the belief that toilets in Australia flush in reverse
Isn’t this actually true? I remember reading that water circles the drain (and so toilet water will also circle) in the opposite direction from the Northern hemisphere.
So I’m a little confused here, because yes that article states that the Coriolis effect isn’t responsible for anything as small as a sink or tub drain going either direction, and that it is based on the angle of the water going into the system (obviously, of course), but I don’t see it saying anywhere that toilets don’t flush in reverse in Australia. Is there a difference in the convention between US/UK and Aussie toilet manufacturing that might for whatever reason cause water to enter the bowls at different angles? Do we use the exact same toilets? Frankly that article doesn’t tell me whether Aussie toilets do or do not spin in reverse, just that if they do it is due to plumbing variables rather than the often falsely-claimed Coriolis effect, so it feels sort of like it’s answering an unasked tangent in this context rather than the question at hand.
Thank you! So it seems that there might be something to this claim, as at least some toilets in Aussieland are flushing in a “different” direction. Now what needs to be better evaluated is how consistent the direction here in America is in the first place. Personally I assume that there is some kind of convention established in American plumbing as I feel like I’ve never seen a toilet flush a direction contrary to my expectation, but I do concede this could be one of those things where we subconsciously ignore it.
Coriolis deflection sets cyclonic systems turning counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. Likewise, a cannonball fired due north will seemingly veer a teeny bit to the east, and one fired to the south will apparently deflect ever so slightly to the west, deviations a skilled gunner would know to adjust for.
Isn’t this actually true? I remember reading that water circles the drain (and so toilet water will also circle) in the opposite direction from the Northern hemisphere.
It’s not. Coriolis doesn’t have enough effect on such small scale.
So I’m a little confused here, because yes that article states that the Coriolis effect isn’t responsible for anything as small as a sink or tub drain going either direction, and that it is based on the angle of the water going into the system (obviously, of course), but I don’t see it saying anywhere that toilets don’t flush in reverse in Australia. Is there a difference in the convention between US/UK and Aussie toilet manufacturing that might for whatever reason cause water to enter the bowls at different angles? Do we use the exact same toilets? Frankly that article doesn’t tell me whether Aussie toilets do or do not spin in reverse, just that if they do it is due to plumbing variables rather than the often falsely-claimed Coriolis effect, so it feels sort of like it’s answering an unasked tangent in this context rather than the question at hand.
I see what you mean. Here is a link from Australian plumbers. There’s no convention.
Thank you! So it seems that there might be something to this claim, as at least some toilets in Aussieland are flushing in a “different” direction. Now what needs to be better evaluated is how consistent the direction here in America is in the first place. Personally I assume that there is some kind of convention established in American plumbing as I feel like I’ve never seen a toilet flush a direction contrary to my expectation, but I do concede this could be one of those things where we subconsciously ignore it.
Huh. TIL. Thanks.
and TIL some more:
Yeah, something something right hand rule