The Pythagorean Siphon Inside Your Washing Machine

[@SteveMould]

This is the first time I've filmed from my toilet! The audio isn't great for that section but I felt the context was important! The sponsor is Skillshare: For a limited time, use this link to get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership: skl.sh/stevemould09201

[@enkayFPV]

My toilet here in USA doesn't use this method. It's a hole where your plastic siphoned is hooked up with a rubber flapper over the hole and the push of the flush lever lifts the rubber flapper draining the tank into the bowl

[@WetDoggo]

I have to say, i really enjoy every video you make. I can see how much effort you put into each one of them 👌 Keep up the good work man ✌️😁

[@WaterTimeLapse]

You can make a green screen, and film yourself in front of it, and then get a picture of a toilet, and then put some bathroom reverb or early reflections over your voice in post.. but I think this also did the trick. Sometimes bad audio is fine, when the circumstances are right.

[@lucusloc]

I think the greedy cup for the toilet is specifically referencing the *bowl* not the tank. That behavior is indeed a greedy cup, even if it has a fancy high flow exit to remove, uh, *debris*. The bowl sits at a fixed water level until more water is added. Then the bowl fills to a certain point and starts draining (the rapidity of this draining is mostly due to the water being added, but that is immaterial to the point). Once the water stops, the bowl continues draining to well below the starting level until the siphon is broken. The bowl is then refiled to the starting point very slowly from a small overflow as the tank refills. I can probably find example videos if you are interested.

[@WetDoggo]

I don't know how our flush mechanism works yet, but it's a in wall type with a big push lever button and if you let go it stops.

[@BarchBR00KS]

I have never seen that type of mechanism in a toilet. The toilets I've had in the US have a rubber plug in the bottom of the tank. But those weren't dual flush mechanisms either. BTW, I love your 2d mock-ups to help explain the principle.

[@hobbified]

Yeah, basically every domestic toilet I've seen in the US just has a flap in the bottom of the tank. The flap is lifted by a chain, which is attached to the end of a lever, with the flush handle forming the other side of the lever.

[@jonathannagel7427]

Thinking the same - only rubber flappers here and good job on the mock-up!

[@ecsciguy79]

Yes, United States here and I've really only seen flapper valves. But I think they're kind of old school.

[@MichaelOnines]

The flapper valve is buoyant, so when lifted into the water column it floats up until the water in the cistern is almost empty. Then it seats and the water pressure from water on top of the valve is greater than the air pressure from below so it doesn't float again until you lift it with the flush lever again. It's an interesting alternate engineering solution to the UK siphon demonstrated.

[@Blox117]

its in the US, kohler low water use toilets have them

[@PracticalEngineeringChannel]

Awesome video and demo ;) The colored water and backlight look very cool. Never seen a toilet mechanism like that.

[@SteveMould]

Thanks! A number of commenters pointed me in the direction of your video featuring the same siphon. Really Great video!

[@HaLo2FrEeEk]

I'd like to see a demonstration of how flapper toilets operate. I'm pretty sure I have a decent understanding, but I would enjoy a classic Practical Engineering prop demonstration.

[@scorpio6587]

@@HaLo2FrEeEk It is simply a floating valve cover, held closed by water pressure until you pull it.

[@darkfur18]

@@HaLo2FrEeEk held closed by water pressure, but when lifted it has a little pocket that holds a bubble of air and holds it up until the tank is drained.

[@HaLo2FrEeEk]

@@darkfur18 It would be very interesting to see one of Grady's plexi demonstration builds. I've always sorta had an intuitive understanding of how the system works, just by thinking about the shapes of the plumbing, but I've never gone so far as to look it up. I'm already subbed to Practical Engineering so I would see a video by him and get to see a beautiful demo with that classic blue water :)

[@cambrown5633]

The greedy cup teaches the invaluable lesson that one should always drink from the bottle.

[@ivok9846]

not greedy enough, some water always stays on the bottom of the tray....but isn't this a good explanation on why exactly it's not perfect!

[@extrm161]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aniZlmeKlq-roas 0:23!

[@wyattsperry4584]

@@ivok9846 It's called the "Greedy Cup" because according to Greek historians, it was invented as a prank for people who were "greedy" and took more wine than socially acceptable in social events.

[@Tennouseijin]

For me the lesson is - bring your own cup to parties. Especially in ancient Greece.

[@wigglesfourthree3390]

@@wyattsperry4584 I can't imagine being in a party and trying to explain that I simply poured too much wine and haven't yet missed the bowl.

[@95TurboSol]

Older American toilets didn't have that mechanism, the flush handle simply pulled a plug at the bottom to release the water into the bowl, this plug floats after you pull it and once the water level reaches the bottom the plug falls back into place stopping the water flow and letting the back of the toilet fill again. Oh also, if you are wondering why the plug doesn't always float and release water, it's because the waters weight is enough to hold it down until you flush.

[@alexeypolevoybass]

A lot of toilets in ex-USSR countries work the same way you described, my mom still owns one of exactly this kind.

[@Izkata]

I just installed a relatively cheap one where it doesn't even float, the plug drops into place as soon as you release the lever. It's just designed so the water flows so fast, the fastest possible pull still releases about 2/3 of the water.

[@xHadesStamps]

Not just older ones. Many newer ones here do, too

[@Dingsrud]

Normal solution in Norway too.

[@derickito]

I can’t believe that: 1) I watched an entire video about how toilets flush 2) That the youtube algorithm knew it was something I would watch all the way through What is this world we’re living in?

[@Kenabukanyo]

#TheSocialDilemma .. You'll find your answers in that movie

[@For_The-namesakesnake]

Peter 24 I’ve actually watched that yesterday and It was pretty informative to say the least.

[@Kenabukanyo]

@@For_The-namesakesnakeCool . I also read your comment in a rush , now that you confirmed it and i re-read your reply more slowly i noticed you implied the reference .

[@phpART]

the social dilemma is a must see

[@reeven1721]

Peers based recommendation policy. KZbin recommends videos that other users who tend to watch the same videos as you do, also watched.

[@breakingaustin]

There's something like this in my bank account

[@srcastic8764]

😂😂😂

[@kennethphillips8982]

🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@Rengori]

Yeah they call that "rent"

[@Kathy-20J-73]

Funny

[@Onizukachan915]

This comment deserves more likes.

[@juanserrano3517]

I am litteraly learning more watching this at 3 am than in school

[@ballzzinyourmouth8]

Jajqja

[@user-nz1et4ck4b]

Juan Serrano facts

[@Sak-zo1ui]

Stop goofing around and maybe you will learn something

[@IversonX3]

LOL

[@Nono-ef4jx]

Same

[@shalimarlake7852]

When you said "you must be thinking this is how toilets work" I imagined the bowl half, where once water goes above the u-bend in the pipe it siphons all the water out of the toilet bowl.

[@djijspeakerguy4628]

This is only the case in North America, or so I’ve heard.

[@seaneyo]

me too! I'm pretty sure I've seen "P traps" in toilets and sink drains - at least in spain, mexico and ireland. A much simpler siphon which follows the same principles, otherwise you would smell sewer gas from all your drains! - also why you need to pour water in unused drains if you have a spare bathroom, etc once or twice a year in dry climates or you can get some backdrafts and even nasty mold growth

[@charliemayfilms1550]

Yeah that’s what I was thinking too, once I was on a trip and the cabin we were staying didnt have water or something? So there was a toilet we just had to flush it manually by pouring a whole gallon of water (that we had brought) in

[@jaypawhealer]

@@seaneyo funny thing about that - P traps are specifically designed to not siphon. S traps do siphon, and they would siphon out the water that seals the trap sometimes and let sewer gas back in, hence why they have been banned in the US (at least in my state)

[@seaneyo]

​@@jaypawhealer Interesting! Apparently I should have said S trap specifically for toilets, which don't have problems with siphoning out the trap - I think due to larger diameter and larger vertical displacement than a drain S-trap to prevent siphon locking - although if you dump a bucket of water in fast enough, you can usually get it pretty close to empty!

