The workings of a modern toilet involve a wonderful combination of high technology and some of the fundamental laws of physics. In this article, we’ll give you a brief overview of how they work and how it is made.
How It’s Made
Almost every toilet in the world is manufactured from a ceramic. A ceramic is a simply a mixture of inorganic, non-metallic solids that are heated to solidify them. In general, the material used in the manufacture of toilets is clay and clay minerals.
The first step is to fashion a plastic mold of the toilet. This mold is then used to create a gypsum, reverse-mold from which the actual toilet is fashioned. Gypsum is used because it helps to cure the clay of it at a much faster rate. The molds are usually made in several sections that are assembled. The clay is then introduced and allowed.
Some additional trimming and clay additions are done by hand and the toilet “form” is complete. After a day or two of drying, the form is then coated with a waterproof glaze, baked in a kiln at high temperature and it is complete.
How It Works
Most people assume that the rushing water that enters a toilet does all the work and forces any waste into the toilet drain. This information is only partially true. Without the fundamental force of gravity also lending a hand, modern toilets would not work nearly as efficiently.
In a modern gravity-fed, flush toilet, water is introduced into the bowl from the upper tank. This water increases the water level in the bowl over the top of the “trap” located inside the back of it. Once the water overcomes this obstacle, gravity and suction take over. As the water falls into the main drain line, it pulls the remaining water and waste from the bowl.
It is, indeed, an ingenious arrangement of simple materials and fundamental properties. One needn’t learn how a toilet works but the proper care and maintenance of your toilet keep it functioning properly for years to come.