Comment by 1cvmask | Hacker News Reader

Comment by 1cvmask | Hacker News Reader

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I only noticed the difference while traveling abroad. I assume like most things the builders are customer driven and clearly there is no market for it in many places??? Or that we are relatively peripatetic and mobile compared to other parts of the world.

Another weird observation is the flush performance of European toilets. They don't clog up:

https://www.hunker.com/13400906/what-is-the-difference-betwe...

Flush Performance Most American toilets use siphoning or sucking action to forcibly draw the used toilet water through toilet trap and into the attached sewer plumbing. The neck of the toilet hole is small enough to facilitate suction, a design choice that often necessitates the use of a plunger in the case of a clog. European toilets typically utilize a washdown flushing system in which water inside the toilet is forced out through water flowing from the rim of the bowl. The neck of the toilet hole tends to be larger so there is less of a chance of clogs, but the bowls may require more frequent cleaning from any leftover residue.

Its one of those weird reddit comments that the bots always make in default subs "Always have a plunger", "always buy a plunger"

I always wondered about this... I'm 31 and have never needed to use one, i assumed it must be super common in another English speaking country but never knew why.

> Another weird observation is the flush performance of European toilets. They don't clog up:

They also don't flush. It's one of the most frustrating things of living in the UK as an expat. 2-3 flushes for solid waste is almost mandatory, and the issue always crops up at someone else's house.

An aspect of this is also that the build quality of UK homes is worse (IMO) than mainland europe. Doubly so if you buy a period house - expect everything to be "that'll do". Door is not entirely flush with the frame? That'll do.

In the capital, even homes above 2mln pounds will have questionable quality. They seem American in this sense. You really need to shell out for proper attention to detail.

Our new home build quality is definitely worse, but on period houses.... what would you expect?

1800s building materials aren't as stable as modern ones and things tend to shift over time, and indeed many old buildings are poorly built - especially by modern standards. Even the foundations don't run very deep, and London has a clay rich soil, meaning that some minor foundation movement is not uncommon in older houses. Damp is usually more of an issue, so anything wood can potentially swell a bit during a wet period, leading to things becoming slightly out of alignment over time.

Often the only way to fix stuff like that would be extensive renovations which isn't really worth it for very minor visible problems. You can tighten stuff up, rehang etc. but it will usually slowly move again over time.

Also a £2 million house in London can be just for a shell in need of renovation in some areas - you're just paying for the land and location.

It's frustrating because even if you were willing to pay more for better quality the market doesn't provide what you want.

I have never found this even with heavy workloads. There are usually two buttons, one for narrow bandwidth, and another for full-spectrum flushing.

Never happens to me, even when suffering from major gut issues.

Three possibilities to consider...

1. You're pressing the water saving button (piss flush)

2. You're not holding it down for long enough for it to catch - it can take even a second in some poorly maintained toilets for it to flush properly.

3. Your diet could do with some _serious_ improvement...

That being said, I'd rather having to double flush than deal with clogs as when visiting the US.

I suspect American-style sucking toilets work well when your shit floats. When the bowl empties then refills, anything floating left with the water.

The European-style flush relies on buoyant waste getting carried away by the mass of water - which isn't the most reliable strategy.

This is merely the European-style toilets helpfully reminding you that a visit to your GP might be in order :)

This is probably operator error. Assuming it's a modern pushbutton style one, make sure you're pressing the right button. Depending on the brokenness of the mechanism, you may have to hold for a second, or even the whole flush.

It depends on the actual toilet bowl (the brand). Some are much better then others at flushing.

Gotta press the right button, not the water-saving button.

Story 1: And it's weird in so many movies when the villain forces a victim's face into the toilet for drowning. It's disgusting, of course, but over here, this would result in a bump in the head from the ceramic, but not in a wet face. Unless you flush, of course.

Story 2: On my first stay in the US, I clogged up the toilet by one normal usage. I flushed twice to force it down, but instead, it overflowed. Totally different mechanism, that!

Weird cultural differences.

The American diet, thicker toilet paper, and tendency to use half a roll at a time contributes as well.

I had exactly the same experience. First visit to US clogged a toilet. Never seen a toilet overflowing before in my life till that day.

Thanks for the article. Some parts are funny and not very representative... About European toilets in villages or residential areas: "Though some modern squat toilets feature a flushing mechanism, others require you to pour water down the hole using a provided bucket." I have more than 40 years using toilets in many European countries - France, Belgium, Albania, Germany, Italy, Netherlands... - and I have never used a bucket to flush :-) US tourists find very exotic stuff when travelling in Europe :-)

> I assume like most things the builders are customer driven and clearly there is no market for it in many places?

I'm no expert but I understand it's regulation-driven. The building codes for European houses are much stricter and specify materials, etc.

> Another weird observation is the flush performance of European toilets. They don't clog up

Oh, they do. I have them clogged up weekly.

US ones are funny because there is so much water there and you always end up wet :)

That was something that confused me long time when growing up.

First I saw it mentioned in passing some American sitcoms, maybe in some movie, then in Usenet discussions etc. Combined with the "American style portions" in some restaurants, I developed a sense of awe when thinking Americans routinely taking shits that clog the toilet. So many, so big shits that their toilets have plungers.

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