Press Release

Press Releases : Pressure-assist technology helps toilets deliver p...

Pressure-assist technology helps toilets deliver performance consumers want ... technology rated #1 by consumers and consumer publications.

Contact: Paul DeBoo (847) 671-4300 or James Nowakowski (847)358-4848
Published: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Franklin Park, IL - Americans want toilets that perform better. Since the law now requires each flush to use only 1.6 gallons of water (down from 3.5 gallons), articles and letters appearing throughout the United States are focused on one thing: the new toilets do not deliver the same performance as the old ones. And that has consumers frustrated.

According to some reports, there is now a "black market" for older toilets.Congressional hearings have been held, and legislation proposed, to repeal the 1.6 requirement. Meanwhile, there is already a solution to the problem of underperforming toilets: adding water pressure to gravity. In consumer publications and independent research, pressure-assist toilets are shown to have the technology that will give consumers what they want in toilet performance.

Here’s How They Work:

The toilet actually contains a tank inside a tank.That is, the pressure-assist vessel resides within the tank of the toilet. When you lift the lid, you see the pressure-assist vessel. This vessel holds all of the water used by the toilet.
As water enters the vessel (see 1 on diagram), the air inside is trapped and compressed. A built-in regulator limits incoming water pressure to 35 pounds per square inch, or about the same as a garden hose.

When the vessel’s internal pressure reaches 35 psi (2), the toilet is ready to flush. When flushed (3), air pressure pushes water through the toilet at almost three times the rate of a traditional gravity system. The whole flush cycle takes less than a minute. (The pushing action of the pressure-assist vessel requires the bowl to be designed differently, which means a gravity toilet cannot be retrofitted with a pressure-assist vessel.)

Impressive Performance, Impressive Results

This simple yet remarkable use of air pressure is the secret to delivering superior performance. It’s the kind of performance that gets attention. For example, a survey sponsored by Sloan FLUSHMATE®, the world’s leading manufacturer of pressure-assist vessels, found 92% of FLUSHMATE-equipped toilet owners were satisfied with pressure- assist technology. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power surveyed residential users of low-flow toilets and discovered that people were generally very satisfied with low-flush toilet performance -- with the highest ratings going to pressure-assist. All of the toilets in San Simeon, California were changed to pressure-assist; water consumption dropped 39% and, at a 95% reduction, bowl stoppages virtually disappeared. Last but not least, research by the National Association of Home Builders and American Waterworks Association shows the most efficient toilet tested to date uses pressure-assist technology.

The World Discovers Pressure-Assist

Pressure-assist toilets are used worldwide in major hotels. But they can also be found in commercial and residential settings. Fixture manufacturers in nations such as Austria, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Taiwan, as well as in the United States, are offering pressure-assist technology to consumers. Pressure-assist toilets have been documented as needing 90 per cent less maintenance compared to older, water-guzzling toilets. And, as public awareness of health and hygiene issues increases, pressure-assist helps assure proper sanitation through effective cleaning. FLUSHMATE's pressure-assist vessels come with a 10-year warranty, have fewer moving parts compared to gravity toilets, and typically require less maintenance.

As people continue to acquaint themselves with this highly desirable alternative, it’s good news for the fixture manufacturers who make the china, for the people who use it, and for extending the fresh water supplies we all need. For more information on how pressure-assist technology works, visit: www.flushmate.com.

SIDEBAR: Toilets on the Internet

Consumers with Internet access are only a few keystrokes away from seeing toilets equipped with the FLUSHMATE® pressure-assist system. FLUSHMATE is installed in these and other styles of low-flow toilets from the biggest names in fixture manufacturers:

Two piece close coupled elongated
Two piece close coupled round front
Two piece close coupled handicapped
Two piece close coupled floor mount rear outlet elongated
One piece elongated
Wall Hung Two piece