Did you know you can easily convert your existing toilet to a fancy dual-flush model? It takes no plumbing experience and less than an hour to do. It’s kinda like getting a new, eco-friendly toilet without actually having to buy a new toilet. Plus, by reducing your water usage you might even save money on your water bill. Just follow these steps for a quick and easy water-saving upgrade.
What Is A Dual Flush Toilet?
Unlike traditional single-flush models, a dual-flush toilet has separate options for liquid waste vs. solid waste. This allows you to use less water when a less powerful flush is all you need. A standard toilet uses 1.6 gallons of water per flush (GPF) which can be overkill when you aren’t flushing solids. In fact, on average 4 out of 5 bathroom visits don’t need the force of a full flush. So dual-flush toilets give you to option to use less water (typically 0.8 – 1.1 GPF) in those cases. According to the EPA, dual-flush toilets can reduce household water usage up to 67%.
You can identify dual-flush toilets because they usually have a push button on top or a split lever. Most represent the two flushing options with 1 or 2 water droplets, indicating the different amount of water they each use.
Converting A Toilet To Dual Flush
For owners of most standard toilets, it’s easy to convert them from single-flush to dual-flush models with a dual-flush conversion kit. We used this HydroRight converter that cost us $25. It took us under an hour to install ours, and required few tools. Here are the steps to convert yours:
Step 1: Remove the old flush handle
The box claimed that this installation would be tool-free. But sadly we quickly required a wrench to remove the tightly-screwed old handle. The good news is that it was still a super easy undertaking.
Step 2: Remove the toilet flapper
The next step of removing the flapper. That’s the gray thing that you can see a sliver of in the bottom-right, which was far less involved (no tools required at all). Oh and turning the water off was optional, but I did decide to do that so I didn’t have to keep sticking my hand into toilet tank water.
Step 3: Attach The Dual Flush Converter
With the old pieces removed, the first task was to slide the bottom part of the dual-flush tower into place where my old flapper had been. You’ll want this to have tight fit over the seal to prevent water from leaks from the tank to the toilet bowl (aka, making your toilet run).
Then I wiggled a tight, black rubber band over the fill tube to keep the dual-flush piece in place and firmly pressed against the opening. There’s also a zip-tie at the back of the piece that I pulled tight to help keep things in place. I had accidentally cut the tie off at first, thinking it was part of the packaging, but thankfully the kit actually supplied a backup!
Step 4: Install The Flush Tower
Then it was time to set the rest of the tower. It looks like quite a beast, but it clicks into place very easily with a simple drop-and-twist motion. You can see some of the technology in this shot – the adjustable blue slider is what helps to regulate how much water should be used in the quick flush function, and the green switch does the same for the full flush.
Step 5: Attach The New Dual Flush Button
My next task was to put in the new button where the old handle had been. I was able to securely hand-tighten this (again, no tools required). Oh and hand-tightening is always a good approach because over-tightening things can potentially crack the porcelain of your tank or bowl. Not good.
Here you can see what the button looks like. It’s split for what we’ve been calling a “single flush” (for liquids) and “double flush” (for, as the packaging describes, “when you need more power”).
From there you just pop the button device (the white box at the other end of the blue cord) onto the back of the button. And there’s no electricity or battery involved, despite the fact that it all started to look somewhat bomb-like at this point.
It took me about 20 minutes to get this far, but my eagerness to start flushin’ was damped by the fact that the buttons didn’t work at all at first. But through a few minutes of trial and error (which is pretty much how we do everything around here at Casa Petersik) I realized that the level of my blue slider was very important. If it was too close or too far from the water level, my button pushing wasn’t strong enough to lift the tower’s built-in flapper. Fast-forward about ten minutes and this John was happy with his john. Both buttons worked every single time once we found that magical placement of the blue slider.
Step 7: Observe Your Water Levels
To demonstrate exactly what this dual-flushing function means when it comes to saving water, check out the difference between how little water is used at the single flush setting, and how much more goes out on the full flush setting. There was definitely an obvious difference in the water level, and you could even hear the toilet working a lot quicker for the single flushing action. Score.
