We installed one of those dual-flush models about two years ago, and honestly, it's been a mixed bag. Definitely saves water—our bills dropped noticeably—but yeah, we've had similar clogging issues. Turns out the toilet itself wasn't the main culprit; we had some buildup in our pipes from years of use (older house here too). After a professional cleaning, things improved quite a bit. Still get occasional clogs, but nothing like before...just something to consider before blaming the toilet entirely.
"Turns out the toilet itself wasn't the main culprit; we had some buildup in our pipes from years of use (older house here too)."
Glad you mentioned this, because honestly, a lot of people jump straight to blaming the toilet without checking their plumbing first. Older homes especially can have hidden issues—corrosion, mineral buildup, even tree roots sneaking into pipes. We switched to a dual-flush about three years back (budget-friendly model, nothing fancy), and at first I was pretty skeptical. The water savings were undeniable, but we had clogging issues too. After some DIY research and a bit of elbow grease—rented a drain auger and cleared out decades of gunk—things improved dramatically. Sure, we still get the occasional blockage, but nothing worse than before.
Bottom line: water-saving toilets can be totally worth it if you're realistic about your home's plumbing situation. It's not always the toilet's fault...sometimes your pipes just need a little TLC.
Good points all around.
"Older homes especially can have hidden issues—corrosion, mineral buildup, even tree roots sneaking into pipes."
Exactly this. I've managed a few older properties, and you'd be surprised how often tenants assume it's the toilet when it's really decades of pipe buildup. A thorough pipe cleaning every few years can save a ton of headaches. Glad you figured it out—sounds like you're on the right track now.
Totally agree with the pipe buildup issue—dealt with it myself recently. A few quick thoughts from a first-time homeowner perspective:
- Water-saving toilets do cut down on the water bill noticeably, especially if you've got a family or multiple people in the house. But they're not magic fixes for plumbing issues.
- If your pipes are older, low-flow toilets can sometimes struggle to clear waste properly because there's less water pushing things through. Learned this the hard way...
- Before you switch toilets, definitely get your pipes checked out and cleaned if needed. Otherwise, you might just be masking a bigger issue.
- I ended up having to replace a section of pipe due to tree roots, and honestly, no toilet upgrade would have solved that mess.
Bottom line: water-saving toilets are great for efficiency and bills, but they won't fix deeper plumbing problems. Get your pipes sorted first, then think about upgrading fixtures.
"Before you switch toilets, definitely get your pipes checked out and cleaned if needed."
Couldn't agree more—I've seen tenants swap in low-flow toilets hoping it'd solve drainage issues, only to find out later the real culprit was corroded cast iron pipes. Fix the pipes first, then upgrade fixtures...trust me, saves headaches down the road.
