How to flush a smart toilet during a power outage

Q: We plan to have new toilets installed in both our bathrooms and I'm very interested in the new high-tech electronic toilets. My only question is how do you flush during a power outage? We are on city water, so this is a concern. - Ted, Kansas

A: Intelligent toilets offer great features like bidet-type personal washing and drying, heated seating with hands free up/down operation, mode lighting, music, foot warmers and even dual-flushing options to save water.

Aside from the plumbing connections, intelligent or smart toilets are connected to a home's electrical system as per local codes. This usually means if a home loses power, the toilet loses power. So first look for models that do feature limited emergency flushing.

Or, you can install only one electronic toilet, then install a standard toilet in the second bathroom as a backup to help avoid a power outage backup.