Just wondering… I’ve moved to Oz recently and find the Aussies are pretty clued into this old conservation thing, mostly because they have to – water shortages are common. But what I’ve noticed is every single toilet has a half flush and full flush system and it got me to thinking – the UK is sooooooooo far behind the rest of the world in the simple things they can do to conserve water/recycle. The half flush isn’t even available to buy in most of the leading UK stores.
SO… I want to do a mini study – with your help. Wherever you are in the world, the next time you use the loo take note if it’s got a half flush option and let me know would ya? Let’s name and shame.
Actually, while we're on toilet talk - let's make it a bit interesting, what’s been your worst toilet experience while travelling?
I thought travelling through Asia for months would mean I’d be sure to come across some hell hole loos but they weren’t too bad; I can still balance over a squat on tippy toes with the best of them.
The worst loo I’ve encountered so far is actually in Australia. We’d been driving for about four hours and nature wasn’t just calling she was hollering from the mountain tops so when we came across a wicker hut in a forest clearing I very nearly wet my pants – literally. The excitement soon passed. Inside was a wall of flies and behind the wall was the widest, fullest, most rancid long drop that has possibly ever existed. I swear I thought I saw the mass move as one. And, hanging from the ceiling and crawling across the walls were fat juicy spiders the size of Texas just waiting for a tasty morsel of shiny white butt. Clenching my cheeks, I backed out slowly (and very carefully), walked to the trunk of the car, hunkered down and did my business right there and then. And when a few cars drove by I didn’t care one iota. It probably put them off their dinner for a few days but you know what it’s like, when you need to go, you need to go.
Ah, I miss those half flush loos in Oz. It just makes more sense. The US is pretty slow on that, too. If they weren't so damn expensive, I'd replace all my toilets with them. But they are expensive -- starting at $250 a pop. We've got 3 toilets that we just replaced and the 3 cost less than one half flusher.
They are no cheaper than if they're put into a house when it's first built (you'll pay it in the cost of the house someway or another). We've replaced our toilets ourselves, so there's no labor cost. The starting at $250 was what I found for the half flush toilets themselves (installation not included). But I'm sure if you're a contractor/home builder, then you could probably get a break on them. But still..expensive!
Just though I'd add my random info! (aiming for guidebook dependent ) All our toilets are half flush at home(Galway, Ireland)....there's a sentence I never thought I'd type! Our cinemas in the city have half flushers too. It's slowly becoming the norm here thankfully though why we ever moved from harnessing all our freakin rain & using that to flush is beyond me!
Posts: 15 | Location: Ireland | Registered: 09 March 2006
Never saw the half flush in the US. See them all the time in China... problem is that they usually don't work. Most of the time the water continuously runs and no one cares about fixing it.
They have them in spain. They're great for number 1, where you rally DONT need 2 gallons to wash everything away.
My problem with buying one in the USA is that if the parts go bad, well, you have to go to an expensive and difficult to find plumbing supply store, and where I live, they'd be lucky to have the parts at all.
Posts: 2434 | Location: Philadelphia | Registered: 19 November 2004
LOL Gaillimhabu21. I'm originally from Ireland (not to far away from yourself) and have always thought that if they had some way of collecting all the rain water there they could surely put an end to half the world's droughts! Good to know they're doing their part for conservation to though, eh?
) All our toilets are half flush at home(Galway, Ireland)....there's a sentence I never thought I'd type! Our cinemas in the city have half flushers too. It's slowly becoming the norm here thankfully though why we ever moved from harnessing all our freakin rain & using that to flush is beyond me!
