In episode sixteen of the sixth season of “The Simpsons”, Bart Simpson calls Australia. The call is to see if water drains clockwise or counterclockwise. Although The Simpsons is an animated show, the idea of water draining in a certain direction is true. In this article we discuss the Coriolis Effect and how it impacts you and the plumbing in your home.
The Coriolis Effect
According to the Oxford Dictionary, the Coriolis effect is:
An effect whereby a mass moving in a rotating system experiences a force (the Coriolis force) acting perpendicular to the direction of motion and to the axis of rotation. On the earth, the effect tends to deflect moving objects to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern and is important in the formation of cyclonic weather systems.
Is This Why Water in My Sink Drains in a Certain Direction?
Yes, water in a sink in the northern hemisphere drains counter-clockwise. And yes, in the southern hemisphere the water drains clockwise. However, the reality is that the amount of water in a bathroom fixture is too insignificant for the Coriolis Effect to impact.
Why Does the Water Drain Differently?
There are a few scientific explanations as to why water drains differently in a bathroom in the northern hemisphere versus a bathroom in the southern hemisphere. However, the plumbing answer is that the two hemispheres construct their bathrooms differently. The manufacturers of bathroom sinks, tubs, and toilets found in the northern hemisphere built their products to certain specifications. Those specifications create a counterclockwise rotation. Adversely, the manufacturers of bathroom fixtures in the southern hemisphere build them to allow water to drain clockwise.
Return To The Simpsons
Although The Simpsons are a work of fiction, there is some truth to aspects of their episodes. It is possible to have a toilet installed in Australia that flushes the water counterclockwise instead of clockwise. The reason for this is that the flush of a toilet is not determined by the Coriolis Effect, but by the placement of the water streams in the toilet.
Why Doesn’t The Coriolis Effect Impact Toilets, Sinks, or Tubs?
The amount of water used in bathroom fixtures is not significant enough to be influenced by the Coriolis Effect. The other reason why there is no impact on bathroom fixtures is that when water drains from a tub or sink, or flushes from a toilet, it is doing so at a faster rate than the earth’s rotation and therefore the natural force has no impact on it.
In Conclusion
Yes, it is possible to get a fixture installed that drains or flushes in the opposite direction than your neighbors. This will need to be custom ordered and professionally installed. Please contact us at Conyers Plumbing and we will do our best to customize your bathroom needs.
