What happens when you flush the toilet in an airplane? where does the stuff go?

Question

What happens when you flush the toilet in an airplane? where does the stuff go?

Answer 1

It's what is called a marine toilet, much like a toilet in an RV. It has a holding tank and is pumped out when the plane is serviced

Answer 2

The liqiud and solid waste is contained in a holding tank in the aircraft,below the cabin.Its seviced(waste removed)when the aircraft lands.

Answer 3

in the coffee maker

Answer 4

They dump it at the next stop.

Answer 5

The toilets are built into the aircraft system and structure during manufacturing per the instruction of the aircraft operator.  Because of the toilet locations are different on different model aircraft it is an important factor to consider during manufacturing because of the drain lines and holding tank.

The holding tank is a very important part of the system and is a sealed system meaning it can NOT be dumped during flight as many would believe.  The toilet drain valve on the fuselage sometimes will leak and cause what is know as blue ice.  Or you may see blue stains on the under side of the fuselage this is caused by a bad valve.  Aircraft are not allowed to leak blue fluid and will be taken out of service to replace the bad valve.

The holding tank is made of stainless steel for corrosion purposes and is under a vacuum.  This is why you flush it you will hear a rushing sound of air pulling everything down in the holding tank then the vacuum valve will close sealing the tank.

The blue fluid you see is similar to an outside toilet and is reused over and over.  The solid waste material is collected in the bottom the tank.  At the airport you will see a truck drive up under the aircraft and plug a special hose into the holding tank valve located on the side of the fuselage and pump out all of the solid waste material.  They will then recharge the system with clean blue fluid.

The reason for the smell on aircraft is the cleaning blue fluid is dirty and needs replaced or the holding tank is full.

Heaters are provided for toilet drain lines, water lines, drain masts, and wastewater drains when they are located in an area that is subjected to freezing temperatures in flight.  The types of heaters used are integrally heated hoses, ribbon, blanket, or patch heaters that wrap around the lines, and gasket heaters.  Thermostats are provided in heater circuits where excessive heating is undesirable or to reduce power consumption.  The heaters have a low voltage output and continuous operation will not cause overheating.

Answer 6

In a tank.

Answer 7

Priscila, the stuff goes into a holding tank. There are several of them on every aircraft. They are plumbed so than they can be drained at major airports where they are serviced. The contents are then dumped into special sewerage systems. The blue fluid is replenished by the same truck that drains the tanks. The tanks cannot be dumped in the air by the crew, regardless of circumstances.

I have operated the "Honey Truck" in Kansas City, and serviced B-727 and B-737 aircraft. It was only a little smelly.

It was a better job than de-icing a B-727 tail when the wind was blowing 40 mph and the temp was 15. I did that, too.

Regards,

Dan

Answer 8

All solid and liquid waste goes through multiple high contracity filter stages along with deoderization and lictrication, allowing it to be further processed and recycled as drinking water and ketchup.

aha just kidding....it all gets held in tanks for the trip, and is then emptied when the aircraft docks at the airport.

Answer 9

Airplane toilets use an active vacuum instead of a passive siphon, and they are therefore called vacuum toilets. When you flush, it opens a valve in the sewer line, and the vacuum in the line sucks the contents out of the bowl and into a tank. Because the vacuum does all the work, it takes very little water (or the blue sanitizing liquid used in airplanes) to clean the bowl for the next person. Most vacuum systems flush with just half a gallon (2 liters) of fluid or less, compared to 1.6 gallons (6 liters) for a water-saving toilet and up to 5 gallons (19 liters) for an older toilet.

Answer 10

it is held in a holdind tank but alot of times it is dropped in the ocean not when landing