You may have heard that a toilet can drain straight down. Is this true? And if it is, how does it work?
In this blog post, we will explore the science behind toilet drainage and find out whether or not a toilet can drain straight down!
Can Toilet Drain Go Straight Down?
No, a toilet cannot drain straight down in a practical sense. While technically it is possible to make the toilet drain go straight down, it will make your house a stinky mess.
The main reason toilets cannot drain straight down is because when water sits in a P trap, it creates a barrier between the sewer and the house. Without a p-trap in place, your house will be filled with sewer gases that can make you very sick.
So, even though a toilet cannot drain straight down in a practical sense, it is still possible to do so in theory.
When Toilet Drain Can Go Straight Down?
Now that we know a toilet cannot drain straight down in a practical sense, when can it go straight down?
The only time a toilet can drain straight down is when the bathroom is located in a place where there is no adequate space to set up a sewer in a different place, e.g. job sites, forest areas, etc.
If you have ever been camping, you may have noticed that the toilets in the campground do not have a p-trap. This is because there is no way to set up a sewer line in the forest. So, the only way to make the toilet work is to allow it to drain straight down.
However, this is not a practical solution for a home bathroom because it would create a health hazard.
Dropping Toilet Drain Straight Down in Home
If you have a p-trap installed under the toilet or the toilet has the p-trap in it, then you don’t need to bother about the toilet drain going straight down.
P-traps are designed to keep the water in the U-bend, which forms a seal that prevents sewer gas from coming up through the drain.
In such circumstances, you can allow the toilet drain to go straight down. However, be careful when you allow the drain pipe to go straight down for a long distance. Allowing the pipe to be straight for too long can cause the solid wastes to stick into the bend and create clogs.
Conclusion
Now you know that a toilet cannot drain straight down in a practical sense. However, it is still possible to do so in theory.
If you have a p-trap installed under the toilet or the toilet has the p-trap in it, then you can allow the toilet drain to go straight down.
Just be careful when you allow the drain pipe to go straight down for a long distance as it can cause clogs. Thanks for reading!
Do you have any questions about toilet drainage? Leave a comment below and we will be happy to answer them!