[@jjlpinct]

USA plumber here, Brandon said it! Ive never seen that mechanism in my career, very interesting. looks to be a different diameter than either size of our flush valves. I thought you were leading up to an explanation of the siphon in the bowl itself. -As always, great video! Thanks!

[@FloppydriveMaestro]

In the Uk the toilet bowl does not act like a siphon, The water in the bowl is there simply to stop the smell from the sewer coming back out of the toilet. The waste is simply pushed away by the fast flowing fresh water from the flush.

[@Milamberinx]

The siphon effect in a UK toilet bowl is much less pronounced than in a US toilet bowl. We don't keep as much water in the bowl, but we do dump quite a lot of water into it during the flush.

[@robbgosset674]

I think the bowl siphon is a yank thing, in the UK most toilets just have a U bend in them.

[@Milamberinx]

Woops, I guess we were all keen to tell America about our toilets.

[@JimC]

@@creamwobbly Germany too, or so I've heard.

[@jeffreybernath6627]

It's good to see Steve pouring things out of beakers again. Classic Steve Mould.

[@FirestormDDash]

"Lets do the toilet" Ah. Isolation gets to all of us eventually.

[@LOVEisTHEultimateLAW]

urin-al ?

[@frankowalker4662]

Is it a new Dance craze? LOL.

[@warzonegas1963]

lol perfect

[@DJdoppIer]

That toilet be lookin' dummy thicc though....

[@brianropel]

This is comedic gold lol

[@barryfoster453]

As a plumber, I still think the best flush is simply the 'flapper valve' by Fluidmaster. It uses a float in the flap. Upon pulling it upward, it empties the cistern until the water is gone, then falls back down to seal. It's simple and thus reliable.

[@andrewbeatty3870]

That's the only kind I've seen, other than commercial toilets

[@johnburns4017]

The best is the siphon. With a flapper valve, if the valve is defective (say does not seat properly) water can constantly drain out into the bowl causing lots of waste water. Siphons cannot do that. If a flapper becomes defective when you go on holiday, expect a massive water bill. If you have a flapper, turn off you water when leaving the house empty for a while. Flappers, until pretty recently, were banned in the UK.

[@barryfoster453]

@@johnburns4017 I'm a plumber here in England. I've never seen a flapper version pass water, and people should always turn their water off when away for even a day. Siphons are too troublesome. I've even seen one fallen to pieces, and the diaphragms can be so weak as to only last a thousand flushes. I also have no idea what you mean by banned in the UK "until recently". I began installing them over 20 years ago when I got fed up being called back to non-flushing syphons. They are very simple, and in plumbing, simple is always best. Together with a Torbeck float fill valve for the inlet, I've had many satisfied customers.

[@johnburns4017]

@@barryfoster453 You must be very young not to have seen a flapper stick.

[@barryfoster453]

@@johnburns4017 I'm 63, John. I have fitted more toilets than you have eaten chips.

[@SkyOctopus1]

Sorry Steve, but for me the most important bit of this video was discovering (one some washing machines) I could remove the tray! That thing's a complete bugger to clean and I've been doing it wrong all this time.

[@svampebob007]

😂 I love discovering that kind of trivial things that people assume everybody knows about, yet you've been doing it the hard-way because we're retar... unique :) I knew about the removable tray on washing washing machines, but a thing I recently discovered is those carrot/potato peelers... you can use them in both direction Literally from this video (in another compilation) kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIbad3usZcmEsJI

[@TechyBen]

Always read the instructions. Plus, secrets are learnt by carefully looking and taking things apart. XD

[@svampebob007]

@@TechyBen the trick is putting it back together in one piece, or at least not breaking it while taking it apart and realizing there's a big "push" button to open it :)

[@ReadTheShrill]

Don't feel bad. When I was 9, my dad convinced me that the cowlick in my hair was caused by an actual cow; that I had come to close to a fence, and a cow licked my head. So for years I thought cows had the magical ability to influence how your hair grows.

[@soundguydon]

@@ReadTheShrill HA !! I thought I was the only one who was told this when I was little ! LOL

[@campbellstarky2144]

I feel like this is one of these videos where Steve was doing some housework, and his wife walked in on him hours later sitting on the laundry floor staring intently at the fabric softener tray

[@BobStein]

Not only did she find sitting and staring where she expected working. She also discovered the laundry room strewn with camera equipment, props, materials, and coloured liquid spills staining the floor.

[@magiklok]

Omg this is so me and I couldn't stop laughing at this comment

[@riven4121]

@@magiklok The moment when you come across something and your mind says "how does this work?" and you cannot rest until you know just HOW it works.

[@extrm161]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aniZlmeKlq-roas 0:23!

[@wigglesfourthree3390]

Ah yes the taint of curiosity which fills our minds with the desire to learn. Good thing we're not cats!

[@nickpiercy3119]

As a plumber in America with 10 years, I've never run into one of these siphon style flush mechanism. We use flapper style and the rare occasion you'll see a pressurized flush mechanism

[@markjohnson8824]

I ran across the siphon and immediately bought a toilet rebuild kit that had a flapper.

[@wigglesfourthree3390]

Now I'm kind of curious as to how well said Syphon style would work for my divided states toilet. Now I'll be on the hunt for one that fits my throne.

[@opertinicy]

I've never seen it in the USA either

[@dachandewuffsteiger]

Not a plumber but I've installed and fixed many a toilet in my life and yeah always had a flapper valve. Some fluidmaster, some from other makers, but never seen this siphon method before. It's curious for sure but the flapper does seem more reliable, also a very cheap fix if/when the rubber dries out or gets ripped because you're a curious kid trying to learn how toilets work. Like me.

[@kingjames4886]

I'd never heard of these siphon type flushers until I saw them in videos. they seem to be more standard in europe for some reason. not sure why, they seem needlessly complicated.

[@matthewellisor5835]

As others have indicated, in the united States of America the "flapper flush" is the most common design with only the occasional bell siphon. In recreational vehicles, passenger rail and aircraft a flapper closet is preferred. You missed one siphon in the design, there is one (or, there are two) in the bowl.

[@spencerwilton5831]

Matthew Ellisor Not in U.K. toilet bowls, there is a U bend and horizontal rear waste connection on most toilets, vertical drains through the floor are rare.

[@chrisjohnson7929]

I believe airplanes generally use a vacuum toilet these days. I know that they are what is used on the trains here in Canada too.

[@jmacd8817]

@@spencerwilton5831 If you read his comment, he specifically said "in the United States". That doesn't include the UK.

[@millomweb]

@@spencerwilton5831 I've come across one with a siphon - where the flush fills the pan 3/4 full then the whole lot empties.

[@millomweb]

Your pan siphon - is where the pan fills with water first (or is already filled) - Steve probably has not come across these.

[@Eylrid]

The video in which we learn that toilet siphons are like public schools: Brits and Americans are talking about completely different things.

[@Jesse__H]

Wait what does Public School mean in the UK?

[@a-zlin]

@LueLou So, pretty much the same. Both mostly produce imbeciles.

