Local inventor's business is 'in the toilet'

CLEVELAND -- Wally Berry is proud of the fact that his business is in the toilet. Literally. Berry is the inventor of a device he says will revolutionize the way we flush our toilets.

His company will soon manufacture a device called the Siphon Flush, an alternative to the "flapper" which has controlled water flow in toilets for more than 50 years.

"Twenty percent of all flappers in toilets leak at any one point in time," Berry, a native of Fairview Park, points out. "Since there's 250 million toilets in single family dwellings, that's a lot of leakage."

The amount of water that collective escapes from leaky flappers amounts to 11 million gallons a minute across the country, Berry says. That's more than twice as much water as goes over Niagara Falls in the same period of time.

The Siphon Flush has been in the development stages for two and a half years. Berry got a loan from Cuyahoga County and big support from MAGNET, the Manufacturers Advocacy Group which provided him with a senior design engineer.

That engineer, Dave Pierson, says Siphon Flush went through much iterations on the drawing board and in tests before today's final product was realized.

"It really took a lot of innovation and a lot of focus, and using some special software," Pierson explained.

The principle of the Siphon Flush is that an air bubble is used to keep water in the toilet tank, and when its flushed, water replaces the bubble creating a suction, forcing the water into the bowl. The device then fills with air again and floats back up with the refilling water.

"We've been more than successful," says Berry. "Not only will our product the Siphon Flush not leak. It is actually more efficient and uses less water in the toilet.

Berry guarantees his product not to leak for 20 years, and says it will retail for about $27. Mass production should begin in the Cleveland area in about two weeks. Assembly will be done by workers who have disabilities, working under the S.A.W. Program operated by the Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.

Berry says any homeowner can complete the installation. "You do have to take the toilet tank off, which you'd have to do if you replaced most flappers anyway. But it's only 20 minutes."

Pierson and Berry are sold on Northeast Ohio's ability to recognize an innovative idea and support it. Berry told WKYC, "I actually think this area has more resources available for entrepreneurs and new products than any region in the United States.

He says the Siphon Flush has already caught the attention of cities and governmental agencies which operate buildings with many toilets, especially in the South and West where water is at a premium.

"In some of those areas water is the new gold," Berry says. "A toilet with a leaky flapper can waste up to 500 gallons a day. In areas where water rates are based on usage, that can bump a homeowner up to paying commercial water rates.

"I had a man in Florida with a leaky toilet tell me his water bill went up to $1,600 a month."