Q–We have an American Standard Concord toilet that’s about 20 years old. While we love it, it uses more water than newer models. I recently read somewhere that putting a brick in the tank will reduce the amount of water used in each flush.
My questions is this: Will the weight of the brick have any adverse effect on the tank? As you know, part of the water is held in chambers on either side of the bowl so a low profile unit can be achieved. The only room for a brick is in one of these chambers and I wonder if the added weight will pose a danger to the integrity of the bowl or outside wall.
Walter Schauer
Hazel Crest
A–Placing a brick in your toilet tank will have little adverse effect on the unit, says John Replogle, a research hydraulic engineer and chief scientist for the U.S. Water Conservation Lab in Phoenix. “A brick only weighs a few pounds and that’s not enough to cause any problems to the structural integrity of the toilet.”
But there are a couple of things you do want to be careful about, he says. First, the brick should be placed on its end against the side of the toilet tank in one of the chambers, so it’s away from the toilet’s operating mechanisms. Second, use a good-quality, hard-fired brick that has been outdoors awhile so it won’t be bothered by moisture.
Once it’s in the tank, check the brick periodically to make sure it’s not flaking or crumbling.
You can avoid any brick problems by substituting something else for the brick. “Anything that displaces volume in the tank will work,” says Replogle. For example, any empty plastic soda bottle can be filled with water and submerged in the tank.
“You can also fill an old glass jar with marbles or stones and water, seal it, and use that as well,” says Replogle.
You can put a second brick or bottle in the tank to try to save additional water, but eventually you might find yourself flushing twice to remove waste and flushing away more water than you’re saving.
Now, here’s the reward for this seemingly simple step. Each time you flush, you’ll save about a quart of water. If you flush the toilet 20 times a day (typical for a family of four, says Replogle), you’ll save five gallons or so of water.
Over the course of a year, that’s more than 1,800 gallons of water, he notes. If you’re on a metered water system and pay by the gallon, you can quickly calculate what one brick will save you per year.
Now while that may seem like significant water savings, we need to conserve more water, says Replogle: “The Chicago metropolitan area is at it’s edge as far as drawing its legal supply of water from Lake Michigan.”
He also offered a few other water-saving tips that can make a difference.
For example, many American waste dozens–if not hundreds–of gallons of water by overwatering their lawn. By using water timers, or letting Mother Nature take care of the lawn, you can conserve hundreds of gallons of water each month during the watering season, says Replogle.
In addition, he suggests showers instead of baths, low-flow shower heads, and repairing even the smallest leaks at household faucets. All of the above steps can save several gallons of water each day, he says: “We all need to conserve more, and it isn’t hard to do.”
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Got a question about home energy or home environmental issues? Write to Energy Q&A, Chicago Tribune, Your Place section, 435 N. Michigan Ave., 4th Floor, Chicago, Ill. 60611. Or you can e-mail energy qa@aol.com. Questions will be answered only through the column.