Update: We enjoyed having this dual flush converting installed on this toilet so much, we installed it two more times when we moved to our new house! Both in our guest room toilet and our hall bathroom toilet
Install A Dual Flush Toilet
If you don’t want to mess with retrofitting your existing toilet, you can also purchase a new dual-flush toilet. Costs have come down considerably on dual-flush models since they were first introduced, and now many are just as affordable as standard models. Plus, as we show in this tutorial, it’s not that hard to install a toilet yourself. Here are some options with prices as of this writing:
- Project Source Dual-Flush Toilet ($99)
- Glacier Bay Dual-Flush Toilet ($160)
- American Standard Dual-Flush Toilet ($260)
- Kohler Dual-Flush Toilet ($315)
Some dual-flush toilets always feature a wider trapway (the S-shaped pipe that connects the bowl to the sewer line) which always helps reduce clogs when using less water. We also always recommend getting a toilet with an elongated bowl and comfort or chair height. These features to be the most comfortable to use.
Other Toilet How-Tos
Now that you’ve become better acquainted with your toilet, here are some other tutorials and information you might be interested in.
- How to Install A Toilet
- Our Favorite Toilet (Yes, We Have One!)
- How to Fix A Rocking Toilet
- How To Unclog A Bathtub Drain Without Chemicals
- Convert A Toilet To Dual Flush
- Fixing A Backed Up Toilet Line
*This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Ashley says
My boyfriend is definitely going to ban me from Young House Love. He’s already wanting to string me up with floral wire with the mobiles and now I want to run out and get a dual flusher!
kristen says
we did cloth diapers for a year without a diaper sprayer and recently got one. it’s so worth it!
Lauren says
The dual flush conversion kit is awesome! It is so inexpensive that I don’t mind installing it in our rental house and leaving it for future renters. I also like the fact that the buttons are clearly labeled. My parents have dual flush toliets, but it is hard to distinguish which button is for the little flush.
Pam says
Just last night I replaced the fill valve and flapper in the master bath toilet, so it was comical to see all those tank parts and instructions again. I wish I had waited a day, because I would have purchased the dual flush kit and tackled both projects at once. Back to the hardware store tonight! Thanks for the great info.
Amanda says
Hoping the converter was installed while Sherry was pregnant! That would have saved so much money with all the potty trips. And the slow-hinge toilet seat is a definite must for your next upgrade!
Robin says
The bum genius sprayer cracks me up. We installed ours a couple of weeks ago and all of our friends and family are totally curious. It gives me the giggles every time I have to explain that it’s for spraying out the “stuff” after baby arrives.
cris says
Thanks for this post. I’d seen the dual flush thingy and was wondering how it got installed. Will be adding those puppies to our “remodel must-haves” list. And the diaper sprayer!?!?! I’d never heard of that and (as a future cloth diaper user) I was actually a little concerned about how to get the poop from the diaper to the toilet. Thanks for sharing!
hanna says
All toilets in Finland have the “diapaer sprayer”, but they are not used as diaper sprayer but as bidets. However, their water supply is not the toilet tank, but they are connected to the sink pipes. you adjust the temperature of the water in the sink, and when it’s the right temperature, you push the button on the sprayer and then the water stops coming from the tap and it’s coming from the sprayer instead. this system is so widespread that you will find it even in many public toilets.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that’s so interesting Hanna! It’s amazing what different things are considered “standard” around the globe.
xo,
s
Laura says
Hey guys!
Sorry to get off topic… but I have a quick soap/dispenser question…
We actually have the same exact soap dispenser from Target and use Dr. Bronner’s in it. But when you press the pump it shoots out EVERYWHERE (I think because the castile soap is so thin and the pump opening is so small)! Do you have this problem with yours? If so, do you have any tips to remedy this?
YoungHouseLove says
The key is just to water down the soap! Right on the Dr Bronner’s bottle it actually suggests that, so we fill ours half with water and half with soap and it doesn’t have that issue anymore. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Quercki says
Our house came with something remarkably like the diaper sprayer. Except that the water temperature and pressure can be controlled. It’s a bidet sprayer, and I find it invaluable for adult bum cleaning.
virginia says
We have the same diaper sprayer! It works pretty well, but we did learn the hard way that to contain everything really nicely, you have to keep the dipe pretty low in the bowl. ;) I know of some people that use it as a bidet but honestly, the stream seems kind of too high-powered in my opinion… haha!