[@coryponter8565]

@LueLou not quite. Those are the clarendon schools, which, as you say are extremely expensive and generally produce the 'ruling class'. They are all public schools, but not the ONLY public schools. A public school is any school that is not funded by the government and there are roughly 2,400 of those in England alone including Prior Park College, Millfield, and King Edwards school to name a few. Or at least that's the most common definition, but some sources disagree on what exactly makes a school public or independent or if they're interchangeable terms. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_school_(United_Kingdom) www.google.com/amp/s/www.standard.co.uk/news/education/nine-uk-schools-produce-countrys-most-powerful-people-a3672371.html%3famp

[@noeldavis618]

So maybe it’s different in the UK, but in the US our toilets use a siphon (cast into the ceramic bowl) to drain the bowl, where your siphon example is about filling the bowl. Basically, if you slowly pour water (or pee) into the toilet bowl, a bit just trickles down the drain. But if you quickly pour a bucket of water into the bowl, or flush it from the tank, it starts a siphon and the whole bowl drains. I guess you’re right that this is similar to, but not exactly the same as the greedy cup. I believe the name behind the greedy cup is that if the pupil fills the cup too high (is greedy) the whole thing drains out, but if the pupil fills it only part way the he/she can drink the wine. So in a greedy cup siphon it’s the quantity of liquid added that determines whether the siphon self-starts or not. Where in the toilet bowl it’s the rate of liquid added that determines whether the siphon self-starts. Great video, thanks!

[@klincecum]

@@noeldavis618 No it's the same. Steve even demonstrates this in the video, adding the water at a slow rate just dribbles.

[@GareebScientist]

Ok that is fantastic The kind of curiosity I love to have Also the 2d build was very helpful to understand

[@krishnanov21]

Finally, my childhood cartoons where the character pulls a lever in air in a toilet got answered on how the mechanism works. We have the other type which presses downward.

[@balakrishnaprabhubn3410]

@Gareeb Scientist I see you here and I feel so happy. Btw. Indian toilet flushs don't use this mechanism right? Cause the half flush works when we push the lever back up and not when we hold it as Steve said.

[@GareebScientist]

@@balakrishnaprabhubn3410 I was wondering the exact same thing . Iv not seen a siphon there. If I pull it flows, but if I push it stops. Those expensive flushes may have I'm not sure

[@GareebScientist]

@@krishnanov21 its a siphon based?

[@deveshpathak]

I am one of your subscriber keep doing good work bro Keep doing what you do

[@AlenHR]

Cool! I used those on my aquaponics setup many years ago. It is straightforward to make from some PVC piping. When I got it to work, it felt like magic. Really cool system.

[@democracydoesntwork]

Plumber here. British toilets use the syphon mechanism you explained, but it's not in use in mainland europe, middle east or north america. Great great video. Thank you brother.

[@whuzzzup]

Why do you not switch to a proper european one where you can freely and exactly regulate the amount of water you need?

[@spencerwilton5831]

whuzzzup they are available and are now quite common. The problem with them is they waste huge volumes of water when considered on a national level. The valves wear, or small particles of scale or dirt get lodged in them meaning they no longer seal properly. It's common to see a continental style toilet with a constant trickle of water running into the bowl. Multiple that by millions of toilets and you are wasting vast quantities of water. The syphon systems we used previously eliminate that problem altogether.

[@millomweb]

Educator here: siphon is correctly spelled with an i not a y. I too have been wrong for many years!

[@millomweb]

@@whuzzzup My English one is fine thank you. It has a minimum flush, a maximum flush and anywhere in between.

[@millomweb]

@@spencerwilton5831 My normal-ish UK model offers variable flush between a minimum and maximum.

[@paulosullivan3472]

"Heres a glass so you can see whats happening inside" proceeds to pour in a completely opaque liquid.... oh steve so close lol

[@SteveMould]

Oops!

[@deadmanwillyimbothdeadandalive]

Steve Mould live and learn

[@srirachachacha]

I can't imagine it looking much different with a perfectly transparent liquid. There's really nothing to see outside of the exterior water level, until it starts to drain, and then you can compare it with the internal level (works perfectly fine with a darker liquid).

[@jundaaaaaaaaaa]

Tristan Wilson Ikr. If it was clear liquid, it would be more difficult to see. I don’t see why using an opaque liquid is even a problem

[@paulosullivan3472]

@@jundaaaaaaaaaa Well my comment was only a light jest with Steve but there are options between completely clear and completely opaque it isnt a binary choice.

[@MatroxMillennium]

"Your washing machine does this." No, I'm afraid my washing machine demands that I dump my washing chemicals into the tub manually.

[@hamburgerstake8780]

I haven't seen one of those since the '90s.

[@simonenoli4418]

Maybe you gotta pedal for the last part too?

[@yellowspike3344]

You mean the ones that's vertical? Those things can fit a lot of clothes.

[@ahobimo732]

Mine too. It's over two (maybe three) decades old and still runs like new. I'd like to get a newer HE style, but an appliance repairman told me that the newer machines just don't last like the old ones. They are built in such a way that they can't be repaired, so when something goes wrong, you just have to throw them away.

[@ashwinbabu6837]

Me , an Indian : Wait you guys are getting a washing machine ?

[@lambertovitali3152]

How odd, my toilet does the exact opposite. If I hold down the lever, I get a full flush, and if I let go as you usually would, I get half a flush. Didn't know this in 22 years of owning this toilet!

[@DerpyDaringDitzyDoo]

That's because your toilet is what's called a flapper valve. It's a much more simple method that uses a 'float' to determine how much water is in the tank. When the float raises a certain amount the tank stops filling. When you use the lever it opens the valve at the bottom of the tank, so you can control how long it allows water to flow through the system. When you release the lever the valve automatically closes, and the float then works to ensure the tank fills up with water properly. It's the method I prefer, as it's very simple and easy to fix yourself if any parts need replacing ^^

[@AdrianDowthwaite]

Ok, wow. Just pulled that draw out of the washing machine, spent 5 minutes cleaning that disgusting thing. The reward, one minute of pure knowledge bliss playing with a Pythagorean siphon. Steve you're amazing at explaining these curiosities and the examples you build or show us are so assessable and understandable, thank you.

[@Raraoolala]

Drawer* or more accurately, dispenser tray. I hope this doesn't come across as pretentious, just trying to help where I can.

[@FoxTrot63]

My washing machine doesn't have one of those. (It's vertical) The way my washing machine works there is a tower In the middle that spins and at the top of that tower there is a cup that you put the softener in. Around the side of that cup is another upside down cup with a hole that allows you to pour softener in. When the washing machine spins it pushes the softener out of the cup and Into the sides of the upper cup using centripetal force. It then funnels down Into little square holes that evenly distribute the softener into the clothes while spinning

[@alperenerol1852]

As a tenant and engineer, I once wrote a one page essay on why my toilet was leaking for the real estate agent to send a plumber

[@Steeksify]

Landlord?

[@alperenerol1852]

@@Steeksify we have real estate agents acting as middle men between the tenant and landlord in Australia.

[@giobacolod8806]

@@CrazyOne1 Not all the time. It all depends on your schedule. I find the amount of time and effort I save with a rental agent is well worth the flat rate fee they charge me. Time is money after all. But I do get what you mean.

[@alperenerol1852]

@bmx bmx not everyone can afford a house

[@giobacolod8806]

@bmx bmx keep riding your bike and negativity buddy. ✌🚲

[@makayla6956]

this channel makes me procrastinate SO much, literally i don't even have a washing machine

[@RealChrisHatch]

cringe bud

[@yuvizkieerenuff4967]

Lols 😂

[@KoalaKoala00]

Cringe

[@limesandlemons1367]

@@KoalaKoala00 You calling random people cringe is cringe.

[@KoalaKoala00]

@@limesandlemons1367 that’s even more cringe 😬

[@Greentrees60]

I love these fluid models, and I feel like this is one of the OG videos on them, thanks for sharing!!

[@DeSinc]

let's get one thing clear here. nobody pronounces it "ur eye nalls" but that aside, australian toilets have half press and full press buttons. half press does a half flush and full press does full flush, no waiting or holding required. now I'm actually a bit curious how the mechanisms make it work.

