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If the tank on your toilet were insulated and contained a heating element the water it holds could be raised to a temperature which kills most bacteria and fecal contaminates. The flush mechanism would have to be designed so that it will not flush unless both lids are closed to prevent scalding.
LectraSan
http://www.raritane...ment/lectrasan.html sterile disposal of human waste [csea, Jan 24 2005]
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Annotation:
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Wouldn't that tend to stink up the place? |
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No more than usual. the water in the bowl would cool to room temperature, the hot water would just flow down the sides as the bowl drained and sterilize it after the fact. I suppose some provision would have to be made for -one after the other- uses. Watch out for that first splash, it's a doozey. |
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I'd have thought the hot water could clear out the smelly bits quicker and leave the place smelling cleaner. |
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I think you'd smell it across the street. Hot water tends to evaporate more quickly and steam up the place, and that action would tend to airate all of those foul critters and stench. |
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The smell debate can be easily
tested. You just need a dirty toilet
and about 5 gallons of boiling
water. When you pour it into the
bowl, it will generate a flush, and
either stink the joint up, or leave it
fresh and clean smelling. I'd try it,
but our toilet needs another week
or so before it will make a good
test subject. |
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Sounds good to me, additional benifits: heat source for those really cold facilities. Alternate cooridinated heating sources might be hot water heating in the floorboards (as available in some public buildings in Europe, Scandinavia, Iceland).
Downside: generally, temperature should exceed 155 degrees F. to begin to actually kill or maim bacteria. |
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I don't know if this is hot enough
water to be a definitive test, but I
accidentally hooked up the toilet
in the rear bath to the hot supply
while re-plumbing (it gets real
confusing under there in the near
dark, with all the twists and turns
the pipe has to make). What the
hell, I said, here's a chance to test
out the smelly crapper debate.
Our water heater puts out 140 deg
hot, when asked, and so far, no
bad odors. Also, no real
detectable improvement in staying
clean. OK, now I have to go back
under and fix the damn thing. |
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I like the name of the idea. (+) |
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Its a real shitty idea though. |
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Boaters have to deal with this issue routinely, and have developed something called the "Lectra/San" which deodorizes/disinfects toilet material before pumping overboard (where permitted!) |
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My ideas have somehow evolved the ability to spontaneously change their own names. |
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[admin: That was me. Titles are more heavily moderated than the rest of the content on the Halfbakery so that people, when scrolling through a list of ideas, can at least begin to gain a faint glimmer of what the ideas might be about.] |
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I was hoping this would be the Society for Human Intervention of Totalitarian Topiaries. |
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Thanks for the heads up [hippo] I figured that's what it was. |
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I actually use hot water to flush the toilet sometimes, because some of it comes from bathwater, and it doesn't make a stink, but it's at forty-odd Celsius so i doubt it would be hot enough to sterilise it. However, i'm afraid i don't like the idea because flushing toilets are already a waste of water, and this way they'd also be a waste of whatever kind of energy was used to heat the water. |
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Unfortunately, private septic systems and public water treatment facilties are highly dependent on bacteria for the decomposition process. |
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// kill or maim bacteria.// |
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I love the idea of maiming bacteria. Just wound them a bit and have them squirm in pain. |
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You were at a [+6,-7] on this one; I just
had to bring you out of the toilet!
(..another funny!)
I mean, let's face it - industrial
(restaurant) dishwashers do exactly the
same thing! |
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I'm amazed at how many toilets I have used that have been fed from the hot water system. Two. Two more than I would have expected as this is a huge waste of energy. |
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I wonder if the bowl was sufficiently cool, then hit with the hot water from the tank - would the porcelain crack from the temperature shock? This doesn't happen with porcelain sinks, etc. but I'm not so sure with a water closet... |
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I've unclogged dunnys with boiling water, haven't noticed any cracking. Thing is, if it *doesn't* work, the stench is *incredible*. |
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Eewww. After a few days, all that hot water is going to completely erode away the wax ring between the toilet and the flange. Then things really start to stink. |
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Ick. Better off cooling the water. |
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This would probably open up a whole new product range of "Matey bubble toilet". |
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Well, what do you use, silly putty? |
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//would the porcelain crack from the temperature shock// No more than your porceline teacup. The temperature difference would have to be very large. |
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