For flush valve toilet, is the bowl itself also required to be Water Sense labeled? Or just the Flush Valve?
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flush valve toilet, is the BOWL required to be WaterSense?
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Trista Brown
Project DirectorWSP USA
449 thumbs up
December 21, 2016 - 7:31 pm
This fact sheet from WaterSense indicates that bowls and flush valves can be labeled separately or as a complete system - www3.epa.gov/watersense/products/docs/FV-HET_FactSheet_Final508.pdf. I believe that likely means that both components (or the complete system) must carry the label. Here's another WaterSense page that discusses flushometer-valve style toilets: www3.epa.gov/watersense/products/flushometer-valve-toilets.html
Greg Romanczyk
EXP18 thumbs up
December 22, 2016 - 10:00 am
Trista, Thank you for your reply. I was actually along the same lines of thinking as you, but I received this confirmation from GBCI the other day which provides clarification on the v4 required Water Sense labeled fixtures:
"Thanks for contacting us, regarding Water Sense labeled products. Neither flush valves or water closet bowls are required to be WaterSense labeled. The WaterSense label requirement applies only to the fixtures labeled by WaterSense when the LEED v4 rating system was published (tank-type toilets, water-using urinals, private lavatory faucets, and showerheads).
The WaterSense label requirement does not apply to fixtures unlabeled by WaterSense when the LEED v4 rating system was published, including flushometer toilets (separate flush valve and bowl).
Only tank-type toilets must be WaterSense labeled. Projects can still use flushometer toilets, they just do not have a WaterSense label.
A WaterSense specification for flushometer toilets was released in December 2015; LEED projects are encouraged, but not required, to use WaterSense labeled flushometer toilets as they become more available in the market. The water closet bowl is not required to be labeled. It is recommended that the bowl should be compatible with the flush valve (i.e. the bowl flush rating should not be less than the flush valve rating)."
Trista Brown
Project DirectorWSP USA
449 thumbs up
December 22, 2016 - 5:46 pm
That's good clarification! Thanks for sharing.
Michelle Rosenberger
PartnerArchEcology
519 thumbs up
September 26, 2017 - 4:51 pm
I also appreciate the clarification since most of my projects use flushometer toilets, but this rationale using the "published date of the rating system" has never been the basis for eligible ratings before. With Energy Star equipment, eligible has always been an issue of when your project was registered not when the rating system was published. So I'm a little nervous about that response. However, if this is the rationale, it seems like something that should be reflected in the FAQs for this credit.