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Re:Facebook Messenger Platform by JoshTriplett on Tuesday April 12, 2016 @04:53PM (#11483484)
> and a plumbing system that requires most houses to own a plunger.

Getting off topic for the article at hand, but what's different in Australian plumbing in that area?

Re:Facebook Messenger Platform by codeka on Tuesday April 12, 2016 @05:17PM (#11483659)
https://youtu.be/ryIQYYogQ8A

I've literally never owned a plunger in my whole life, and I don't know anybody who does. It baffles me everything I'm in the US and every toilet has a plunger!

Re:Facebook Messenger Platform by crwll on Wednesday April 13, 2016 @07:09AM (#11487186)
I don't think any toilet built here in Finland since at least the 50's (some of those still exist, earlier I'm not sure of) have needed a plunger either, those things just work. The US plunger thing just baffles me. And banking too, sure.
Re:Facebook Messenger Platform by matwood on Tuesday April 12, 2016 @05:28PM (#11483722)
Why wouldn't these be the default in all new construction everywhere? Are there downsides?
Re:Facebook Messenger Platform by Rapzid on Tuesday April 12, 2016 @08:57PM (#11484890)
Not that I'm aware of. Lived in NZ for 5 years and just moved into a brand new construction in CA just a few months back. Terrible. I've had to plunge(technically I use the scrubber to generate the pressure) a few times already :(

Also, the showers mostly all have baskets under the drain caps to capture hair and stuff now.

Re:Facebook Messenger Platform by matwood on Wednesday April 13, 2016 @10:04AM (#11488230)
I searched Lowes website and could not find any toilets like this. There has to be some reason!
Re:Facebook Messenger Platform by knz on Tuesday April 12, 2016 @10:38PM (#11485312)
I can only speak for New Zealand, but the whole disposal method is fundamentally different. Instead of relying upon the swirling/draining motion to dispose of the waste, water is forced straight down into the much larger gap. Every kiwi/aussie who has stayed with me (in multiple homes) has complained about US toilets!
Re:Facebook Messenger Platform by dpark on Wednesday April 13, 2016 @01:42AM (#11486012)
> Instead of relying upon the swirling/draining motion to dispose of the waste

It makes me sad and annoyed whenever I flush one of these toilets. The swirling doesn't do anything useful. It seems to actually increase the clogging probability because it typically manages to swirl 100% of the toilet paper together and then finally move it downward all at once for maximum clogging effect, which might be fine if the drain weren't ~2 inches across.

There are American toilets that aren't like this, but a shocking number of them are completely unreliable. I had a toilet in my apartment in California that, no lie, I managed to clog by blowing my nose. I used 3 Kleenex, dropped them in the toilet, and flushed. It clogged from that.

Re:Facebook Messenger Platform by wsfull on Wednesday April 13, 2016 @12:43AM (#11485797)
You forgot to mention the option of half flush or full flush.
Re:Facebook Messenger Platform by Wingman4l7 on Wednesday April 13, 2016 @06:59AM (#11487158)
Some newer toilets in the US will have this, but it's not nearly as common as it is in AU. I figure it's because of differing attitudes on water conservation.