Mark says
I don’t think that Hydro Right kit will work with Kohler class 5 toilets that have a “canister” flush valve. They don’t have a flapper, so it doesn’t look like there’s anything to attach the kit to.
YoungHouseLove says
Good point Mark! Perhaps it’s worth peeking in your toilet to see if it has a flapper. Both of our toilets have them, so we assumed they’re pretty standard, but you’re right that fancy toilets without them might not be as easily converted- at least with this kit.
xo,
s
Heather says
Wow, I didn’t even know they made those! Excellant ideas.
Barbara says
I had no idea you could “convert” your toilet. I see a DIY project in my future.
I see some good water fights in your bathroom soon. Sherry brushing her teet, John armed with the sprayer (or vise versa). I also see little Clara, in her crawly phase, having some fun with that too. Better keep it away from Burger too.
letitia fernandes says
In india we have the “diapaer sprayer”, but again they are not used as diaper sprayer but as bidets. However, they have a seperate water supply…no need for hot and cold water as the water is always warm except on exceptionally cold winter mornings. I missed it so much when i came here that my husband had to install a Brondell Swash for me
Catherine says
My husband tried to install the same diaper sprayer about 18 months ago. It resulted in some broken valves/connectors/(?), a flooded bathroom, and a call to a plumber who completely laughed his head off at the idea of a “diaper sprayer” and at my husband’s lack of toilet tinkering skills. My cloth-diapered daughter is now 17 months old and we’ve be doing fine sans-sprayer. Your post makes me want to revisit the issue though – especially since we have another little one due in October.
kim says
Love the name. We have a Clara Beth! And she and her sister (2 years apart) both use/used the same stash of bumGenius one-size diapers. We really like them. The system we use (when on solids) is to have a trash can right by our half-bath (nearest our laundry) We have two liners from wahmies (http://www.wahmies.com/pages/liners.php) that fit perfectly in the can. (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10913337) Took a while to find the right one (inexpensive, not totally ugly, right size for liner, foot step & lid) which is important when you have a fist full of diapers recently desoiled with your cool new sprayer. You can throw the pail liner right in the wash with the diapers and put the second one in the can. bam. done. no smell. And never underestimate the whitening power of the sun. hang those yellowed diapers out to dry and be amazed!
Steph says
Wow this really is genius!
Tia says
This post made it to Consumerist today!
http://consumerist.com/2010/05/save-100year-by-converting-your-toilet-to-dual-flush.html
Leah says
We have the mini-shower diaper sprayer too! We love it. Honestly, it makes cloth diapering WAY easier. We’ve been cloth diapering and washing at home since my now 5 yr old daughter was 3 months old. We had a diaper service, but after 3 months of paying $70 a month, decided to try washing our own. We’ve been using the same set of diapers since then though, so I figure we’ve saved quite a bit of money on diapers not buying disposables, and quite a load of diapers from the landfill. We have an he washer and use a clothesline in the spring/summer, so have saved a bit of water and electricity there too.
I love that conversion kit you installed. We’re going to have to try that. We’re planning on hitting the local salvage store for a new toilet (they have 1.6 gpf ones regularly for $40) since we have an ancient toilet. And putting in one of those conversion kits oughtta continue the water savings! Thanks! And at way cheaper than a $300 new one.
I’m sure you do this at your house, but we have low flow nozzles on everything but the bathtub spout. And we have a rain barrel or two. That helps with water savings. Also, this is kind of a funny one, but we keep a bucket in the bathtub and use it to catch water while we’re waiting for the hot water at the beginning of the shower. We use that to water the garden in the summer and water the indoor plants year round. :) Not sure how much it saves, but I figure it counts!
