How to save water and money with a delayed action inlet valve

Reading time: 6 minutes

When meeting with numerous washroom companies to discuss their WC products, one of the most common questions brought to the table is, “which are the most economical and environmentally friendly washroom products available?” with a particular focus on BREEAM flow rates and flush volumes.

At Dolphin Solutions, we continuously optimise the features of our washroom products to help our clients achieve their sustainability goals while delivering a budget friendly solution.

Dolphin concealed cisterns are the most popular WC products to specify. Due to innovation efforts, we can confidently say that the improved delayed action inlet valve in our concealed cisterns is the most valuable water saving and economical device in a toilet on the market today.

But first, we need to explain how a typical traditional float valve works and how it wastes water. Then, we can help you understand how the innovative delayed action inlet valve works and how it saves water – and money.

What is the problem with how a traditional slow-fill valve is designed?

As the float descends, new water flows through the slow-fill valve during a flush and mixes with the water already exiting through the outlet valve. Essentially, the water that flushes into the toilet bowl takes the new water with it until the tank is empty and the flush valve closes.

How is water wasted with a traditional float valve?

The faster the water exits the tank, the faster the traditional float valve descends with the water level, and the faster the water pipe opens to let new water in. Essentially, the water pipe is filling the tank with an open flush valve at the bottom, which is pointless and is how water gets wasted.

Although the traditional float valve pours water into the tank at a slow pace, it essentially tops up the water level as the tank empties. Therefore, even though the tank is draining quickly, the combination of new water flowing into the flushing water firstly prolongs the time it takes for the tank to empty and for the outlet valve to close, and secondly wastes water by taking extra new water with it.

How many litres of water is wasted?

Up to 0,5 litre of water is wasted per flush before the water level gets to the low point where the flush valve closes.

This quantity is astonishing when you start calculating the extra litres of new water going down the drain with the flushed water.

How much water is saved with a delayed inlet valve?

Here is an example to understand just how much water can be saved with a delayed action inlet valve:

There are 1000 occupants in an office building, and each person visits the washroom three times a day (flushing the toilet once per visit), and let’s say the office is occupied for 200 days of the year, taking into consideration hybrid/remote working and bank holidays.

Calculation

1000 people X 3 flushes daily X 200 days in the office X approximately ½ a litre of water = 300 000 litres of water saved in a year.

If you look at the bigger picture in a scenario like this, you will agree this is an enormous amount of water savings.

How much money does a delayed inlet valve save?

Firstly, the cost of water and sewage services in the United Kingdom can vary depending on several factors, such as the location, the amount of water used, the type of property, and the specific water company that serves the area.

But referring to the 300 000 litres of water savings per year example (according to the above calculation), you can only imagine the significant amount of money you are saving on your utility bill.

Watch our video on how the delayed action inlet valve save water and money.

Why is this inlet valve special?

Dolphin Solutions’ delayed action inlet valve in a concealed cistern is a more efficient and effective way to manage water usage, making it a special feature for those who are environmentally conscious and want to save on their water bills.

If you would like us to demonstrate how our delayed action inlet valve for a concealed cistern operates, please reach out to us using the contact form below or call us. We will be happy to answer any more questions you have.

Get ready for our washroom specialists to present the most innovative water and cost saving washroom solution yet.