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Does Putting a Brick in my Toilet Tank Save Water?

Posted on November 18, 2022 by Melbourne Plumber

If you have ever seen an old brick resting in a toilet tank and wondered to yourself “what in the world?”, you are in good company. Many people have never heard of the old wives tale of why you should put a brick in your toilet tank.

Its not there to ward off evil spirits or balance the alkalinity of the water. No. Its there because someone came up with the idea that by putting a brick in the tank you can save water and therefore save money.

As a professional plumber in the Melbourne FL area,  I am here to tell you that yes, you may be able to command a flush that uses a little less water but by doing so you are putting a strain on your toilet and plumbing system.

The toilet you have in your bathroom was carefully designed to use the exact amount of water it needs to safely and effectively flush whatever is in the bowl into the pipes and doing so with enough force that it moves the sewage along. By not having enough of a push behind your waste you can eventually cause a serious clog.

Not only will the waste not have the proper amount of force but the brick itself can degrade over time. Tiny bits and pieces of the brick get lodged in the areas where water is supposed to flow freely. Then you have to clean the tank out and start over. And sometimes the toilet can be damaged to the point where you have to buy and install a new one.

Yes, the toilets in your home are responsible for up to 30% of the water you use. But in the grand scheme of things, this is money well spent. Creating a safe and expedient way to remove waste from your home is what the toilet was invented for and is truly worth every penny.