Mark Tesran

In 1994 the National Energy Policy Act imposed regulations on the design of best fluhing toilet so that they would use less water, but these early-designed low-flush toilets were not very effective at flushing. Improvements were made to the toilets so that the trapways were larger and the tanks were higher. Water surface was enlarged to 10 inches by 11 inches, compared to 4 inches by 5 inches.

Kroeger True Value in Durango, CO, sells about 20 toilets a month. Residents who abandon their homes for warmer climates during the harsh winters of southwest Colorado often return in the spring to find their commodes cracked.

What they discover when they shop at Kroeger's--as they would at any other retailer in the country--is that new gravity-fed toilets--the least expensive and most popular type--look and act differently than the ones they're replacing. That's because starting in 1994, the National Energy Policy Act outlawed the sale of residential toilets that use more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush (gpf). Older versions used more than twice that: 3.5 gpf. Low-flush toilets definitely conserve water. The problem? "People sqy they have to flush the new best flushing toilet two and three times," says Richard Kidd, plumbing salesman for Kroeger. 'I have one at home, and it does the same thing."

Since low-flow toilets were introduced, some as early as 1984, manufacturers say they've made a number of improvements to help the units flush better and stay cleaner.

Virtually all the original 1.6 gal. toilets were modifications to the 3.5 gal. best flushing toilet," explains Mike Byrum, fashion bath buyer for HomeBase.

That didn't work. Recent introductions reflect "complete redesigns," Byrum says. They're working as well as the old 3.5 gal. designs."

Chief among the improvements: larger water surfaces in the bowl, higher tanks and larger trapways from the bowl to the sewer line. Eljer Industries, for example, increased its water surface from 4-by-5 in. to as high as 10-by-11, depending on the model.

"The larger surface area in the bowl is more conventional-looking and keeps the bowl easier to clean," says Fred Pierce, manager of corporate training for Eljer.

Universal-Rundle claims to be the first to ofeer a larger passageway out of the bowl and into the sewer line, up from 1.75 in. in diameter to 2 in., according to director of product design Larry Fairchild. That helps eliminate the need for a second flush, he says.