What happens when we flush the toilet on an airplane: it uses space technology

If you've ever flown in an airplane, you may have wondered what happens to waste after someone uses the toilet. After all, there is no running water at an altitude of 10 km. When it comes to aircraft facts, there is a lot to like. Readers Digest.

Photo: IStock

How did the first airplane toilets work?

Have you ever imagined how the contents of the toilet on an airplane fall out of the bottom of it. It's not that far-fetched - it actually happened. The earliest airplane toilets were primitive and straightforward: think of a bucket or a bottle.

“The old planes didn’t even have a drain system. Just a bucket and a separate urinal,” says Mike Miller, an Alaska Airlines service worker instructor. “Moreover, the pipe from the urinal went right overboard, so that if desired and possible, you could leave a trail of urine throughout your flight.”

Airlines unveiled a toilet that used Anotec blue deodorizing gel to flush out waste and fight odor. However, it was not without problems. Airlines had to store gallons of this material, which was very heavy and caused aircraft to waste precious fuel and restrict passenger space. Also, the storage tanks were right under the toilets, so the smell would sometimes waft into the cabin - not something you want to experience before eating in-flight!

On the subject: Deadly risks: airlines of which countries are considered the most dangerous

And those early toilets were not reliable. Toilet waste sometimes leaked out of the plane, where it froze. As the plane descended, ice-cold lumps of blue gel mixed with feces were thrown from it, which sometimes fell to the ground at high speed, reportedly damaging cars and houses below.

Do planes drop trash into the air?

Not anymore! In the days of the bucket or bottle, passengers simply threw the contents out of the plane window into the unsuspecting world below. Once commercial flights became popular and pressurized cabins were introduced, bathroom systems also underwent a change.

Like the article? Support ForumDaily!?

Where do planes dump waste?

In 1975, James Kemper developed a modern aircraft toilet that featured a non-stick bowl, a small amount of Skychem (disinfectant) and powerful vacuum suction. Now, when you flush an airplane toilet, the hatch at the base opens, the liquid pours out, and everything is sucked up faster than in a Formula One race car.

The principle of operation of the toilet on the ISS is approximately the same. Only on the ISS you have to fasten yourself to the toilet before you want to do your business. There is no other way, weightlessness. To prevent waste from flying throughout the ship, powerful pumps are used that suck in air along with waste products, reports “Zen". Now they have even learned how to purify liquid waste to the state of ordinary transparent water: its composition is even drinkable, but it is still used mainly for technical needs.

Aircraft vacuum toilets still use antiseptic, but require much less than previous models, and waste is guaranteed to go into the tank thanks to the vacuum system. Expert. The loud sound that is heard when flushing occurs due to the difference in pressure outside the aircraft and inside it. When the release button is pressed, a valve opens and air pressure dumps the contents of the toilet into a tank at the tail of the aircraft. At a low altitude, the difference in pressure is created artificially.

The inner surface of the waste tank is similar in properties to the Teflon that is used to coat pans. Nothing sticks to it. The faeces remain in the tank until the vacuum cleaner cleans it with ice and vinegar. When the plane lands, a special machine pumps out the waste and dumps it into the airport's underground sewer.

On a long-haul Boeing 747 flight, passengers can flush the toilets about 1000 times, which creates about 870 liters of sewage - that's a lot of waste!

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants, and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New Y.

If you're wondering if planes can accidentally empty their tanks mid-flight, causing a nasty shock to anyone below, don't worry. The tank has external clamps to prevent such unexpected occurrences. And if you've heard the urban myth that toilet vacuum cleaners suck out your insides, that's also unlikely—at least not to date. In short, using amenities is definitely not one of the things you should never do on an airplane.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Tickets from San Francisco to Tokyo for only $91: Japanese low-cost airline launches a new flight

Worth a visit: America’s 25 most impressive mountain towns

Texas court invalidates FDA approval for abortion pills

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.