Every modern home or business has at least one toilet. Most of those toilets use gravity to flush waste out of their bowls—but there’s a much better way: pressure-assisted toilets.
With a gravity toilet, water essentially just falls into the bowl, with the force of the falling water creating a siphon effect that pulls the bowl’s contents down the drainpipe. A pressure-assisted toilet, on the other hand, uses compressed air to force the water into the bowl, pushing waste out.
Pressure-assisted toilets—sometimes called “power flush” toilets—are a powerful alternative to gravity toilets. They almost never clog, they save water, they’re easier to maintain, and they stay cleaner-looking longer.
The advantages of pressure-assisted toilets matter to both homes and businesses. But where do they matter more? Let’s break it down.
Advantage: Pressure-assisted toilets are much less likely to clog. They exert 91% more volumetric flow rate than gravity toilets for waste extraction that’s 233% better using the same amount of water. What does all that science mean? It means pressure-assisted toilets are a lot better at moving all the waste out of the bowl on the first flush.
Residential Use: Clogged toilets always seem to strike at the worst times—holidays, birthday parties, or when the in-laws are over. With a pressure-assisted toilet, you can avoid these mishaps and focus on celebrating, not plunging.
Business Use: For businesses, there’s never a good time for a clogged toilet, because a functional restroom is a crucial part of customer satisfaction. Frequent clogs with gravity toilets can waste time and money and sour a customer's experience. Pressure-assisted toilets keep things flowing smoothly.
The winner: It’s a tie—both homes and businesses benefit from reduced clogs.
Advantage: Pressure-assisted toilets make maintenance simpler and less expensive. Homes or businesses with pressure-assisted toilets have an easier time with toilet maintenance. They don’t have to deal with clogs, don’t have to clean the bowl as often, and need to do repairs less frequently.
Residential Use: Homeowners often don’t think about toilet maintenance until it’s time to fix or replace one—and then the cost can be an unwelcome surprise. Having low-maintenance power flush toilets gives homeowners real peace of mind.
Business Use: For business owners and facility managers, restroom upkeep is an essential responsibility— particularly in the hospitality industry. A restaurant may spend 60-90 minutes each day cleaning their restrooms in addition to time spent on regular maintenance and repairs. So, pressure-assisted toilets deliver regular, bottom-line benefits.
The winner: Both! Pressure-assisted toilets save homes and businesses money.
Advantage: Pressure-assisted toilets save water. Pressure-assisted toilets need less water to achieve the same (or greater) flushing force as gravity toilets. They’re effective using as little as 1 gallon per flush (gpf), while gravity toilets often use 1.6 gpf (or even more in older models).
Pressure-assisted toilets can also virtually eliminate the need for double-flushing, because waste gets pushed out on the first flush.
Residential Use: According to the U.S. EPA, toilets are by far the main source of home water use in the home, accounting for nearly 30% of an average home's indoor water consumption.1 So, pressure-assisted toilets that save water with every flush can make a real difference on a home’s water bill.
Business Use: A business can have dozens or even hundreds of toilets. When you multiply lower gpf by the number, and then by the number of times each day those toilets get flushed, the water cost savings can be huge. One apartment complex in Baltimore, for instance, reported a 57% average drop in daily water usage and a 46% average reduction in water costs after installing pressure-assisted toilets.
The winner: Another tie. Everyone likes a lower water bill!
Advantage: Pressure-assisted toilets stay cleaner-looking longer. Pressure-assisted toilets keep toilets looking nicer in two ways.
First, the extra flushing power lets water sit higher in the bowl, leaving less surface area where material can cling. Second, all the water in a pressure-assisted toilet tank is contained within an inner vessel, so you won’t see the “sweating” on the outside of a tank that you might see with a gravity toilet.
Residential Use: Homeowners typically don’t clean their toilets daily—and literally have to live with their toilets—so they enjoy a big benefit when their pressure-assisted toilets stay cleaner-looking longer.
Business Use: In certain industries (such as restaurants), a dirty toilet can definitely be bad for business, but every business can benefit from having cleaner toilets for their employees and visitors.
The winner: Both—because nobody likes a dirty toilet.
So, are pressure-assisted toilets better for homes or businesses?
It’s basically a tie! Everyone who installs pressure-assisted toilets loves the results, whether they’re in a small home or a giant business.
Talk to the experts at Flushmate to learn more about the difference pressure-assisted toilets can make for your home or business.