections below the floor to the present commode would be needed.   Considering that cost, I determined I would be wiser to invest in a new environmentally sensitive low flow water commode, plus I could obtain that tall one I had long wanted that kept me from having to sit so low down.  Maybe I should have instead had that re-seal done, and purchased an elevated seat for the commode I had.  Too late now.   

Am I the only ageing person who finds standing up from a sitting position not as easy to do as it once was?  I was pleased with the prospect of getting this tall commode even more so when the service man checking his office learned he could pick up the unit and install for me that same day.  Could this be more perfect?

So, off he went for about an hour to pick up the new tall commode, leaving me with my now temporarily functioning old commode since he had previously cleaned out the line.  Even my body cooperated, and I was able to use the old commode as needed just before he returned.  An hour after his return I had my new tall functioning commode, one environmentally efficient with low flow water usage.

Fast forward to late Sunday night.  After multiple flushings since installation the preceding Friday, there was suddenly now trouble.  I had flushed the commode but did a double-take when the bowl didn't empty.  Fortunately, the strong force of minimal water that flows during flushing was limited so the bowl didn't fill up to overflow -- the bowl had just unacceptably not emptied.  I was afraid to flush it a second time lest the bowl fill up further with more water, then overflow.  I had to recognize that should an overflow occur I would be more than hard-pressed to try to clean the floor as I have always before been capable of doing, plus I have no one coming in to help me if needed.

A call from my plumber's office the next morning in response to the message I left the night before told me a serviceman would be available a few hours later.  Once he arrived his quick use of his hand-held device made my new commode operational within minutes.  He explained that California's new environmental water conservation commode requirements have resulted in less and less water being used for flushing purposes.  New housing constructions sewage lines and bathroom installations were designed to be more compatible, but all of us with older homes and sewage lines could have difficulties, he noted.  Wonderful!  Just what I needed to hear.

My other tall commode in the master bathroom hooked up to the same sewer system has been flushing just fine.  That unit met environmental conservation requirements in effect when it was installed, but during the ensuing years the commode water flushing amount has been reduced even more the repair man said.  Commode manufacturers keep having to redesign their product accordingly.

The serviceman explained in the future I might try flushing in the midst of using the commode for some functions, and then again when I finished.   So, this is the procedure I have adopted -- only I am concerned that flushing only once in the midst of use can sometimes not be enough.  I sometimes also flush one additional time after my final flush just to be sure the lines are as cleared as they can be.  I don't want to have to keep calling a plumber, though there was no charge for this last service.  Note: minimal amounts of toilet paper have always been used so that's not an issue.

I might add here that some time ago an ancient person I know (that means older than me), told me that in order to avoid having to call plumbers for her commode, an expense she couldn't afford, she had placed a box by her commode and a sign telling everyone to deposit all toilet paper in the box -- "Do not flush TP in commode".   At the time, I must confess to thinking to myself this must be an eccentricity and surely the odds of her frequently needing a plumber were slim.  It never occurred to me at the time as it does now, to ask if she had a new environmentally conservative low flow commode, but now I wonder if maybe she does.  The next time we talk, I'll ask her.

I do have to wonder with extra flushing needed, when before it was usually just once, are we ultimately going to be using the same amount of water as before, or maybe even more?   I'm trying to be as environmentally sensitive by preserving resources as much as possible, but some adjustments such as this leave me wondering how well-researched they all are.   Maybe we need to install old-fashioned outhouses in our backyards.

I wonder when I have guests who need to use my bathroom, if I may need to educate them about how to use my commode?  I must formulate the dialogue:   "Hi, welcome to my home!  By the way, if you need to use my bathroom, depending on what you have to do, we need to discuss the procedure you'll need to follow."

I don't want to wait until they've been here a while, then suddenly ask, "May I use your bathroom?"  They may not be able to wait for my instructions.  Or, maybe I need to post a sign for them to read.  I haven't yet composed the wording -- maybe something with humor?  I'm not real keen on the box for TP idea for several reasons.  Besides, there are landfill issues for trash, presenting more environmental issues.

