Inventor Dedicated to Hassle-Free Water Savings
80 Percent of Toilet Flushes Waste Water, Prompt Suite of Devices
Michael Schuster was born a plumber. For years, Schuster worked alongside his father, whose father and grandfather had established the family name in households across the southwest Chicago area.
The youngest Schuster – representing the fourth generation of plumbers – worked for nearly 20 years for Schuster & Son Plumbing. However, he was more than just a repairman. Schuster spent significant time and investment designing toilet fill valves and other devices to reduce or eliminate most problems and leaks he was called to fix.
“Many of the problems we saw in homes were related to the toilet flapper,” said Schuster. “I was just shocked at how much water could be saved by making simple repairs.
“Most toilet technology is quite old and, consequently, functions with no regard to water savings,” continued Schuster. “I knew there had to be ways to help people save water in one of the most wasteful areas – the toilet.”
Schuster later left the family business to dedicate his full attention to developing products he knew would benefit his customers and consumers everywhere. In 2004, with some patents to his name and local investors on board, he launched MJSI, Inc., a company dedicated to innovations in water conservation.
The first invention he actively marketed as president of MJSI was the HydroClean®, which helps reduce the amount of water used when the toilet bowl and tank don’t fill at the same time. The product also alerts people to leaky toilets, thanks to a gentle, audible “swoosh” that occurs when the flapper leaks.
The growing portfolio of patented products includes other smart, easy-to-install and inexpensive inventions that have been independently tested and proven to save water.
The latest venture for MJSI is the HydroRight™, a drop-in dual flush converter that fits nearly all toilets and doesn’t require significant time or tools to install. The basic principle that less water is needed to flush liquids and paper is the philosophy behind HydroRight, which operates thanks to a dual-button that lifts the flapper less for simple flushes. Less water drains from the tank, thereby saving water and money.
Indeed, studies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have shown that the toilet accounts for nearly a third (30 percent) of daily indoor water use. Installation of a product such as the HydroRight Dual Flush Converter, which allows people to elect to use less water to flush liquids and paper, reduces water use by up to 70 percent.
Schuster and his growing team at MJSI continue to design products with water conservation in mind. “We know how precious this resource is and how scarce it is in many parts of the country, let alone the world,” said Schuster. “There are and will be lots of ways to avoid literally and figuratively pouring resources down the drain.”
In the coming year Schuster plans to unveil additional water-saving products and kits to help people save water and to help builders and developers improve their “green” factor.
MJSI, Inc., headquartered in Shorewood, Ill., is the manufacturer of a portfolio of products that are devoted to water conservation and sound environmental plumbing. Recognized as toilet efficiency experts, MJSI’s innovation has expanded the plumbing market from repairs to green toilet improvement. The company’s products are available at home centers, hardware stores, plumbing distributors and on the Internet.
