Toilets on airplanes: device features, scheme and rules of operation

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Airplane toilets are a very important part of comfort, especially on long flights. Let's see how exactly they work and how to use them correctly.

Are there toilets on planes?

Of course, even the smallest passenger airbus has a toilet. This is a necessity for a comfortable flight of passengers to their destination. The toilet is equipped with sewerage and water, which is needed for personal hygiene. The toilet itself is quite small. It contains a toilet, a sink, a bin for used toilet paper and other hygiene products, and some also have baby changing boards. Special children's mini-tables recline and are fixed if necessary. Some modern types of aircraft also have lavatories for the disabled.

How does it work?

Many people wonder how the toilet on the plane works. As a rule, these are dry closets, all waste from which is collected in special tanks. The volume of these tanks can be different - from 115 to 270 liters. To prevent bad odor from spreadingthroughout the cabin, special chemicals are added to this container, which disinfect the water and eliminate stench. Waste cargo is stored in the aircraft throughout the flight. Some people think that after flushing, all impurities are sent to open space, but this is an erroneous opinion. A tank or reservoir that gradually fills up is removed, removed and disposed of after the aircraft has landed.

What problems might arise?

Sometimes airplane toilets break down. The main cause of trouble is the human factor. Someone out of ignorance, on purpose or accidentally, can drop something into the toilet. If this thing turns out to be large, then the aircraft technicians will have a lot of work. After all, this is not home plumbing, which you can quickly deal with and resolve the issue in a few minutes. This is a serious system, the slightest malfunction of which disables it for a long period of time. Therefore, in the toilets, signs in large letters indicate that you need to be extremely careful, and there is a waste container for used diapers and feminine hygiene products, which is strongly advised to use.

When the plane arrives at its destination, a car with a large corrugated hose pulls up without slowing down. It connects to the opening of the tank, in which the entire flight collected waste products. At this point, an unpleasant problem may also arise. If the hose is connected incorrectly or poorly, the hose may break and all contentsjust pour on the airport workers. Another problem can arise if something sticks to the walls of the tank or tank. In this case, a serious flushing of the entire system will be required. Therefore, before sending anything forbidden down the toilet, remember how to use the toilet on an airplane. And think how much trouble and inconvenience this can cause.

Terms of use

If you are flying for the first time and still do not know how the toilet works on the plane, do not hesitate to ask the flight attendants about it. They will tell you how to properly use the high- altitude restroom:

The door is opened by pressing the handle located directly below the Lavatory sign.
If the toilet is already occupied by someone, the inscription is highlighted in red. If free and available - green.
How is the toilet on an airplane? A little different from what we are used to. Therefore, you can visit it only during the flight after the gained altitude. It is strictly forbidden to use it during takeoff and landing. Also, when advised to take your seats, for example in case of turbulence, you should leave the toilet immediately.
It is recommended to visit the restrooms on airplanes 10 minutes before eating and drinking or 15 minutes after eating.
It is forbidden to throw paper, pads and other hygiene products into the toilet itself. For this, special bins are installed in each toilet.
Some restrooms have a special fold-out changing board for small children. Ask your flight attendant which toilets on planes have it, especially if you are traveling with a small child.
Because the waste is flushed with a directed powerful jet of air, before this procedure it is necessary to check if the toilet lid is lowered.
It is forbidden to smoke in the toilet, as there is a special fire alarm that goes off even with the slightest smoke.

Where does the drain noise come from?

Some passengers may think that when draining the water in the aircraft toilet, a characteristic noise is heard, similar to a short-term depressurization in the cabin. However, this is only an illusion, since the waste is not thrown out into the air at all, but is sent to a special sealed tank. In addition, water is not drained due to the fact that it is extremely uneconomical. Therefore, waste products are removed by a powerful directed air flow, which is why a sound similar to depressurization occurs.

Where are the toilets on different brands of planes?

In different airbuses, the restrooms are located in different places. Their number is also different:

There are three toilets in the popular Boeing-737, as well as in the TU-154 and A-320. One of them is located at the entrance to the plane, the other two are at the tail.
There are five toilets in the huge Boeing 767. Two of them are in economy class. One is available at the beginning of the business zone. Two more are in the aisle between them.
Toilets on Boeing 747 aircraftlocated two at the end and at the beginning of the airbus. Four are in the middle and three more on the second deck. There are eleven in total.

A bit of history

In various countries, when designing toilets in military aircraft, they came up with sewage and water supply systems. At the same time, most of these aircraft in the USSR and the Russian Federation do not have latrines. For small needs, each crew member has a special urinal that closes hermetically. At the same time, "by and large" there is nowhere to go. Some military transport aircraft still use conventional buckets and plastic bottles. Now you almost know everything about how the toilet works on an airplane and what are the rules for using it. Fly with pleasure!