I've noticed the flapper thing too. But honestly, replacing a $10 flapper every couple years still beats paying higher water bills each month...especially if your local rates keep climbing like mine do. Seems worth the minor hassle to me.
I've been thinking about this lately since I just bought my first home and inherited some pretty ancient toilets. Here's my take:
- The flapper replacement is definitely cheap and doable, totally agree there. I replaced mine last month—it was easy enough, even for a newbie like me.
- But...I did the math (because apparently that's what you do when you buy a house 😂), and the water savings on newer toilets can actually add up quite a bit over several years, especially with rising rates.
- Also worth considering: newer toilets don't just save water, they usually flush better too. My old ones sometimes need two flushes anyway, which kinda defeats the whole purpose of saving water in the first place.
- Plus, some local utility companies give rebates if you upgrade to water-efficient models. Mine offers $75 per toilet replaced—pretty sweet deal.
So yeah, the flapper fix is fine short-term. But long-term, swapping out for a modern unit might be worth it if you're planning to stay put awhile.
"Plus, some local utility companies give rebates if you upgrade to water-efficient models. Mine offers $75 per toilet replaced—pretty sweet deal."
That's a decent rebate, but honestly, when I swapped mine out, the upfront cost still felt pretty steep. Took a while before the savings really kicked in...just something to keep in mind.
I agree the upfront costs can be a bit daunting, especially if you're replacing multiple units at once. When I upgraded mine, I noticed the savings weren't just from water bills though—there was also less wear and tear on plumbing fixtures over time. Have you considered factoring in reduced maintenance costs? It might not seem obvious initially, but fewer clogs and plumbing calls can add up to decent savings down the road...just something else to think about.
I was hesitant about switching to water-saving toilets at first, mostly because of the initial cost and doubts about performance. But after dealing with a couple of nasty plumbing backups in our older toilets, I decided to give it a shot. Honestly, I haven't seen huge savings on my water bill yet (it's only been a few months), but I have noticed fewer issues with clogging and slow drains. Before the switch, I was constantly worried about overflows or leaks causing water damage—especially since our plumbing is pretty old.
One thing I didn't expect was how much peace of mind I'd get from knowing the risk of plumbing emergencies has gone down. Even if the financial savings aren't massive right away, avoiding those stressful (and expensive) plumber visits has been worth it for me. So yeah, the upfront cost stings a bit, but in terms of safety and reduced hassle, I'm glad I made the change.
