Because of the increasing cost of water and the ever increasing demand being made on water treatment facilities, may devices are being developed which helps to conserve water. In a typical residential building the flushing of toilets consumes about half of the water used. Therefore, the potential for savings are great if effective devices can be developed.
One such device is a flush tank which uses normal water pressure to reduce the amount of water required to flush a toilet. Most devices allow air to bleed from the tank ball or flapper. This causes the ball to stop the flush action sooner. However, holding the control handle down will cause normal flushing.
A second means of conserving water in a water closet is to install a special flush valve which will allow the water closet to be flushed with two different quantities of water. When the handle is depressed, the fixture flushes as a normal toilet. When the handle is raised, a smaller amount of water is discharged and fixture flushes as a urinal.
WHAT CAN GO WRONG: Four problems that are likely to occur with the water supply piping are: leaks at fittings, leaks in the pipe, broken pipes, and restricted flow through the pipe.