There's the fairly obvious difference between a single flush and a dual flush toilet and the clue is in the name - the single flush and dual flush refers to the flush valve in the cistern. However flushing options aside - the main differences you'll find between them will come down to water usage which will ultimately help the environment and save you money in the long term.
A single flush toilet refers to the cistern flushing mechanism and is quite simply, a toilet that has only one flushing option - a full flush. A single flush of a standard toilet generally uses on average around 1.6 gallons of water per flush, that's around 6 litres of water every time you press the button, yank the chain or pull the lever.
The majority of older toilets are single flush - this is purely because it was the style at the time. With advancement in toilet design and cistern innovation more sustainable considerations have been included in toilet design and subsequently the dual flush option is on the market.
Single flush cisterns are still popular and many now use less than the 1.6 gallons per flush mentioned above - there's water saving cisterns on the market that are single flush and many people choose this option today over a dual flush system for a variety of different reasons.
A dual flush toilet is a toilet that has a 2 flush cistern. Generally the dual flush options consist of a full flush (for heavier solid waste) and a half flush option for less bulky liquid waste. The dual flush tends to be split in water consumption ratios such as 6/4 litre dual flush with some having the option to be converted after installation to be 5/3 or 4/2.6 litre dual flush saving you even more water.
More often than not an existing toilet can be updated to a dual flush system with the upgrade and replacement of the single flush valve within the cistern to that of a dual flush valve (this will also include changing and updating the button or lever of the toilet).
Some of the most popular dual flush valves on the market come with a button already to make upgrading your toilet a simple and straightforward process meaning you won't necessarily need to phone in a plumber if you're wanting to upgrade your single flush toilet to a dual flush system.
Super water-saving toilets are called high-efficiency toilets, or HETs for short. To qualify for HET status, a toilet needs to use less than 1.3 gallons per flush. (Standard toilets use 1.6 gpf.)
There are many high-efficiency flushing systems on the market, and two of the most popular types are the “gravity” single-flush and dual-flush models that you mentioned.
Single-lever flush systems are easier to operate since every flush is rated at 1.28 gpf. However, dual-lever flushing offers two choices, a “half flush” for liquids and a full 1.6 gallons for solids. This allows full flushing control, but dual-flush toilets also average about 1.28 gpf.
Since water-saving efficiency may be a washout, choosing can involve the area in the house where the toilet will be installed. For higher-traffic bathrooms, offering a single-flush choice may cut down on flushing confusion. In my opinion, you don't want your guests pressing the “No. 1” button when they should have pressed the “No. 2” button.For private bathrooms with one or two users, a dual-flush toilet can be a nice choice.
To sum up the benefits in one sentence - to save you money and water. The short term expense of upgrading your single flush system to a dual flush system will be outweighed in the long term by the savings you'll make over time from using less water. You may also find that dual flush systems can sometimes be quieter too so if that's a feature that is music to your ears you may find yourself in the dual flush camp. We are a dual flush toilet supplier. If you are interested in our products, please contact us now!
