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People Are Horrified After Learning What Happens When You Flush A Plane Toilet
People have been left horrified after discovering exactly what happens when you flush the toilet on an airplane and where the waste actually goes.
Whether you’re a frequent flyer or someone who only travels by air once in a blue moon, there’s one thing we can all agree on: plane toilets are pretty grim.
Look, when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go, and the chances are when you’re stuck on a plane for several hours at a time, you’re going to have to relieve yourself at some point.
So, the best you can do is go to the toilet as quickly as possible and make sure you sanitize your hands after touching anything.
Plus-sized woman says she can’t use plane toilets
Airplane toilets have been the subject of much debate in recent years, particularly after a plus-sized woman publicly complained about not being able to use the bathrooms onboard because the aisles are too narrow.
After sharing her experience on social media, other users were divided over the subject, with many suggesting it’s not the airline’s responsibility to ensure larger passengers can fit — but not everyone agrees.
“Unfortunately, planes are being redesigned to be more compact,” one wrote. “It’s a problem, not just for those who are plus-size but those of certain height. Look for alternative ways to travel or buy premium.”
Another added: “Well, instead of flying you’ll have to drive? The airline is a want not a necessity. They don’t need to change anything.”
However, one more sympathetic social media user wrote: “I remember the days flying when you could pass the hostess trolley without having to climb onto someone else’s lap to get out the way. They should have fewer seats with more room. We are not sardines.”
Another agreed: “I mean, being of average weight I do feel like most low-cost busses or planes have reduced sitting capacity to some absurd size. I do fit in, but it feels like back pain and minimal leg space.”
Popular theory about flushing toilets on planes not true
It’s not really any surprise that plane loos aren’t the most pleasant of places when you consider the fact those tiny little cubicles cater to hundreds of passengers at 37,000 feet and very rarely get a break in between users.
But if you’ve ever been sitting on the porcelain thrown in the sky and wondered where your business will go when you hit the flush button, you’re not alone.
And as it turns out, there is a popular theory about what happens when the toilet is emptied that is not actually true.
Many people wrongly believe that the waste is simply dropped out the bottom of the plane, which is gross in itself, when you think about all the poor, unsuspecting people who would get covered in showers of s**t. But fortunately, this is not actually the case.
What actually happens when you flush the toilet
For more than three decades, aircrafts have used a slightly more sophisticated system which involves vacuums, so the planes don’t have to carry unnecessary water that would add to the weight
“Pressing the flush button opens a valve in the bottom of the bowl, exposing the contents to a pneumatic vacuum,” Gizmodo reports.
“That vac sucks the load down the plane’s sewer line into a 200-gallon holding tank.”
The toilets are also coated with a Teflon-like non-stick layer to help waste flow more easily. The waste is then stored in a sealed tank for the entire flight, before being vacuumed out by ground crews once the plane lands.
And if you’re worried about anything being released mid-flight, don’t stress. There’s no chance, as the tank is secured with an external latch, so it can only be opened safely from the outside.
So next time you make a trip to the plane loo, you’ll know exactly what’s happening behind the scenes, just try not to think too hard about the 200-gallon tank of waste sitting right beneath your feet.
Some horrified travelers have shared their thoughts on social media after learning how the toilet system works onboard.
“Just learned that all the pee and poop from all the plane passengers is just sat beneath us for the whole flight, eww gross,” one person commented on a TikTok post.
Another added: “I’m going to try not to think about this.”
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