The dual flush toilet first became a part of our lives back in the early 1990′s – and why not!
I mean, it’s pretty obvious, that little Mandy Brown, who’s just struggled to finish half a bowl of fruit loops would probably not require the same volume of water to flush her ‘business’ as big uncle Joe, who earlier in the day, managed to put down a meat pie, three potato cakes, three dimmies and six rings. Yep! The dual flush toilet was a needed and well received invention.
What intrigues me most about dual flush toilets however, is the multitude of responses to the design of the button mechanism. You can tell by the multitude of different buttons that it has been the job of some design professionals somewhere to come up with a ‘good looking’ or perhaps ‘interesting’ solution.
If you ask me, I don’t reckon it has to look that interesting. I just reckon it has to work! Water is too valuable a resource to get all ‘groovy’ over. Some of the ‘groovy’ looking half flush/full flush buttons really get up my nose as they are more concerned with not spoiling the overall look of the toilet than they are with actually saving water.
Throughout this category of the wasteman site I will be on the look out for dual flush toilet button mechanisms. I’ll find them, photograph them, load them up onto the site and give a little commentary as to whether I think they work well or not. Somewhere I’m also going to have a go at designing a ‘dunny button’ myself – so stay tuned.
Please feel free at any time to comment or even better, why not try sending in some pictures of ‘dunny buttons’ that you come across in your daily days.
First up is one of the worst I’ve found…
For starters, both full flush and half flush are operated by pushing. I think this is a mistake. I would make half flush a push and full flush a pull. I say this because I believe when it comes to hitting a button, the more natural response is to push. Therefore it is better to have the smaller water volume (half flush) utilizing a pushing motion – yes or no?
Secondly, the only graphic that distinguishes full flush from half flush is a slightly longer engraved line. Very ‘groovy’! very ‘slick’! But not very clever! In a room not particularly well lit, or in a situation when the flusher is in a bit of a hurry (most of the time), this button could so easily be misused.
I’m going to give this button a 2.5 out of ten.
What would you give it?
Finally, I just can’t believe I actually spend time thinking about stuff like this. Oh well, can’t help it. I’m the wasteman!
over&over
