What is the Work of a Toilet?

Did you know that diarrhoea due to poor sanitation causes nearly 400 deaths each day in the USA for children below 5 years old? Proper sanitation is crucial for ensuring healthy and long lives. It is also vital for children's growth and well-being. How does the modern flushable toilet function?

The Main Parts of a Toilet

Although toilet designs vary from one brand to another and between types of toilets as well, the basic components are the same: the cistern, the bowl, and the bowl.

The cistern, a tank holding water, is used to empty the toilet bowl by pressing a button. The force of gravity forces wastes from the toilet bowl into your sewerage system. It sounds simple, right?

Although toilets look simply, there are many moving parts. There are many moving parts that go into flushing your toilet.

• Inlet valve

• Rod and floating ball

• Piston

• Siphon

These parts are connected by the use of pistons and levers.

How a toilet works

(Image Credit: Tapron UK)

The inlet valve regulates water entering your tank from the cistern. The inlet valve is closed when the tank is full. The rod is positioned at the bottom of the tank, and the valve opens to let more water in.

The ball and rod rise with water entering the tank. The rod will again block the inlet valve when the tank is full. This allows the tank to automatically fill and prevents it from overflowing.

If the refilling of the tank is automated, then how do you empty it? When the flush button is pressed, the cistern will be emptied. This activates the flush button, which pulls up a piston and causes water to flood a siphon "U", tube. This tube transports liquid from the tank to the toilet bowl.

The siphon action quickly empty’s the tank. As the water is emptied, the float ball sinks to the bottom. The piston blocks the 'U" tube and the tank refills.

The water flows down a small pipe around the toilet bowl's rim, and then out through the drainpipe. It also carries the waste along with it. The 'S bend' keeps some clean water at the bottom. This stops bad odours and sewage from entering your toilet. The siphon action at the 'S' bend speeds up the flushing process.

What has it done for the world?

Toilets have made cities and homes cleaner. Toilets, when combined with other plumbing devices, have made it possible to provide sanitation in many areas of the globe.

Your exposure to human waste is significantly reduced by using the toilet. You are less likely to get diarrhoea or other illnesses associated with poor sanitation. Bad sanitation can also cause:

• Malnutrition

• Low birth weight

• Cognitive disabilities

• Stunted growth

• Plus, many other things

Poor sanitation can lead to 2/3 of all preventable deaths among 2-5-year-olds.

Private toilet facilities allow more girls from developing countries to attend school, which is why many drop out if they aren't available.