[@jaybingham3711]

what about "pie tha GOR ee en"?

[@slicedsteelcucumber6643]

why are you here DeSinc? also can you please upload again

[@isthattrue]

In Germany: One button for a full flush, one for a controllable flush.

[@staff97]

his PYTHAGOREAN pronunciation is worse

[@HopperNation]

Yes I am Australian this is correct

[@Dalenthas]

Steve: mispronounces Pythagorean repeatedly with confidence. Also Steve: questions the correct pronunciation of urinal.

[@ElectricalSwift]

Yur inal and pie thag orie en

[@Hzwo.0]

He also says systen instead of system....or is that dialect?^^

[@Dalenthas]

@@Hzwo.0 he's saying cistern, a slightly obscure word for a tank of water.

[@sebhowles2768]

@@Hzwo.0 a cistern is a part of a toilet

[@quinton1661]

@@Hzwo.0 He's saying cistern.

[@legendaryoutcast4440]

American toilets Actually do have a siphon but located on back of the underside of the bowl and not on the tank, flushing the tank into the bowl is what initiates the siphon. You can "flush" these toilets by simply dumping a good amount of water, (about a gallon) directly into the bowl itself with a bucket, untill it initiates the siphon You will notice a small of water returning to the Bowl after the siphon is done. Just as was demonstrated here.

[@ivocanevo]

Thank you, this resolves my dispute. 🇨🇦

[@irahartford2563]

Wrong, you’re thinking of a P-trap that blocks the sewer gasses from coming back into your house, butt(🤣🤣) when you dump water in the bowl all at once it does starts a siphon. Most American toilets have a plug. on a chain. in the tank. pull the plug. water runs in the bowl. Siphon sucks the poo away. Hate to brag but I’m know my toilets🤷🏽‍♂️

[@brettjenkins1645]

Ira Hartford it sounds like you’re describing exactly what they were describing

[@litpath3633]

@@brettjenkins1645 I imagine all of them have the gas trap going to the sewer...cuz there were some fart gas kaboom issues that people ran into pretty fast..and the smell lol The plug has some buoyancy to it so it floats enough to stay open while the tank is full and draining. Once all the water is gone the plug makes a seal again and as it fills again the pressure of the water keeps it sealed until the handle is pushed and the plug is lifted again. Rinse and repeat. The half flush thing is a pretty fancy idea. Sometimes you do need a full tsunami to get the logs where they need to go, but that is probably a fraction of visits. lol

[@DFX2KX]

@@litpath3633 exactly, in a US toilet, the plug is set up to regulate the water with buoyancy and water pressure forcing it's way past. You can actually buy the siphon-style valves as upgrades here, and that feature does explain why they're called 'upgrades'. clearly, nice for the water-use conscious. I'dve liked that option when I lived on well-water.

[@jonchilds1637]

Excellent engineering explanation for non-engineers! Superbly presented!

[@2jarrettclemons]

The Toilets I'm used to over here( America) use a Bowl Siphon in the base of the toilet. The tank holds a large amount of water and when the handle is pushed the tank empties itself into the bottom/bowl. That increase of water in the bowl starts the Bowl Siphon which "pulls" the water and waste out of the bowl and down the sewer. It's very interesting to see the different ways to accomplish the same thing.

[@8546Ken]

Yes, the bowl always has a siphon. Steve is talking about a siphon in the reservoir tank.

[@AHHHHHHHH21]

​@@8546Kenand as mentioned here in this comment, American toilets don't have the tank siphon, as it is just a hatch held shut by water pressure until opened. Also, the float is a little different from what I've seen. Basically the same thing but just in a different configuration

[@ancient-lemon]

If you've never done this before, you're not a real washing machine.

[@edelsaquejada4401]

Well you're right

[@cosmicdraconian6712]

Shoot, i tough i was

[@gonfreecss5898]

I used to be a attack helicopter until I watched this...

[@squa-squathedragon4124]

Way to crush my dreams man.

[@michaeldilger9582]

Top loaders feeling left out

[@jojotan3344]

Teacher: we're gonna learn about washing machine today Everyone: meh KZbin: *recommend inside washing machine video* Everyone: interesting....

[@bromodz2309]

That’s because nobody wants to be forced to learn stuff

[@mynameadehsenpai4178]

Bro Modz big brain

[@sta1RR]

It becomes interesting if you click on it not when teacher teaches it😁😁

[@versatileduplicity9313]

sta1.m exactly

[@versatileduplicity9313]

Bro Modz exactly

[@Steve-cl7hr]

Lived in a new house with no reason to lift the lid on the 3 toilet tanks. After watching this I went to look. They have a different low flow, non siphoning mechanism. (Koehler brand - US) The funny thing is that I didn’t know the toilets had partial and full flush capability until today. Also discovered all tank levels were slightly high and the plumber installed one incorrectly and I have another house project today - Thanks!

[@RansburgMakesArt]

Another one for the list of things I didn’t know I wanted to know

[@DanUpshaw]

This is amazing! This is a very specific problem I have trying to figure out for a long time. I'll often over fill my fabric softener tray and could never stop it draining. Its so awesome that you addressed this one problem that has been perplexing me so much! lol thank you!

[@potatojz38]

I've actually never seen this syphon style system before. Here in Canada I've only ever seen the trap door style, the handle pulls a chain to lift a flap door on the bottom. To fill the tank back up with water, either using the old black rubber ball on the arm to stop the water flow when the tank is full or on newer systems the float is a plastic donut shape around the over flow drain tube.

[@katienewman4743]

I’m from Canada as well (Ontario specifically) ! And although I think I have seen a couple siphons, most of the toilets I’ve dealt with and happened to open up are “flap door” style as well

[@garionporter5961]

Ya here in Canada we use the lower part to act as a siphon and a different mechanism stops the water/flow after a few seconds. The design also acts as a "sewer seal" (to prevent odor/gasses from coming in (like a "P" trap under sinks). The Canadian toilets are a great design - only problem being it takes so long for enough snow to melt to use it again! lol

[@shiivd]

Yup, this is the common toilet in North America, I'm assuming the video is covering European toilets

[@CplCheeto]

Same in usa.

[@ejmtv3]

EXACTLY!!!

[@TheMrMarkW]

Fantastic collection of all these early Greek ‘technologies’ in the Technology museum in Heraklion. Went the other day and I remembered many of the pneumatic ‘gadgets’ from your videos.

[@matthewluttrell9413]

In me head: "how's a toilet not a greedy cup mechanism?" "so why are we looking at the toilet tank??" "the UK has different flush mechanisms‽‽‽‽‽‽"

[@ShawnNac]

Exactly what I was thinking.

[@Intrinsion]

Because it's manually triggered rather than triggered by the water level itself?

[@andrewsnow7386]

@@Intrinsion I think what Matthew was implying is that the bowl of the toilet empties using the greedy cup method. Being from the U.S., and having never encountered the siphon in the tank, I too was thinking he was going to discuss the siphon out of the bowl.

[@spencerwilton5831]

Andrew Snow Except toilet bowls in the UK are rarely siphonic, out toilets are usually drained via a horizontal pipe through the wall behind the toilet, rather than down through the floor. They have a simple P trap and use the force of the flush water to push waste through the trap. I remember as a child encountering a siphoning toilet that filled up alarmingly close to the brim before suddenly emptying- I was convinced I was about to flood the bathroom of the person who's house it was.