Brent says
First off, congratulations on your new baby! Second, just wanted to say how random it is that you guys bought the same toilet flush system I just did. I installed them in two 1.6g toilets last week. The big flush works great (and still seems to save some water over what it was before). The small flush however doesn’t work. I think depending on the design of the 1.6gpf toilet, it might not always work. I discovered with the small flush, you have to hold it in just a second longer before releasing it, then you get enough water force to do a small flush. A bit annoying, but it saves at least 2 liters of water still. Did you guys have trouble calibrating the small flush?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Brent,
Nope, we didn’t have any trouble at all with the small flush, well except for the part that we explained in the post (recapped below):
It took me about 20 minutes to get this far, but my eagerness to start flushin’ was damped by the fact that the buttons didn’t work at all at first. But through a few minutes of trial and error (which is pretty much how we do everything around here at Casa Petersik) I realized that the level of my blue slider was very important. If it was too close or too far from the water level, my button pushing wasn’t strong enough to lift the tower’s built in flapper. Fast-forward about ten minutes and this John was happy with his john. Both buttons worked every single time once we found that magical placement of the blue slider.
Maybe that’s the trick to getting yours to work? Good luck!
-John
Megan Elizabeth says
I’m still iffy about the diaper thing. I know that cloth ones are so much better for the environment and everything but when I have kids I have a feeling that I’ll be choosing disposable. Who knows, my mind might change before then. I hope they work out for you, and I’d love to know what you think of them.
And thank you so much for the info about the dual flusher. My friends live in a new very eco friendly condo and their toilet has one. I had no idea that you can sell kits!!! This is awesome. I need one. :)
Jenny C. says
Well- you may be my new best friend :) I had never seen or heard of a sprayer for your toilet for diapers. We have a 6 year old son with Autism that we are potty training. Because he is nonverbal and can’t tell us when he has to go, it makes for quite a few messy pants. This would be great for us! Thanks for the tip!
Anna-Katrin says
First of all, congrats on the beanette! I’m sorry you had to have such a scary delivery experience, but it seems that it was all worth it in the end! Next, may I say that the diaper sprayer is SO high on my list too, I don’t know how I could have ever done without it, now I just wish I could bring it with me to grandma’s etc! (Oh and P.S. the spray volume is adjustable so you actually can use it as a bidet – if you can stand the COLD water coming out of it!) Finally, I would like to predict that the next toilet upgrade you will make (about two years down the road) is one of those new Bemis Next Step toilet seats that has the toddler potty seat built right in? I just got them for both our bathrooms and though we haven’t gotten the whole potty-training thing down yet, I love how I don’t have to see some ugly potty seat sitting around our bathroom!
carole says
we lived in Australia when our first-born arrived, and many people had diaper sprayers on their toilets…we’d spray ’em off, then soak them overnight, wash them in the morning, and hang them to dry on the line (most people did not have dryers!)
i admire your eco-conscious approach!
Mary Barnett says
I suspect I’m not the first (and maybe not the hundredth!) to mention this, but there are also things called “diaper liners” that are kinda like dryer sheets that you put inside the diaper to hold the, um, stuff. They’re flushable and we found them immensely helpful. That sprayer? OMG don’t ever let my children into your bathroom! (and they’re 19 and 22!)
SO excited for you guys!
Elena says
Are you going to do Elimination Communication (aka Infant Potty Training)? Our first is due in 7 weeks and I want to try it, along with cloth diapers, but my husband thinks I’m being too much of a hippy freak.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Elena,
We don’t really know much about it, but we’ve heard a few great things. We might read up on it more and make a decision when we’re closer to that phase of Clara’s development. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Brent says
Thanks for the response John. Yeah, I’ll need to play with the blue and green sliders. It’s more of a water volume problem now. As always though thanks for the tips! Also, after reading Mary Barnett’s comments above…be careful who you let in your bathroom. I could imagine me and my siblings squirting “toilet” water (even though we know it’s fresh water) at each other as a joke and we range 21-30 years old! Ah, the possible jokes you could play on people with that…
Natalie says
Wow. What a great idea! I’ve never even heard of that but it sounds like a huge time-saver. Great job! :)
Cynthia says
I used cloth diapers for both of my children (born in 1978 and 1982, so long ago that diaper pins and plastic pants our only options with those diapers)! I always loved the thought of the soft cotton diapers next to their skin (who would want to wear paper underwear 24/7?) and am delighted to see so many new parents today choosing cloth diapers for their babies.
Thanks for the information today on how to convert your toilet to a dual flush mode — I showed my husband your blog, and he immediately ordered two of the conversion kits from Amazon!
