Do the toilets really flush the other way in Australia?

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Ozmaniac

The water in toilets swirling the other way thing is a myth though I'm sure you'll get several answers from people saying that it's true and that they've observed it.

The Coriolis effect causes huge bodies of air and water to go opposite ways in each hemisphere so that low pressure weather systems in the southern hemisphere rotate clockwise and in the northern hemisphere, they rotate anti-clockwise. In toilets and bathtubs and anything smaller than the ocean however, the body of water is simply too small for it to have that effect and the direction of any water rotation is purely down to the shape of the vessel and how the water enters it.
Google 'water direction hemisphere' for dozens of learned and popular articles on the subject and all say the same - it's not true that toilets etc flush in opposite directions.

The frog thing is true though. Years ago, we had a green tree frog living in our(edit: inside) toilet in Brisbane and a couple of friends also had froggy residents in their (edit: inside) loos. It's not very common though and I haven't heard of it for years. There aren't as many frogs around these days; perhaps that's the reason.

neverwinter

assuming this is a variation on the 'bathwater down the plughole' question, then the answer is no.

The Coriolis effect does spin things the other way in the southern hemisphere, but is only visible on a large scale. For plumbing the shape of the plughole is what matters, plus any disturbance in the water. I suppose it depends how hard the frogs are swimming.. :)

jigfam

If you want to see frogs in toilets go to far north QLD. They sit just under the lip.

AussieGIRLâ™¥

WHAT, where did you get that FROG PART FROM?
LOL... no a frog has never jumped up from the toilet for me before....

And yes they flush the other way ...

Dave N

Yes, and what a mess! All over the walls, the ceiling...

I had heard that for years, and believed it. Makes sense in a way, but if you consider the fact that the water starts out at the same relative speed as the rest of the Earth's surface, there is a lot of room for doubt. Recently I read an article about that effect, which claimed it doesn't always swirl the same way anywhere. I don't recall where I read that, too much browsing you know.

Froggy situation? I don't know, I suppose it could happen in towns, but not if you were in the country with a septic tank system.

Cathy J

Yes, the water does flow the other way, in sinks, rivers, because we live in the Souther Hemisphere. And Yes, people sometimes do get frogs in the loo, especially if there is a window or door left open for them to get into the house.You can take a frog outside and it will still try and get back.

shannon...

ah no..

Mel

Differences between Australia and US are; our toilets don't half fill with water, we just have a little big down the bottom. Whilst US toilets suck everything down, Australian toilets have the water push everything down the pipes. So the water never really spins one way or the other.

In a bath tub or sink it spins the opposite direction but it is usually only the water at the plug hole that you can see spinning.

I have NEVER heard of someone having a frog in the toilet, perhaps in an outside toilet or in the bush but not in the city.

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