Syracuse (Consumer Reports) -- You have probably never given it much thought, but you will flush a toilet more than 140,000 times in your lifetime. Flushing is a big concern to Consumer Reports’ testers. They’ve just finished evaluating dozens of toilets.
The tests included dual-flush toilets. They have a lower volume flush for liquid waste. Another water saver is a toilet that has the government’s WaterSense label. Consumer Reports says toilets that use less water can save you more than $90 a year on your utility bills.
To see how well the toilets work, Consumer Reports flushed down a variety of objects, including sponges and plastic balls. Although many Kohlers did well in that test, its Devonshire K3488 left a lot behind! As for liquid waste, all of the toilets rated excellent.
Testers also measure noise, another problem with many toilets.
When all the tests were done, Consumer Reports named two Best Buys for $100 each, the AquaSource AT1203-00 available at Lowe’s, and the Glacier Bay N2316, a dual-flush toilet sold at The Home Depot. And they both have the WaterSense label, so you’ll be conserving water and keeping your utility bills down.
Toilets come in two heights these days; the tallest are 17 inches high. Companies refer to that as the “comfort height.” Both of the toilets Consumer Reports recommend are about 17 inches high.