[@EdwardMillen]

​@@spencerwilton5831 Wow, that's just reminded me of something from when I was a child. The toilet at my grandparents' house was like that - it filled up before emptying, but any toilet can do that if it gets a bit blocked, so I didn't take that much notice of that - the bit that fascinated me was how the bowl almost completely emptied of all water towards the end of the flush, before filling back up slightly again, ending up at about the same level as other toilets. It got replaced with a "normal" toilet a few years later. I'd never come across another one like it before or since, and I had no idea how or why it did that until now.

[@dmitriykashitsyn3383]

Wow, siphon toilet mechanism looks really clever! Another great advantage of it that you didn't mentioned is that such a toilet would never leak. I mean, the only possible way would be to have a leaky input, not the output. Whereas in other designs with a literal plug that stops the water from draining, you have more than a few possibilities to get a leaky output: the plug can be misplaced, the seal can be affected by dirt or debris, the rubber of the plug can deform due to age and start leaking.

[@AL_O0]

I'd say most toilets I've come across in Italy have two buttons, the small one only partially drains the system, and the large one drains the system completely. Others toilets instead have one button, but it's really a seesaw lever, so you can press it on one side and it flushes, but if you press on the other side it stops the flushing I have no idea how this is achieved inside though

[@LucasL512]

Thats also the common system in Holland

[@rolfs2165]

In addition to the ones already mentioned, the one-button double-action toilets I've seen (mostly around Germany) so far are short press -> short flush, long press -> long flush. Not long press -> short flush, short press -> long flush as he says at the end.

[@notchieuwu]

im in britan and ive seen the two button, one button, and lever systems here

[@rjfaber1991]

@@LucasL512 Not just in Holland, even in the rest of the Netherlands, would you believe... :D

[@frmcf]

I believe that all new toilets in Europe have to have a "water saving" short flush option. In public places it might even be mandatory to retrofit on existing toilets. Where I live it's certainly ubiquitous in bars, restaurants, libraries etc.

[@houstoner]

And yet another video to a subject I never realized I wanted an answer to. Thanks for uploading!

[@thrillscience]

TIL: Brits pronounce "Pythagorean" differently from us. If I type "pronounce Pythagorean" into google, neither the US nor the UK pronunciation sound like Steve Mould's.

[@jw41538]

The Pythagorean pronunciation I knew; the "urinal" one threw me off so hard I learned nothing from the video after.

[@thrillscience]

@@jw41538 Me too! Usually, it takes most of my mental energy not to be hypnotized by Steve Mould's eyes. After hearing "Your-eye-nal" my brain couldn't process anything else. For some reason he says it the American way, I guess the UK version is to weird for him, too.

[@Milamberinx]

Brits don't, Steve does. I'm British and have never heard this pronunciation of 'Pythagorean' before. I think the 'urinal' pronunciation might be mixed in the UK, or possibly it's becoming more Americanised, I think I only heard the UK 'your-eye-nal' one as a child but I'm sure I've heard other Brits saying it the American way.

[@plkrtn]

Py-thag-or-ian is how we pronounce it. Steve is just... Unique?

[@wonderwend1]

I thought it should be pronounced like Phthagorus and his theorum. Pie-thag-or-e-an

[@SamArcher]

Huh, I've never seen a toilet flush mechanism like that! That's a pretty cool one. I was thinking more that the lower part of the toilet works like a greedy cup siphon to finish emptying the bowl.

[@WWLinkMasterX]

This.

[@theandyv8176]

Same, actually I was expecting him to talk about how the water flushed from the bowl to the drain through that sort of mechanism...

[@FloppydriveMaestro]

In the Uk the toilet bowl does not act like a siphon, The water in the bowl is there simply to stop the smell from the sewer coming back out of the toilet. The waste is simply pushed away by the fast flowing fresh water from the flush.

[@theandyv8176]

@@FloppydriveMaestro I see! But then what keeps that little pudle of water always in the bowl? There should be some sort of weir or siphone to do that no?

[@nrml76]

@@theandyv8176 It is the U bend built into the toilet bowl that keeps the water there.

[@ChristopherLien]

In the US, I've not generally seen siphon based systems on the toilets, apart from urinals. Well, that's partly true. When the tank empties into the bowl, I've not seen that part work by siphon. When the bowl empties to the sewer, that happens because of a siphon.

[@d0ugk]

Yup US toilets are a siphon. You can initiate the flushing action just by pouring a gallon or so of water right into the bowl. Raise the water level about an inch or so and the siphon will start and rapidly suck away the waste. I'm sure at least for american toilets the stuff about aresolized particles settling on things like your toothbrush are BS because the "violent" flushing action is done by suction and once the water drains i'm sure a good couple cubic foot worth in air gets sucked down as well, the sucking is going to keep happening till the slug of water hits the sewer vent that goes up to the roof and it breaks the siphon. If it wern't for that vent the toilet would probably keep sucking as that slug of water made its way down the sewer line till it made it down to the much larger main sewer line.

[@nghiaduy6044]

What i love most about the channel is the 2D prototype part !!

[@WhySoSquid]

"Yaknow what..toilets *are* interesting." You make a good point 😂

[@WarriorOfTheHeavens]

This has just opened my mind... it's so simple and yet it's all like magic... I'm going to have to re-watch this video until it all sinks into my mind. I feel like a right simple minded person now, but there are things in our everyday lifes that we take for granted and we really should know how they actually work, but unfortunately we don't. This was a good recommended video on YT. ^_^

[@studyonly9857]

:)

[@ThomasJr]

nothing is awesome about this video. He explains nothing, and he barely gives you time to follow his hollow points.

[@rrrush]

I wouldn't think I'd be watching this randomly in my recommendations. Pretty neat.

[@62Cristoforo]

Brilliant. Because it’s simplicity and it’s useful and it works; the perfect design

[@Jesse__H]

You say PYTH'agorian I say pyTHAGorean, let's call the whole thing off

[@rosiefay7283]

Except that he keeps saying pythaGORean. Whereas anyone who's learnt the Pythagorean theorem knows it's PythagoREan.

[@TimmyTheGreatOo]

@@rosiefay7283 "Whereas anyone who's learnt the Pythagorean theorem knows it's PythagoREan." Well that's quite assuming. Only english speakers would pronounce it that way. In the original greek and in pretty much any germanic (and most roman) languages the emphasis is on the the second syllable, so it's "PyTHAgoras".

[@ArgonautCaptain]

It's leviosa, not leviosa!

[@KishoreShenoy1994]

But oh if we call the whole thing of then we must part And oh, if we ever part, then that might break my heart

[@chrisray1567]

I’ve never heard either of those pronunciations. I’ve always heard Pythagorean pronounced with the stress on the penultimate syllable.

[@HylanderSB]

I learned this as a bell siphon. It’s used extensively in aquaponics.

[@philippejobin90]

Thank you! I was about to write the same comment!!

[@millomweb]

It's not - a bell siphon has a HEAVY cast iron bell in it and it's the weight of this that starts the flush when you release the flush lever (or chain). See: qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-880fc7a941ea281edf35e7c334f798a4

[@millomweb]

@@philippejobin90 It's not - a bell siphon has a HEAVY cast iron bell in it and it's the weight of this that starts the flush when you release the flush lever (or chain). See: qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-880fc7a941ea281edf35e7c334f798a4

[@HylanderSB]

pmailkeey the weight is immaterial. The siphon is initiated by lifting the bell, not dropping it. It’s obvious from the drawing. It is, in fact, the same sort of bell siphon.

[@millomweb]

@@HylanderSB I'm not convinced as what the point of mentioning the weight of it? Also, the falling bell is reducing the space underneath it, forcing the water to start the siphon. Lifting the bell increases the space under it - so the water level at the standpipe would drop - and therefore not start the siphoning.

[@ПётрПроценко-б3к]

Thank you very much for solving the question of a mysterious lever I once found. I have never seen the system with such a lever even in movies, so I could only imagine it has something to do with flushing, but now I see a complete system thanks to you.

