Dual-flush toilets, the water-saving commodes that typically offer users a choice of a 1.6-gallon or a .8-gallon burst to dispose of waste, can be confusing -- but it doesn't have to be that way, according to the plumbing technology experts at Geberit North America.

In public restrooms, dual-flush toilets often feature actuators that don't look markedly different from a standard one -- the stick-style handle that works by pushing down on it, like in the picture below.

The difference for dual-flush units is that a downward push will provide a flush with one amount of water and an upward push provides another.

Sometimes there is a sign or an arrow on the wall above or behind the handle to show which way to tug and how many gallons or liters per flush are used by either choice.

Instructive, yes. Attractive? Not so much.

Enter Geberit with a line of button-style, dual-flush actuators in which the size of the button indicates the size of the flush.

The buttons can be round or rectangular, and the company makes them in metal and plastic with a variety of finishes. With model names like Samba, Bolera, Sigma50, Kappa50, Geberit describes its flush actuators as a solution to "combine aesthetics with practical appeal."

Here's what John Fitzgerald, director of marketing for Geberit North America, says about his company's aim to blend form with function. "The flush actuator shouldn't be an afterthought to bathroom design," Fitzgerald says in a prepared statement. "Rather, a contemporary or classically designed actuator can be a unifying element in bathroom décor while providing practical and convenient flushing options."

Geberit North America is part of the Geberit Group, which is based in Switzerland.


Product images courtesy of Geberit North America.
Inset image of traditional flush actuator CC licensed by Flickr user powerbooktrance.