We are working on a University Administrative Building where the toilet fixtures are old, connected to the wall, without a tank, and have no labels of flow rates. How do we measure the flow rate to calculate the water efficiency? Can we use the simple method of flushing and counting how long the flush lasts? Would that satisfy the records for LEED credit WEp1 ? Thanks in advance!
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David Posada
Integrated Design & LEED SpecialistSERA Architects
LEEDuser Expert
1979 thumbs up
March 31, 2011 - 8:49 pm
The duration of the flush won't tell you much, but you can try a few other things:
Determine the age of the fixtures from facility staff or building records; Look for the manufacturer name, and any serial number or other markings; Contact the manufacturer and ask what was typical flow rate for that era of fixture type or that model. I've heard a suggestion to have a plumber or maintenance staff person disconnect the flush valve from the bowl and flush into a bucket to measure the volume, but it doesn't sound like an easy task. There may be some other clever way to isolate and capture the water with plastic bags, duct tape, rubber hoses... but not sure you'll find many volunteers!