[@kishascape]

This is outdated though. New washing machines haven’t had this for some time.

[@GlazeonthewickeR]

@@kishascape Most people probably don’t have a brand new washing machine.

[@prkchpsnaplsaws2322]

It scares me that KZbin knew I'd love this channel... I never even considered this as an obsession And yet I am obsessed.

[@hedgehogmind3186]

My toilet doesn’t have a siphon mechanism. Flushing the toilet just activates a door at the bottom of the water reservoir. (Edit: I have just been informed that toilets like mine do use a siphon, just not in the same location.)

[@romasromas73]

mmmm yes I like toilets

[@kffej101]

Pretty sure most American toilets are this way, and they do use a siphon, just not at the same location. When you flush the toilet, the plug opens up at the bottom of the tank and all that rushing water exits the tank and enters the bowl on the sides and bottom and creates that push he was talking about to get the toilet’s water and contents up and over the pipe under the tank and into the sewer. If the plug doesn’t open properly and a lesser flow rate or no water at all is allowed to leave the tank, your toilet won’t flush properly for the reason he explains towards the end with the “dribbling water” bit

[@TheSeniorTaco]

"Flushing the toilet just activates a door at the bottom of the water reservoir." That is the pouring @ 2:09 to fill the toilet bowl. The siphon kicks in when the water - and the unmentionables go down the drain until the siphoning sucks in air thus stopping the siphoning.

[@malijames12]

@@kffej101 The siphon being the bend in the toilet just after the bowl?

[@bandit911]

@@malijames12 no that's the water trap, the reason for the water trap is mainly to stop the smell from the sewer pipe coming back up into your home, sinks baths and showers have them too just smaller, your toilet may not have a syphon at all, it may well be just a simple door that opens when you flush to allow the water to flush down into the toilet bowl

[@nthomas87]

I never once cared about my fabric softener compartment, yet here I am.

[@Beliserius1]

Mate, when people say toilets are siphons they aren't referring to the tank. They are referring to the bowl.

[@blik192837465]

Yeah this drove me crazy

[@GuruEvi]

In the UK, I think two-stage flush are mandatory which do work on the siphon mechanism described (and are extremely prone to leakage and expensive to repair thus voiding any gains in the two-stage flush). In the US, the typical flush mechanism at the tank is a lot simpler and does not require a siphon. At the bowl level however, S-traps can in situations create a full siphon are no longer code, you don't want to siphon out all the water there. You want to just flush the bowl with sufficient water to overcome and clear out the P-trap.

[@Beliserius1]

@@GuruEvi According to wikipedia, the most common type of toilets in the US is the siphon type. Called "Single trap siphonic toilet".

[@maddogcharm]

Same! I came here to the comments to mention this too, and found yours. I agree, my first thought was the bowl, and raising the water level overtaking the water in the trap, and ultimately siphoning the water down the drain. Maybe calls for a follow up video... 🚽

[@hughjazz44]

YES!!!

[@compasslife7660]

Now I know how to fix my leaking flush .

[@verdantpulse5185]

U.S.: never seen a siphon in the tank. There is , of course, a siphon effect at the bowl.

[@millomweb]

Not in the UK !

[@klincecum]

@@millomweb Look again! It is.

[@millomweb]

@@klincecum It's panto season.... Oh no it's not !

[@RyanKelley87]

@@millomweb How to toilet bowls drain in the UK?

[@millomweb]

@@RyanKelley87 Without siphoning - it's just a U trap and many of ours have nearly horizontal outlets from the back of the toilet and the pipework they connect to is relatively horizontal too - so it can't siphon.

[@PeterLunk]

Another very interesting piece of (lab) equipment that uses gravity in an ingenious way is the 'soxhlet extractor' wich works with a similar Siphoning effect.

[@toydotgame]

Here in Australia I have never seen a toilet which uses a siphon. From what I've seen (this is most likely very wrong in the way that it works), there's a shaft in the middle with a half-flush and full flush button (to match the outside, whcih has two buttons in the center of the top - compared to a front-mounted lever off to one side); and each button pushes a shaft to the bottom of the tank and opens a sort of valve, which leads through a pipe into the bowl. I think the full flush button has a _weak_ spring which will only close when the tank is *fully emptied* (and then it can be re-latched and the same refilling system as in this video fills it back up), but the half-flush button has a _strong_ spring to close the valve when the tank is only *half empty* (and thus it uses less water).

[@Miniaturegeek]

I know this video is a year old but I’m in the US and I’ve never seen a toilet style like that. That was really interesting to see. Also the thing about the urinals was also interesting to learn.

[@phTeamHalb]

Had urinals at work that did that before we went waterless and always wondered the mechanism worked and why and how they would constantly just flush after a few minutes. too bad that is irrelevant and i cant share this information with anyone as i'm sure nobody else at work thought that...a nd if they did, we CERTAINLY didnt have conversations about the urinal flushing mechanism!

[@MadProphet_97]

Imagine being wine drunk and you accidentally fill the glass too high and dump it all over your white carpet

[@dominickkeller8948]

Thats the point if you greedy you get problem, greedy cup

[@ub3rfr3nzy94]

Good thing ancient Greek houses weren't carpeted!

[@SacredDaturaa]

Sounds like the beginning of an infomercial

[@A.Martin]

All you have to do is put your finger over the hole in the bottom, then you can fill the cup right to the edge.

[@ahlamamr4659]

@@ub3rfr3nzy94 Good thing alcohol is forbidden in islam😂

[@freddieindaboxx4416]

This has been recommended to me for 2 days straight. Fine youtube. I'm watching it.

[@kittybeans8192]

as per instructions... my toilet's currently busted so I flush with a bucket that I fill from the drainage from my AC. So basically I flush with condensed air! (I live in Florida so there's no shortage of water in the air)

[@fortisprocer966]

Lol! Indeed, Florida's air is mostly water mixed with a hint of oxygen. Ive had to do that myself before but from a pond by the property.

[@aviationist]

The virtue signaling is strong with this one.

[@aviationist]

Kitty beans....

[@nindoninshu]

Heyyy what city do you live in I'm in Wesley Chapel

[@Foolish188]

Good way to save on sewage fees since it is based on metered water, not metered sewage.

[@rewalos5077]

Thank you so much for this informative video sir. The 2D mechanism really helped me to understand the process.

[@MrSaiLikesPie]

“Lets do the toilet.” Me: Hyped.

[@romasromas73]

mmmm yesss I like toilet

[@stevebrown1974]

How awkward did you feel filming that urinal?! :-D The syphon model is most common in the UK and according to the Wiki article (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flush_toilet#Siphon-flush_mechanism ), mandatory until 2001: "Until 1 January 2001, the use of siphon-type cisterns was mandatory in the UK[11] to avoid the potential waste of water by millions of leaking toilets with flapper valves, but due to EU harmonisation the regulations have changed. These valves can sometimes be more difficult to operate than a "flapper"-based flush valve because the lever requires more torque than a flapper-flush-valve system. This additional torque is required at the tank lever because a certain amount of water must be moved up into the siphon passageway in order to initiate the siphon action in the tank. Splitting or jamming of the flexible flap covering the perforated disc can cause the cistern to go out of order."

[@EcceJack]

Ohhhhh!!! That explains why it sometimes feels like you have to "kick-start" the whole thing (rather than just.. pressing)! It is indeed a problem I've never had elsewhere in Europe

[@anonymouse2428]

Here in the US, I've only seen the flapper type

[@ObjectsInMotion]

Can confirm this type of mechanism is not standard in the US.

[@YYYValentine]

Join to the SMILER!!!

[@TheSadButMadLad]

So it was the EU's fault for making things shittier (pun intended).