Has anyone else encountered low flow water issues with commodes or other devices?

Oh, well!  This is the world in which we live today.  I'm sure I'll figure something out as I observe my water usage in the months ahead.

I should add, some consider California "the canary in the coal mine" predictive of what more U.S. areas and some in the rest of the world experience in water availability and conservation needs.  We've been told here in SoCal we're in a drought now with lakes and reservoirs way below normal though we're not at the severe level yet.    Reportedly, we have an ample amount of water for this year, but next year will be considerably less then, after that, what to expect?   Water rationing may well be in our not-too-distant future.  The last recorded drought here we're told lasted three decades, but now a major back up source, the Colorado River may no longer have as much water for our use  as once was available.


26 comments:

  1. It is different now due to the covid lockdown but, we get service for domestic repairs all seven days a week. That is one of the problems many face due to the lockdown including the workmen who are sans work.

    My orthopedic surgeon had recommended a raiser after my first hip replacement and I have been using one for the past 36 years.

    Shall send you a link to illustrate.

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    1. Weekend emergency service rates can be higher,

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  2. I got one of those raised seats and love it. Now when I use a public toilet, I feel like I am crashing to the floor.
    Wondered about those low flow toilets and if multiple flushes don't defeat the purpose. Smiled about the outhouses. Used them when I was young and they never gave us problems outside of an occasional spider.

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    1. I, too, spent a few of my younger years having to use an outhouse. Having not been accustomed to one when we moved where that became necessary, I was quite resistant but had to overcome that soon since there was no other option.

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  3. Boy that is a challenge and one I had not heard about with low flows. Speaking of toilets, I treated myself to a very expensive plunger to solve other issues I was having which necessitated getting the building plumber more than a few times, at no cost but the embarrassing conversation of him asking me what on earth I was throwing down there.

    So I spent the money and honestly, the damn thing is amazing.

    It's good to chat about such mundane but important matters.

    XO
    WWW

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    1. Interesting to learn a special plunger is available to solve some issues. As for your plumber, what an insensitive question for him to ask!

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  4. Yes, we run into the same problems. I, to save water, often don't flush with every use unless it's something substantial. I also try to not use too much paper

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    1. Water issues where you live here in the southwest are probably similar to what we face.

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    2. True but I also worry about it at the farm as we live off a well and we try to keep track of how it's doing. It's also unusually dry up there.

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    3. The farm would be a concern. Our first home with a very small acreage, at that time in a semi-rural area (built up with million dollar homes a few years later we were told, after we moved from Central Ohio.). I purposely liked our area then as we had a well and a cistern for water as I liked the idea of self-sufficiency, putting in a garden later. Maybe you could add a cistern on your farm for catching rainwater for reserve. As I recall our drinking water, and faucet water came from the well and the cistern provided water for all else— washing machine, etc. Don't think we had dishwasher there or that many people did.



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    4. Our cistern was below ground, but family on Hawaii’s Big Island have a huge tank above ground that fills from several sources with rainwater to carry them through the year and dry times.

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  5. We have low flow toilets at our lakehouse and the difference is noticeable. We also have the taller commodes, and that is noticeable as well. I've never had to instruct anyone as to the particulars, and we've never had an overflow, either. But I do have plungers handy, just in case.

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    1. I’m not sure if the same low flow requirements are present in every state. Calif. often is the first with some of the highest restrictions. Certainly this 2nd commode dispenses considerably less water into the bowl than the other low flow commode I had installed some years ago before these latest requirements became effective. So far so good now as I will flush minimally as seems to allow. I don't want to discourage people from getting low flow commodes or other devices since water conservation isn't really an option, it’s increasingly a long overdue necessity.

