I love a device that could save water and money. Wouldn’t you? Over the years, I noticed that the cost of water keeps rising. So when Jeff Nasrallah, the inventor and owner of Tap-n-Flush, offered me a toilet water conservation device to review, I immediately jumped at the chance to try it.
So that you know, I own Toto 1.6 gallons per flush toilets. They are not low-flow toilets.
What is a Tap-n-Flush?
The device is a light-weight option for reducing toilet water usage. You can purchase the Tap-n-Flush on Amazon HERE. It costs $16.95.
According to the Company, the device is
- easy to install. (Note, a commenter on Amazon stated that the installation video is much easier to follow than the instruction provided with the kit.)
- Could save you up to $100 on your annual water bill. (See photo below.)
- Contains an easy dial setting so that you can determine how much water you want to save.
Best yet, the Company offers a money back guarantee.
Water Conservation:
How much will it save you? The Company offers this graphic to show you percentages of water saved based on the type of toilet you own.
The Company further states:
“Up to 70% of the water in the tank can be saved when using a small flush, and most of the time we use the toilet only a small flush is required. A family of four converting to dual flush can expect to save up to $100 a year. (Savings vary based on local water and sewer rates and toilet usage.) The Tap-n-Flush can convert old water wasting pre-1980 toilets (5 gallons per flush) to a reduced water usage of only 2.2 gallons per flush for a small flush and it converts new Low-Flow post-1990 toilets (1.6 gallons per flush) to use as little as 1.0 gallon per flush for a small flush (usage varies with toilet model).”
How Does it Work?
Watch the video below on how this device works.
Okay, But Does it Work?
When the package arrived, I was so excited until I realize that I would have to put it in my toilet tank. I am not the handiest and squirmed at the idea of trying to install this device. It does look quite easy but in the past, I have had problems installing devices on my Toto toilets. Luckily, the Green Talk community is teeming with super handy skills.
Thank goodness.
Geoff, one of GT’s readers, offered to install it and provide a review. He is an avid woodworker and considers himself quite handy. (He is also a retired chiropractor, a college professor of anatomy and physiology, and author. Be sure to check out his inspirational blog HERE.)
Yep, the Green Talk community is teeming with Renaissance people too.
Despite Tap-n-Flush’s promises, Geoff was not convinced that this idea was a hero. He tried the device on a Toto 1.6 gallons per flush toilet.
Read on:
Geoff’s review:
Before, Geoff starts his review, above is the Tap-n-Flush sitting on his toilet. Notice how small the device is.
Geoff writes:
A well-intentioned, but a probably too-late idea …
I installed and tested the “Tap-n-Flush” device at the request of a friend. It’s a simple system that allows you to choose the amount of water used by your toilet each time it flushes. You can choose a “short” flush for simple liquid flushes, or a longer flush for solids, etc. The concept is good, but I suspect that this device’s time has already come and gone. More about that in a moment.
The device is indeed easy to install, with fairly clear instructions. It took me about 10 minutes … most of which involved reading the instructions. It requires 4 AA batteries.
The Tap –n-Flush performed exactly as stated by the manufacturer. It regulates the time the flapper valve is open on each flush. You can set the time in 1 second increments. The concept being … the shorter time the flapper is open, the less water used in each flush, and vice-versa.
This device may be useful for older, inefficient toilets. However, the new low-volume toilets have fast, powerful flushes. There would be no need for this device.
The Tap-n-Flush sells for $16.95 on Amazon. If you’ve got an old toilet, and don’t wish to replace it, this device may be worth a try. But beware … the nature of the old toilets, is that they need the long flush time to be able to clear the undesirables. If you cut the time short, the flush may be incomplete … and you’d have to flush again … thereby defeating the purpose.
In summary, if you can afford a new toilet, get one. If not, then the $16.95 may save you some water in the simple liquid flushes.
My Thoughts About the Tap-n-Flush
One of my worries about any water saving device is flushing #2. I don’t like a dirty bowl, but I can be a little bit anal about cleanliness.
In addition, be sure to check out the Amazon reviews for this product. There were only a few poor reviews. Nasrallah (the inventor) personally responded to both of the poor reviews.
Join the Conversation:
Would you consider purchasing a Tap-n-Flush?
Pictures courtesy of Tap-n-Flush and Geoff Guy.