[@lauriepalmer3593]

I have been wondering how the fabric softener gets out of my machine for years! Thank you for answering this question for me!

[@Derokorian]

This is really cool, but I have never seen a siphon in the tank of a toilet. We have flappers in the US that covers a hole at the bottom. Pressing the handle lifts the flapper. I was thinking of the bowl when you said a siphon in the toilet.

[@fuseteam]

the pythagorean siphon inside your washing machine me: ohw cool i did not know that let's see how it works _8 minutes in_ "toilets are interesting" me: wait 👀

[@blackmellow7465]

Claim your "I got recommended by youtube algorithm" ticket here

[@StreamMomentsOfficial]

Can I have 2 🥺

[@austinsparks4561]

Tickets please

[@mel0dy220]

trutru

[@flex7276]

bro thats like every fkin vid unless your friend or professor recommends a vid

[@mikumikuda]

Got recommended a lot this month (tho I didn't watch it) but I've watched his past videos quite some time ago though I went here directly from his channel which I came across from SmarterEveryDay. But it still appeared on my recommendations regardless so yeah, give me a ticket

[@kalleklp7291]

Funny enough I was on holiday on the isle of Samos (Pythagoras was born there and they named a small village after him) back in 2010. One day I decided to drive the island thin on a scooter and I came by a small pottery factory where they made exactly these cups. Curious about them I asked the guy running the shop how it worked and he showed me how he made them. I bought one as a souvenir which I still have in my living room. The history behind it says, the king of Samos asked Pythagoras to build a water system to canal the melting ice water from the mountain and down in the city. Realizing it would take forever as the workers where a bit too thirsty regarding the vine he invented this cup. Each worker got a cup and was allowed to fill it twice a day with vine. The work progressed and was finished before schedule and the city had fresh water.

[@lavishlavon]

_HUH?_ hey, cool story about the souvenir on holiday & all, but i think you lost me at _"vine".._ perhaps english may not be your 1st language (which, totally cool btw), so im withholding any & all sarcasm [just fyi]. im merely interested in this neat bit of history youve to share w/ us.. however, im even more so perplexed that i just cant seem to find the take away in this as im stuck in this predicament _trying to make heads or tails of the story as a whole_ (regardless of any perceived typo or not). *i'm petty, i know..*

[@Zeivusgaming]

@@lavishlavon - i think he means wine. I have heard stories about Pythagoras' followers got greedy with their wine and the cup was made to punish those who got greedy. Hence the 'greedy cup siphon'

[@naturalsci5712]

Steve, you've made a really explanational video about the kind of siphon. The 2d experiment is beautiful. Concerning the toilets in Russia: for all my soviet childhood (and, I guess, long ago before) we used only flap design with the flap sealed by the water pressure of the full tank (like Americans do and in your case too). I maintainced them a lot - pouring valve defects, flap hardens or contaminated (doesn't seal) and so on... In modern times we use different systems from mainly European manufacturers (with two volumes flushes options too), but they always use a kind of flap, so I've never seen the siphon type of the flushing device. Anyway, it was cool to get into all of that!

[@hunterjohnson7393]

so this is how some toilets have a "small" flush and "large" flush button? The small flush linkage keeps the piston up?

[@CSpottsGaming]

Seems like it, though I haven't seen that in public in the US. Private residences might have that here, but in Europe they're everywhere in public toilets. Having a #1 and #2 flush option is a really clever way to conserve water.

[@SecretAsianMan2222]

@@CSpottsGaming I've seen them a few places in public restrooms in the US now Rest Stop "Oasis" locations in Chicago have them.

[@snakedoktor6020]

The "large" flush let's the piston fall back down so the seal blocks the air, allowing the water to continue to flow, thus emptying the tank.

[@patreekotime4578]

Ive seen them in the US and they are usually a super modern design like a cresent moon or something with no signage and I have not the foggiest clue which button does what. Whenever I see them it feels like seeing the end result of a long design evolution where you missed basically all of the intervening steps to get there.

[@shardlake]

More likely a dual flush valve, which does not use a syphon at all, have then fitted in my house, although mine have a handle that can be used up or down, down for short flush up for whole tank.

[@GadgetReviewVideos]

To funny, I was just showing someone this last week. She noticed liquid (water) was still in the tray. I showed her how the siphon worked, and how to fix it. At the bottom of the tube sometimes it have detergent or softener left and this residue builds up on the bottom tray around the bottom tube. Eventually this build up affects the siphon. To clean it out completely and remove that residue fixes the issue. Then one week later you released this video, I think I will share it with her. As for the toilet in the US, its a plunger pulled up by a chain, those are the only ones I have seen in houses.

[@larsalfredhenrikstahlin8012]

omg yes I have this problem

[@GadgetReviewVideos]

Lars Alfred Henrik Stahlin Take the soap/fabric softener tray out. Clean it thoroughly to remove the soap scum residue and put the tray back. As long as you washer is also level it should fix your problem.

[@atruebrit6452]

that is the old UK mechanism and it is the worst possible. Also patented. Like any other british failure. That mechanism increases water usage 3-4 times (you can't stop the flush or partially flush a toilet), and uses a valve that breaks once every 2-3 years and is very expensive. Imagine paying 20 USD for that. That design is being phased out.

[@Computers0101]

@@atruebrit6452 You can partially flush the toilet with some designs, as shown in the video. And 2-3 years is very low, my family has 3 toilets which have lasted 20 years (and still going strong) with only a couple of replacement plastic sheets for the one way valves.

[@usvalve]

This is a really great video, very clear and informative. I'd love to see Steve's explanation of how the old high-level toilet siphons worked. I've seen a couple of explanations, but I really wasn't convinced! They are fundamentally a bell siphon, it's the priming that puzzles me...

[@kathrynwhitby9799]

IIRC, the chain pulls a lever, which raises the bell. when the chain is released, the bell drops, and being wider at the bottom then the top, forces the water up (like an upside down funnel) and into the downpipe, starting the syphon.

[@wrenchboostboi8994]

I live in Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada. No siphon flush toilets here… we have a fill valve that automatically fills the tank with either the ball-cock style float or the newer style fill valve that works similar to the float in a carburetor. The flush valve is basically a soft rubber flapper that lifts up and down by use of a chain connected to a lever moved by the flush handle. Once the flapper lifts the the tank drains directly into the toilet bowl via an internal canal and holes surrounding the upper wall of the bowl. Once the bowl is full enough, it reaches the siphon point and all goes down the stack. There are some variations of this design but basically they work the same way. Ive only seen two different designs of the lower bowl canal that siphons the waste water. One is older and has a slower, higher filling flush, and the other is newer and flushes faster with less water.

[@MaxDiscere]

Thanks for the reminder! I had to unload my washing machine and completely forgot about it until I saw your video.

[@grundekulseth]

My toilet hangs on the wall and only has two buttons, so I guess it's just magic then.

[@SteveMould]

That's the other mechanisms, yes.

[@VegetableMigraine]

It probably has a tank inside the wall that fills with water. If not then its a power flush that relies on water pressure and volume to flush. But those are typically only commercial.

[@1943vermork]

I also believe the toilet hangs on the wall by magic or suction cup. Not sure about where the call end up when you press those buttons, maybe the sewer call center.

[@timh.6872]

So that's a tank in the wall between the studs and horizontal threaded rod into the studs to support the bowl, with the drain probably going down through the sill board below the studs. They're surprisingly useful for tiny houses when trying to fit a bathroom into less than 20 square feet.

[@charlesthompson4226]

I also use the sink when I shit

[@BloodAsp]

I've always known toilets to have a light flush with a quick handle plunge, and more water to flush with a longer held plunge.

[@bruceschneier6283]

That's because you're using toilets with a rubber stopper on a hinge connected directly to the flush handle by a chain. Holding down the handle holds the valve open.

