I hear you on the noise—my first encounter with a pressure assist toilet nearly gave me a heart attack. I’m still not sure my cat’s forgiven me for that one. I went with a dual-flush water-saver when I moved in, and honestly, it’s been solid. No double flushing so far, and it’s definitely cut down my water bill. But yeah, I spent way too long reading reviews because some models just don’t cut it, especially with older pipes. It’s kind of wild how much difference brand and model make.
I get what you’re saying about the water bill, but I’ve had a different experience with dual-flush. Maybe it’s just my old plumbing, but sometimes the “low” flush just doesn’t cut it and I end up flushing twice anyway. Like you said,
I guess it really does come down to the brand and how your house is set up. I went cheap on mine and kinda regret it—sometimes saving money upfront isn’t worth the hassle later.“some models just don’t cut it, especially with older pipes.”
Honestly, I think a lot of it comes down to installation and matching the toilet to your plumbing. I swapped out an old single-flush for a decent dual-flush in my 70s house, and it’s worked fine—no double flushing needed. Maybe the cheaper models just don’t have enough power, or maybe it’s the way they’re set up? Sometimes spending a bit more upfront really does pay off, especially with stuff you use every day.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’m not totally convinced it’s just about the price or installation. We put in a mid-range dual-flush last year, and honestly, it’s been a mixed bag. Sometimes it works great, but other times you do have to flush twice, especially with the low-flow option. Maybe it’s our older pipes? Or maybe some brands just don’t deliver the same performance, no matter how much you spend. It feels like there’s a bit of trial and error involved...
Honestly, I’ve seen that happen a lot—sometimes it’s not just the toilet, but the plumbing in older houses can make a difference. If your pipes are narrower or have buildup, even a good dual-flush might struggle. Did you notice any issues with slow drains or backups before you swapped toilets? Sometimes it’s less about the brand and more about what’s behind the wall...