I love your blog and your values, and wish you much joy with your lovely Clara.
Carly says
Firstly, congratulations and welcome earthside darling Clara!
In Australia you’d be hard pressed to find a toilet without dual flush and we haven’t been able to buy single flush toilets here for years.
They are a brilliant water saver.
Adrienne says
Congrats on your new little one. My daughter was born just over a month ago. Time flies for sure.
We’re using cloth diapers as well. For the newborn stages, we’re using prefolds and covers (greenmountaindiapers.com prefolds and Thirsties Duo Covers) and have been having great success. The three days at the hospital in the sposies were enough for us. The prefolds are around $20 a doz and we have 3 dozen. The covers are about $13. And while it’s not as easy as AIOs, they are pretty easy, though my daughter has figured out it’s fun to squirm while I’m putting the snappi on. Add a $3 Snappi and you have diapers for now until the AIOs fit. We have 3 dozen prefolds, 5 covers and two Snappis. Total investment was just over $130 and I couldn’t be happier. We wash every other day.
I encourage you to check out prefolds as an option until Clara fits into the AIOs. Yay for cloth!
Rebecca says
When we moved to Europe a year ago we took a pit stop in Frankfurt airport. It took me a second to figure out how to flush the toilet. All they have are dual flush toilets here. How come it’s taking so long for the US to catch up? Not to sound cynical… I like clever – and I think this gadget is, well, clever. Love your sweet Clara pictures. Congratulations.
betty in munich says
In Germany, dual flush toilets are standard. And believe it or not in Thailand (at least Bangkok) a similar hand held sprayer devise is also standard, really in every modern bathroom. The use is not meant (only) for diapers, but replaces the concept of a bidet, which takes up a lot of real estate in a small bathroom. So be prepared to hook that baby on permanently, because we loved it and used it all the time. It also makes cleaning your toilet and (if the hose is long enough)the shower and floor a breeze. Not to mention cleaning your own personal business end of things when toilet paper is just not enough…err, cough, no further explanation necessary.
betty in munich says
Oh so sorry, I just re-read my comment and that was just too much TMI! We lived in Bangkok for 3 years, so that’s where that came from…
Lynn says
First and foremost: congratulations to you two on the lovely Clara! :-)
“Diaper sprayers” were familiar to me from our visit last year to Malaysia and Thailand – there they are used as “bum sprayers” and can be found in every toilet, even in 5*hotels. It was a bit awkward figuring out how to use them at the start of our trip, but in some lodgings guests were requested to not put toilet paper in the toilet, but in a wastepaper basket, so you learn quickly. :-S I was totally won over at the end of that month – everything feels very fresh and clean – and intend to install one in each of our bathrooms here when we renovate them!
Kevin says
Thanks for posting all the pics for the dual flush installation. I’ve had this product bookmarked for a couple weeks now but I wanted to find out more before I ordered one. Your pics have me sold!
osarah says
That dual flush mechanism is much more attractive than what we have in our apartment. The dual flush thing is all over Germany (possibly Europe? I haven’t explored enough bathrooms to know!). Knowing that this is such an easy project, we’ll probably convert all our toilets in our future stateside home. Thanks for the tip!
Beth says
I just installed this water saver last night!! SOOOO easy!!
First, Home Depot does have them, at least ours did and let me tell you if our Dinker Depot has them they should be available everywhere.
Second, our #1 button is REALLY hard to push so I’m hoping if I follow your suggestion of tweaking the blue slider it will be easier to operate. Thanks for posting that, I kept fiddling with the button itself, never thinking it might be the water level!
I did have to leave the original float attached and working or the water wouldn’t shut off, is that also because the blue float isn’t in the right position?
Like how I’ve made you my personal Petersik plumber? ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Beth,
That’s great to hear they’re at Home Depot and glad you found installation as easy as we did. Since I’m not an official plumber, I’m not quite sure how to explain why you still need to use the original float, but tinkering with those green and blue levels might solve it for you. Again, I’m not sure exactly what I did, but I had to adjust them a few times before I had everything working smoothly.
Oh, and our buttons were a bit tough to push at first too, but they seem to have loosened up (either that or our fingers have gotten much stronger).
