Page 1 of 1
washing hands in flush water!
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 9:22 pm
by urbanwookie
OK I know it sounds awful but, once you get the idea, you'll want to try it!
I couldn't believe the simplicity of this design and how much sense it makes...basically you wash your hands in the water that makes up the next flush
See here for details:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Hack-a- ... free-water./
rb
Re: washing hands in flush water!
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 11:14 pm
by Enormous Sage
Ah, it uses the water on the way in to the loo, not on the way out! (that's a relief)
A good idea if you have limited water supplies, but I'd be a tad worried about the washing up water clogging up the cistern over time.
Re: washing hands in flush water!
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 4:35 pm
by Thomzo
I think there is a firm in Aus that actually makes these commercially. My only reservation is the awkwardness of standing over the toilet to wash your hands or the fact that the handbasin will have to be quite high up to drain into the cistern. Also what's to stop the cistern overflowing if you leave the tap running? With a bit of thought, though, these problems could easily be overcome.
I think it's an excellent idea. If it's only a hand basin then the worst that will go down it is soap which shouldn't clog up the cistern too badly
Zoe
Re: washing hands in flush water!
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 2:17 am
by george
The toilet in our apartment in Japan has one of these. When you flush the toilet the water running into the cistern comes out of a tap above the toilet and into a basin. So you are washing your hands in the water which is going into the cistern.
There is no control on the tap so the water flows through the basin whether you use it to wash your hands or not (so no overflow problems).
It works really well and also means that there is no need for a separate basin in the small toilet room. They are pretty common here in Japan.
We have been using soap in ours for 10 months or so without any clogging up problems.
Re: washing hands in flush water!
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 2:17 pm
by urbanwookie
I think the overflow problem is easily solved by adjusting the ball-cock in the cistern to allow for the additional flow of water from the basin - obviously there'll be a bit of lag in the responsiveness of the float if the water flows in via another reservoir (the basin).
The beauty of this system is that it allows a bit of a rethink of the traditional layout of a bathroom. Provided you have a sufficient head of pressure (ie height) there's no reason the cistern has to be behind the loo. It could equally well be mounted to one side of the loo...
rb