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  6. This brings to mind long forgotten memories when we lived in an ancient (well, 17th century) farmhouse in England with most unreliable 20th century plumbing and we also had to collect the toilet tissue after use in buckets, buckets with fitted lids I must add.
    This was a commune household and we had a rota system for the emptying of the bucket contents. I just got up and checked with my man what/how we actually did that and he remembers that we burned it. Oh wait, he just called across the hall to clarify that we "tried" to burn it. I don't want to know any more of it. In fact, I am very happy now that I don't recall much about it.

    As for your predicaments happening at inconvenient times etc. there is a saying here, based on the "all good things come in threes" sentiment which roughly translates to "shit always gets loaded in three scoops".

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    1. Interesting to read of your long ago experience. Most appropriate saying, especially applicable in this instance!

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  7. I have found that not only do things usually break down at inopportune times, but children and pets generally get sick when it’s 5:30 on a Friday afternoon, of a 3 day weekend. Sigh.

    We have a low-flow toilet, but we got ours something like 10 years ago, so the restrictions were different than now. It has a pretty simple feature where you hold the lever longer for #2, as it were. Our old toilets were horrible and leaked and wasted a ton of water, so we are glad for these. Hearing your story, and being in California as well, I think I will keep them as long as possible!

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    1. Oh, that sounds like a nice feature, being able to hold down the lever to increase flush water flow when needed. I wonder if that’s available now, but no one mentioned it to me. So far, I’m encouraged this new commode and decreased water usage, plus effective flushing system is going to work out as I establish a functional flushing routine.

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  8. I sympathise with your toilet problems, as I expect most of us have seen what looked a simple repair turn into a long and complicated saga. Luckily we have no problems with our three toilets, two of which are dual flush (i.e. a small or large amount of water). We don't have any problem with changing flush requirements as we have plenty of water here in Northern Ireland. I hope you can speedily resolve the toilet issues.

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    1. The flushing is functioning without further problems presently as i follow the plumbers recommendation with instances of extra flushes. I’ll be interested to see if any change in my water usage in future bills — hopefully will all balance out at worst, less water used at best.

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  9. I replaced an old commode several years ago and opted for a new low flow replacement. I have not been happy with it. I find I must flush a second time almost every time, no matter what. I agree with you that it can seem counterproductive, but the manufacturers are probably working hard on solving the issue so that it will work more smoothly in the future. I will also mention that a plumber told me that some TP works better in the new toilets, and he recommended simple old Scott Tissue, which I now use exclusively.
    Nina

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    1. Thanks for sharing your experience and, also, about the TP. I’ve wondered if some toilet brands are better at flushing than others, but if it’s all in the pipes, maybe brand doesn't make a difference.

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  10. FWIW i just did a brief search for the best TP to use and found this:
    “Any toilet paper made with 100% recycled paper will dissolve almost completely. It is the best toilet paper to use.” https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/the-only-toilet-paper-you-ever-should-buy/

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  11. I don't have much to say about toilets right now, but I did notice your post about redheads. I am a redhead, had carrotty orangey red hair all my life, so did my dad, had some cousins too who are redheads. Now it has calmed to golden strawberry blonde... people pay megabucks for hair my colour. Had two towhead white/blond sons, and four towhead white/blond grandies. no reds.

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    1. Your family surely has plenty of redheads. Will be having another post on redheads in the future that makes one think about how we’re regarded.

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  12. All of the calculations that prove low-flow toilets save water neglect one important variable: human behavior. When things aren't moving along as quickly or completely as people like, what's another flush (or two, or three) among friends?

    As for toilet paper, that sold in marine stores is great. It's designed for systems that no one wants to clog: ever, for any reason. Having to unclog a toilet in a boat that's 30 miles offshore in heavy seas is no fun at all.

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    1. True, human behavior can’t always be accounted for. Am noticing a few instances when TP doesn't flush but mostly it does. System will bode well if I don't need a plumber. Good to know about TP.

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