Water-Saver Kits Give Return on Investment

QUESTION: I have seen $10 do-it-yourself water-saver kits for old toilets that claim to cut water bills by $100 per year. Do they flush OK, are they easy to install and do they save that much water?

ANSWER: Since toilets account for about 40% of your water bills, installing a simple water-saver kit can save tens of thousands of gallons per year. For a typical family, an annual savings of $100 is reasonable.

There are several basic designs of do-it-yourself toilet water saver kits that provide effective flushes. They range in price from $4 to $25. It takes about 15 minutes to install even the most complicated kit.

Dual-flush kits are most effective. These provide a low water volume flush for liquid wastes and a full volume flush for solids. Ninety percent of flushes are for liquids only and do not require the full toilet tank volume.

With one dual flush kit, push the flush handle down for a water saving low volume flush. For a full tank volume flush for solids, lift up the handle. The handle does not have to be held continuously as the toilet flushes.

Other designs have two handles. Push a long handle down for a full volume flush. For a water saving flush, hold down a short handle while it flushes. These are effective, but less convenient than the above design.

Inexpensive rapid-closing flapper kits (about $10) are simple to install and effective. A flapper is the flexible seal that fits over the large drain hole inside the tank. It often attaches to the handle with a chain.

The best rapid-closing flapper kits are adjustable because the amount of water needed for an effective flush varies among toilet designs. When you first install a new flapper, it takes several flushes to fine tune it.

One design has a simple adjustable knob in the flapper with various-size drain holes. Each size hole allows water to fill the flapper at different rates. This controls how fast the flapper closes and the amount of water savings.

Other types of inexpensive devices snap on or slip over the overflow tube in the tank. Some designs have a float that moves down the tube and forces the flapper to close earlier. Another inexpensive design (about $4) clips on the tube to limit how far the flapper opens. Both designs are adjustable.

Inexpensive water dam kits are better than just putting a brick in the tank. Bricks slowly disintegrate in the water and granules can get under the flapper seal. This may cause a continuous leak. Good dams are made of springy sheet metal or plastic with foam or rubber seals around the edge.

Write for Utility Bills Update No. 856 showing a buyer’s guide of 13 toilet water-saving kit manufacturers, percent of water savings, descriptions, installation instructions, prices and a water bill savings chart. Please mail $2 and a self-addressed envelope to James Dulley, Los Angeles Times, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244.

How to Replace Sliding Screen Door Rollers

Q: I stretch plastic over my sliding patio screen door in the winter. The rollers are worn out and the door doesn’t fit the track well. Can I repair it myself so it makes a better seal?

A: Putting clear plastic film over your screen door helps reduce air leaks from the wind. It also creates a dead air space, which reduces heat loss.

The rollers are easy to replace yourself. You can purchase new rollers for about $5 a pair at your hardware store. Remove the screen door from the track. Unscrew each roller adjustment screw so the roller assembly hangs down. Replace the rollers and readjust the screws.