[@adfaklsdjf]

@@bruceschneier6283 Wait a sec.. you're not _the_ Bruce Schneier are you? 👀

[@billmeade9029]

I was going to say that to but I figured someone already had so I read a few comments before I did and sure enough there you was 😉

[@yutubve]

Where I live the flushes use another system. A white cork wich tryes to float keeps the flush open while is discharging, but when it's closed the water wheight avoid it to float and keeps the plug closed. For small discharges a little pressure to a thin vertical bar(one side bonded to cork and plug and the other side activated manually from outside) inverts the forces and help the plug to close the system. Easy and smart aswell

[@alialghufli2016]

Recommendation: wanna watch how a washing machine works? Me: sure why not

[@cyrilio]

Love your new podcast with Parker!

[@themutagen]

Theres a podcast?? O.O

[@cyrilio]

PlatonicGaming it’s called ‘A podcast of Unnecessary Detail’

[@cealvan8941]

My toilet uses a buey plug mechanism type thing When the basin is empty the plug seals off the water getting to the toilet, as the water rises the water pushing down on the plug stays higher than the buoyancy of the plug, however, when the plug is pulled, it gets the plug far enough away from the hole that the buoyancy can keep it away from the hole and let the water through until the basin is all but empty again

[@Trotters79]

Traditional toilets in Norway used to be the same, with a plain vertical pipe to handle any overflow, if the lever float was out of alignment or the filling valve no longer sealed properly. Modern toilets use the pythagorean approach, but is kicked off by pushing air into a sealed tank. Two separate buttons initiate the effect from different levels, thus causing "half" or "full" flush. We usually have a vertical sewer pipe going through the floor, so our toilets have an S bend / S trap to keep the sewer smell from entering the bathroom. It's basically always "in balance", or at the same level of you like. The waste is removed by the water "pushing" it though and over the top of the S bend. If you pour water slowly from a bucket, you will eventually "replace" all the water / pee, but business with more mass will not "climb" over the S bend, and thus still remain in the bowl. Very light objects, such as poop full of methane or dead flies, ants or moth, will not flush easily, as they will simply dance on top of the water when you flush. This is best solved by putting a sheet of toilet paper on top of the water and light object, and the toilet paper will often carry the light object away with it.

[@martianpudding9522]

I have an older model washing machine that has an internal structure similar to your 2D model, which is pretty cool but also makes it almost impossible to clean. It's second hand and it had a huge buildup of soap residue on the inside

[@IstasPumaNevada]

I'm 36 years old and have lived my whole life in the U.S., and though I haven't seen a great number of them, every toilet flushing mechanism I've ever seen has not been a siphon type. I particularly like the water-saving flush option. I may look to see if a siphon-type with that dual-flush is available for our toilets.

[@jadoei13]

There are ones that don't even need to empty half way. You can get ones that have a small button and a big one for different amounts of water. Alternatively you can get ones with a stop button if you want more control, but it will use the full amount of water if you forget to press the stop button.

[@FloppydriveMaestro]

Its always fascinating seeing the ways different countries come up completely different solutions to the same problem. Who knew a flushing toilet could be so interesting.

[@Great.Milenko]

there are suppliers of siphon type cisterns available with imperial threading and pipe connections :)

[@IstasPumaNevada]

@Adam Courchaine That is a neat idea. But the problem I'm currently having is that the flapper valve is leaking; having a siphon-type would prevent that entirely.

[@spencerwilton5831]

IstasPumaNevada Exactly, the syphon type is actually much more reliable. They were all that we ever used in the UK, I think they were mandatory. Then Europe kicked off and insisted their manufacturers had access to our market with their crappy flapper valves. So now, every other toilet has a steady trickle of water pouring down the drain 24/7 due to a faulty flapper. Even a bit of limescale is enough to make them leak. Syphons will never do that, and continue to work for decades. It's quite common to be renovating an old house and find the original toilet from the early 20th century still in place, still working perfectly, even with half an inch of limescale build up on the syphon.

[@MirageUchiha]

Thanks Steve! One of the most interesting videos I've seen this week. Thanks!

[@denniscarroll3164]

This isn't the first video I've seen of yours. I really like your classes, (It's what I call them)have my sons watching too. Thanks for making truly useful content.

[@veronicalogotheti5416]

thank you

[@voovych]

My toilet is a hole in my backyard with "you don't need to flush" mechanism

[@zainoelsoroto2776]

I see old school perhaps

[@vernondaniels6506]

I used to have a couple of those type toilets in a couple different houses. My grandfather had one in his, hahaha😂, caught myself , I was going to say in his house , but that would be silly 😜 it was in his back yard, it would have been nice if it had been inside, it would have been so much warmer in the winter ❄️🥶. However I believe it would have been stinky as well. But alas it was most definitely outside in the yard, over the shit pit 💩.

[@77gravity]

I grew up with a "hole in the ground". Never clogged, used no water.

[@peerbrent]

Do you eventually need to drain it?

[@77gravity]

@@peerbrent The waste breaks down over time, via soil bacteria, the moisture leaches into the soil, what is left is basically just nice rich dirt. AS the hole gets a little full, you dig another, move the seat. Wait a couple of months and you can dig out the first one, put the soil into the compost heap. Modern waterless composting toilet systems are basically a fancy version of the pit toilet. I plan to use these in my new house.

[@Aaptronym]

"If you remove the tray from your washing machine..." the what

[@conservat1vepatr1ot]

He meant “if you lobotomize your wife”. (It’s ok, lots of people were confused. I got you fam 😘).

[@aviationist]

Lol

[@mitchahbw]

washing machine, the household appliance that yo mum uses to clean yo cloths

[@aviationist]

@@mitchahbw yeah, we don't have that tray in the US machines. We just dump the detergent in the machine on top of the clothes. Our machines will also wash a full load in 20 to 30 minutes unlike the hour plus it takes for your machines to do the same task. Yes, we're special and we know it.

[@mitchahbw]

@@aviationist fascinating.. 🤔

[@cherubin7th]

My toiled doesn't do this, the longer I press the more water comes out. It just opens a gap at the bottom when I press until I stop pressing.

[@romasromas73]

mmmmm yesss I like toilets

[@dpete8995]

Never seen a siphon flush mechanism like that one... have wondered, in passing, how both the “half flush” toilets, and washing machine liquid dispensers work. Cool simple devices!

[@zero8xkira]

That actually answers a question that i thought about. When you have to pee really bad and you go for a while it seemed like i could never fill the urinal. Had no idea if there was a sensor it something that kept the urinal from overflowing. Thank you.

[@AquaRedX]

This is actually FIRST time I ever heard of the Pythagorean Siphon mechanism.

[@kucingcalico]

good for you

[@AquaRedX]

@@kucingcalico There's nothing good about living in a Pit and not knowing stuff like this. This stuff is educational.

[@kucingcalico]

@@AquaRedX i meant good 4 u that you now know about it

[@AquaRedX]

@@kucingcalico I appreaciate that sir. Thank you!

[@UnprofessionalFlicks]

I'm in Canada, and every toilet I've see has the same float shut off valve, but the flush mechanism is just a rubber flap that fits into the hole on the bottom of the tank. So when you push the handle, the flap lifts and the tank drains, and when the tank is empty, the flap pluggs the hole, and the tank fills

[@katiefrentics2902]

Set 8: "Sir, I'm never gonna need this in everyday life" Maths teacher:

[@coc_champs]

Uhmm I don't think maths teaches these type of concept

[@dinil5566]

@@coc_champs but you need math to make it a properly working stuff.

[@BygoneT]

Not if you manufacture toilets, or prank glasses. Think big you meat loaf, it's your job to figure out what to do with it.