Who makes it: MJSI Inc.
Plenty of homeowners are happy to cut down on water use, but few are willing to replace their toilets to do it, according to Michael Schuster, president of MJSI, Inc. That’s why his company began offering the HydroRight Dual flush converter, a drop-in device that turns a typical toilet into a “European-style” two-button operation.
It takes about seven minutes for a homeowner to install the converter — no tools required.
“It’s been a runaway hit,” Schuster said. “Partially because it’s a water conservation product, but probably even more so because it’s easy for the average consumer. It’s something you can drop right in without tools.”
Schuster, a fourth-generation plumber, says that about 20 percent of American toilets leak, and that the HydroRight converter fixes the two most common sources — the flapper and the lift chain. An independent study found that HydroRight converters enable household indoor water savings averaging 30 percent.
“Even with water being cheaper than dirt, it still has a quick return on investment,” Schuster said. “It can pay for itself in four months.”
The converter retails for about $20 at Home Depot, Wal-Mart and outside typical plumbing sections at places like Bed Bath & Beyond and Amazon.com.
In fact, it’s less a “revolutionary” product than a commonplace device that has the potential for immediate water savings. MJSI said it’s already sold 750,000 HydroRight converters. One judge said of the product: “This one is clearly already on the market and should go into mainstream use really quick.”
The converter, manufactured in China, is made of petroleum-sourced plastic. Schuster said the savings it enables outweigh the environmental cost of production.
“It’s the durability that allows it to be sustainable in the long term,” he said.
Retrofitting an existing porcelain toilet, after all, keeps it out of the landfill and avoids the cost of shipping a new one.