-John
Tiffini S says
@Comment by melanie c on May 19, 2010 @ 2:25 pm
AMEN, Melanie! I moved into a house in October and there was a soft close toilet lid already there. It’s the most amazing thing ever! I’m seriously enthralled with this toilet lid. No more 3am “BANG” of the toilet lid going down to wake me up when the hubby is using the bathroom. And now that our son is able to get the lid open, no more worrying about pinched fingers if the lid slams down. Cause it just doesn’t slam! Highly recommended!
mathew says
It’s worth pointing out that in some US states (e.g. Texas) these things are not allowed as per construction code, and if you ever have a problem with your toilet, a licensed plumber will refuse to work on it.
Emily says
This is one of the first things my husband & I plan to do on our new house…we close next week! I did a study abroad in France a couple years ago and the dual-flush system was everywhere! I actually had to explain to a friend of mine that #1 was for liquids, #2 is solids. She was just flying by the seat of her pants; “Hmm, today I feel like a 1” and just picking a button! LOL!
And yes, we’ll be installing the diaper sprayer too. Expecting our first in September!
Elena says
Regarding Infant Potty Training, you can actually start it whenever you want. Some people start when their babies are barely a few days old. There’s youtube videos on it if you do a search on it. You can do it part-time or full-time. It’s how parents in other countries (especially if they don’t have as much access to disposable diapers) potty train their kids by the time they’re 1-1 1/2.
heather Jastrzemski says
OH. MY. GOSH.
I so wish I would have known that a diaper sprayer even existed when we started cloth diapering…I have never even heard of it!
We have a random toilet in our laundry room/mudroom. Sadly, it has spent the past two years as the designated “diaper soaking spot”. I’ve gotten used to setting a diaper in it, closing the toilet lid to secure a dry spot to grab, and then a few minutes later, shaking the diaper to rinse and then attempting to carry the sopping wet mess over a bucket to the washing machine. Ugh…
When I think of all of the nasty moments I could have saved myself!
Not surprised that you guys discovered that something so life-saving is actually out there!
cassie says
First of all….congratulations on your beautiful baby girl! I know you are both already wrapped around her precious finger. It won’t be long before she’s coming home from school with ‘great’ tips like this:
My son learned that it’s not necessary to flush every time you go ‘No. 1’ (they were studying the environment). So now, everytime I go into my bathroom…there is a surprise in the potty! I think I need to invest in this gadget so he can continue to help the environment and I can have a clean toilet!! Thanks for the tip!
maggie says
Hey where did you buy yours at?
YoungHouseLove says
We bought it from amazon, from the exact link that we included in this post. We actually just ordered a second one for the half bath. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
T. says
I would love to hear an update on how the dual flusher is working for you in about 6 months. It seems like a good idea, but it also seems like the kind of thing that could stop working in just a few months.
YoungHouseLove says
Will do, we’ll give you an update in a while. In the meantime we just ordered our second one for our half bath and can’t wait to install it.
xo,
s
Melissa says
This is so incredibly cool! I am going to get one for our 70 year old toilet in the guest bathroom. Much cheaper than getting a new toilet and more eco-friendly!
Thanks for the great tip! Love your site and welcome to Clara!
Melissa
http://www.homeography.net
Amanda says
Awesome! The dual flush is actually pretty standard in Australia, but coming from Canada it was a cool invention when I saw it for the first time (back in 2001)!! It saves us heaps of money for our water bill and it works very well. I don’t know much about the installed ones like yours, as our is part of the toilet!
And, your daughter is amazing!!! Can’t wait to see more baby related changes in your house!
Laura says
We’re expecting in November and are excited to be going down the cloth diaper path – the hand spray is going to be a lifesaver! I’m curious, with all the great cloth diaper companies out there now, how did you decide on Bumgenius? Did you know someone who’s used them? Right now we’re leaning towards Fuzi Bunz, but are always curious to learn about other brands.
Clara is gorgeous!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we actually know three people who got the same BumGenius diapers that we got and they love them. The snaps last a lot longer than any velcro versions do and the one-size-fits-all feature without inserts makes them super simple to use for the long haul. Plus they’re organic. Couldn’t ask for much more. Hope it helps!
xo,
s