Dear Jim: Our toilet runs a little, but I do not want a new low-water usage model. Will one of those $10 water-saver flapper kits fix our problem and will it really cut $100 annually from our water bills? -- Paul H.Dear Paul: In the typical family, flushing toilets accounts for just a bit less than half of the water bills. Installing a water saver flush kit can save thousands of gallons of water per year which is more than $100 per year at most area's water rates. I installed them in my own toilets.
You should be able to install any of the many do-it-yourself kit designs in about 15 minutes. Most come with a new tank flapper as part of the kit, so it will fix common toilet running problems. If it does not, you can install a new ball cock valve for about $5 to $10 more.
There is also a significant energy loss in the winter by flushing toilets. After the toilet is flushed, very cold water from the water main fills the toilet tank. This tank of very cold water draws heat from your room air as the water warms to room temperature. This makes your furnace run longer.
Typically, 90 percent of all toilet flushes are for liquids only. Dual-flush kits provide the greatest water savings with the most effective flush. These produce a low-volume flush for liquids and a standard full-volume flush for solids.
My favorite kit design, Select-a-Flush, uses a single handle. Push it down as normal for a water-saving flush for liquids. For a full tank flush for solids, lift the handle. The handle does not have to be held continuously as the toilet flushes.
Other dual flush designs work equally well but require you to hold the handle down a little longer, instead of lifting it, for a full flush for solids. Either design will quickly pay back its cost and is simple to install.
The lowest cost option is a rapid-closing flapper kit and it is very simple to install yourself. There are many designs that basically force the flapper valve to close before the tank is fully empty. You still get the full pressure because the tank still fills to the standard height.
The easiest model to adjust is the Frugal Flush. It has a small cone with various size air bleed holes. Rotate the cone to a larger or smaller hole to fine tune the flush volume. Once it is properly set, you can forget it.
Other inexpensive devices snap on the overflow tube in the tank. Some use a float that moves down the tube and forces the flapper closed earlier. Another design uses clips on the tube to limit how far the flapper opens.
Write for (or instantly download -- www.dulley.com Update Bulletin No. 796 -- buyer's guide of 11 toilet water-saving flush kits, installation instructions, toilet troubleshooting and saving charts. Please include $3 and a business-size SASE.
James Dulley, Deseret News, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244
Dear Jim: We have a large covered front porch on our house. I have seen many older Victorian homes with the porch ceiling painted sky blue. Is there any practical reason to paint it bright blue? -- Martha H.
Dear Martha: From the standpoint of brightness and reflecting more natural light into your home through the windows, a bright white porch ceiling is best. A glossy blue ceiling will reflect slightly less natural light.
The tradition of a blue ceiling goes back a long time. Some Renaissance decorators even added white clouds to the ceiling. Even on a cloudy, rainy day, the sky blue porch ceiling may lift your spirits.
James Dulley's Internet Web page www.dulley.com includes 150 of his previous columns and illustrations organized under 30 general topics. Dulley's Web page also includes a rush order form for readers who want to expedite the delivery of the current Dulley Update Bulletin offered in his column. Each of the 150 columns also has a related detailed Update Bulletin available for interested readers.