Anyone familiar with European toilets...any DU plumbers?

[Teddy_Salad]

When I first came to the US, the first thing that struck me as very odd were the toilets here. It was like :wtf:

They are very different to toilets in other parts of the world in that they only have about a 2 inch opening in the base of the bowl.
I grew up in Australia and have lived in Europe and am mostly familiar with toilets with much larger openings.

Hence, I find that here I have to flush the loo many times so that I don't block it up, thus using a lot of water in the process.
But when I use a european type of dunny, I only have to flush it the once and I mean 'flush'. Unlike here where it more 'swirls' than flushes.

I'm no plumber but I cannot for the world of me work out how toilets actually work here because of the small aperture in them.
I ran this past a mate of mine in Australia who is a plumber and he finds it hard to understand how the loos here work given the way they are designed.

Any plumbers on DU who would like to enliven me on the designs of US crappers?

I'm glad I've got this off my chest.
The toilets here have been bugging me for the past six years, making me go :crazy:

[Lars39]

1. Is it.....

because they *swirl* in the opposite direction than what you're use to? :D

Sorry. Old joke; just couldn't help myself. :)

[TrogL]

2. They don't work at all here today

somebody shut off the water

[trotsky]

3. One tip:

Hold down the handle when flushing - you'll get a little extra water in the bowl, which is usually enough to complete the flush. This is/was a common problem with many of the new "low flow" toilets, that are supposed to use 1.5-1.6 gallons per flush.

Basically when you flush, the neck design of the waste flow pipe is supposed to be sucked up at the apex of the neck by the water that is flowing out of the tank, into the bowl. Thus the siphon is created, and the contents removed. I am not sure how that compares to Euro toilets - I would imagine it's the same, since basic toilet design hasn't changed since the thing was invented. But maybe we Americans just had to do something different.

[Teddy_Salad]

5. Yep

that is a major difference.

I'm used to toilets where you just pull a chain or press down on the lever, let go immediately and all of the water violently flushes down from the cistern.
As you said, here you have to keep pressing down on the lever for all the water to enter the bowl.

I'm sure the basic design is the same but european loos really "flush", with a big amount of water entering the bowl at once, whereas here, it starts off slowly and builds up, creating a cyclonic type 'swirl'.

Hmmm...who knew loos were so interesting, besides Thomas Crapper?

[Madrone]

4. I HAVE a european toilet!

I LOVE it - those europeans know how to make a crapper! :)

I rent my house, but if I ever own, I'll be seriously looking into installing the european variety.

My bathroom just plain rocks, actually. European toilet, claw foot tub, and antique oak dresser retrofitted as a sink/vanity.

Sorry I can't help you with the "plumbing and purpose" of our Murican toilets - but I back you up 100% on the europeans. It's also cool to flush by yanking a chain. :D

[Teddy_Salad]

6. Aren't they much better?

So they can be found here, huh? Interesting.

I get sick of having to "swirl" my toilet so many times whenever I use it.
If I stay here and ever own my own home, I'll be importing the european kind of crapper.

I'm envious, not only of your loo but your bath.

I've always wanted one of those types of baths. They're very cool!

[Madrone]

7. Yes, much better! I'm so accustomed to it now it's "normal" -

but it was weird when I first moved in! It is definitely nice flushing ONCE and having no "remnants" requiring you to wait until the tank fills up to flush again - and sometimes even a third time.

I don't know where/if they are to be found here - I have no idea where mine came from, or how long it's been in the house. I'd imagine you could find one "somewhere". I think mine's pretty old - it appears to be.

[opihimoimoi]

8. Try going to Japan where the toilets are on the floor...

you have to squat for the #2... yikes.

Thank God they are slowing changing to Western ones.

[Teddy_Salad]

9. Geez

One must get very sore knees, huh?

[Spider Jerusalem]

10. Yeah, and their colon cancer rate is going to go up, too...

the squatting position is actually a more natural and better one for evacuation than sitting, and there seem to be much lower rates of colon cancer in countries which don't use Western-style toilets. Humans aren't designed to shit sitting down, unfortunately...probably also explains why haemorrhoids are so common in Western countries (just think about all the Preparation H ads on television)...