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.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Apr 03 2004 LectraSan http://www.raritane...ment/lectrasan.htmlsterile disposal of human waste [csea, Jan 24 2005] Wouldn't that tend to stink up the place?-- RayfordSteele, Apr 03 2004 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.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Apr 03 2004 I'd have thought the hot water could clear out the smelly bits quicker and leave the place smelling cleaner.-- waugsqueke, Apr 03 2004 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.-- RayfordSteele, Apr 03 2004 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.-- oxen crossing, Apr 04 2004 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.-- fasteddy, Apr 04 2004 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.-- oxen crossing, May 13 2004 I like the name of the idea. (+)-- Inyuki, Jan 24 2005 Its a real shitty idea though.-- cuckoointherye, Jan 24 2005 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!)
see [link]-- csea, Jan 24 2005 My ideas have somehow evolved the ability to spontaneously change their own names.
Fascinating.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jan 24 2005 [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.]-- hippo, Jan 24 2005 I was hoping this would be the Society for Human Intervention of Totalitarian Topiaries.-- Aq_Bi, Jan 24 2005 Thanks for the heads up [hippo] I figured that's what it was.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jan 25 2005 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.-- nineteenthly, Jan 25 2005 Unfortunately, private septic systems and public water treatment facilties are highly dependent on bacteria for the decomposition process.-- jp498, Jan 25 2005 // kill or maim bacteria.//
I love the idea of maiming bacteria. Just wound them a bit and have them squirm in pain.-- Custardguts, Oct 30 2007 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!-- Macdaddyx1, Feb 10 2008 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.-- wagster, Feb 10 2008 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...-- Sometimer, Feb 11 2008 I've unclogged dunnys with boiling water, haven't noticed any cracking. Thing is, if it *doesn't* work, the stench is *incredible*.-- FlyingToaster, Feb 12 2008 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.-- elhigh, Feb 13 2008 Ick. Better off cooling the water.-- nomocrow, Feb 13 2008 This would probably open up a whole new product range of "Matey bubble toilet".-- skinflaps, Feb 13 2008 //Wax? How primitive!//
Well, what do you use, silly putty?-- nomocrow, Feb 15 2008 //would the porcelain crack from the temperature shock// No more than your porceline teacup. The temperature difference would have to be very large.-- Voice, Nov 25 2008 random, halfbakery