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Anna says
February 17, 2015 at 3:23 pmSounds like a good product, so it it really works I can see a lot of people installing it and using it. Thankfully our toilet has a dual flash which allows us to use smaller amount of water for #1 🙂
Anna@Green Talk says
February 18, 2015 at 10:53 amHonestly, I think this is where the device probably excels. In the #1 department. 🙂 Anna
Renee Kohley says
February 17, 2015 at 3:34 pmOh neat! I”m going to show this to my husband and plan on getting one!
Raine Saunders says
February 17, 2015 at 3:45 pmThis is a very interesting device! Thank you for sharing this information Anna!
Jessica @conveyawareness says
February 17, 2015 at 3:45 pmI think my husband would try this and for the cost, why not? Surely it is worth a try. We have three toilets so the savings could be noticeable. Great post and review. =)
Rama says
February 17, 2015 at 4:11 pmInteresting. I have never heard of this device. We could definitely save on our water bill. I wonder if it would be worth it to us. I’ll show the hubs and see what he thinks. 😉
Anna@Green Talk says
February 18, 2015 at 10:53 amRama, what I like is there is a money back guarantee. Try it and see. Anna
emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
February 17, 2015 at 5:15 pmSeems like a good way to conserve water.
Anna@Green Talk says
February 18, 2015 at 10:50 amEmily, I think for #1 I think it is okay. Not sure about #2 though. Anna
karen says
February 17, 2015 at 5:50 pmLOL ==> “I can be a little bit ‘anal’ about cleanliness”
Way to go Anna for using your loyal TMM community to review this product.
Geoffrey’s (Retired Chiropractor like me!) review was about how I felt about the product, except, it took me longer to read the instruction pamphlet (>20 minutes) because there were too many diagrams and confusing sections.
The product is sort of outdated since most of the toilets are low flow tanks now and like Geoffrey said, if the tanks are older, by design, they need more water to flush all the items down. The toilet I tested it on (semi-low flow) does not have the strong flushing power so I needed to Tap it more than twice to get the job done. Also, plastic that the gadget was made of was very cheap.
Anna@Green Talk says
February 18, 2015 at 10:52 amKaren, I guess retired chiropractors think alike. I was worried about how it flushed with #2.
Megan Stevens says
February 17, 2015 at 5:53 pmGreat review! Yes, I’d consider getting one. Pinning.
Krystal says
February 17, 2015 at 6:28 pmWe recently renovated our bathrooms but this would’ve come in really handy before.
Anna@Green Talk says
February 18, 2015 at 10:50 amWhat type of toilet did you end up getting?
Chloe @ How We Flourish says
February 18, 2015 at 11:03 amInteresting! My mom has a dual-flush converter she got for $20-$30. It was pretty easy to install and you don’t have to worried about not flushing long enough.
Jordan says
February 18, 2015 at 11:17 amInteresting review here! It seems relatively easy to put in – and if it helps conserve water, even in a small way, it’s probably worth looking into installing.
Javi gil says
May 5, 2016 at 2:53 pmNever saw this device before. I still remember those days when I would flush down the toilet a tick while wasting 4 gallons of water in the process. I am more aware now when I use a toilet. I haven’t used one since February (3 months and counting), since I am using a compostable toilet. But I will be installing a water conservation device back at home in NH when I get back!
Anna@Green Talk says
May 9, 2016 at 6:11 pmThat is so cool that you are using a composting toilet. How do you control the smell? Anna
Javi gil says
May 9, 2016 at 6:42 pmWe have 2 different ones. One is just a bucket with a toilet lid. Once you do your thing, you put a couple of cups of saw dust. There is basically no odor, because the saw dust will absorb the moisture. When the bucket is 3/4 full, we will take the bucket, and bring it to an outdoor pile, where it will decompose for 3 years, and then it is used to fertilize outdoor plants.
Other compostable toilet is waterless. It has a thermostat, fan, and a mixer. That one creates finished compost in just one year.
It was a little bit tough for me not being able to use a flushing toilet, but now I don’t miss it that much. I guess people adapt. It is kind of the weird thing when people come to visit.
Anna@Green Talk says
May 10, 2016 at 8:24 amWhere does the second toilet’s poo sit while it is decomposing. I am not sure if I could do the bucket one. 🙂
Javi Gil says
May 10, 2016 at 11:52 pmThe second toilet is a composting toilet. It is a toilet sit that connects with a large tank in the basement. There is a fan running that is constantly moving air from the tank through a vent up in the roof. There is no smell while you are doing your business, because air is pulled down to the tank, and from there up to the roof. There is no septic tank, and all the byproduct is recycled.