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AhaBulb: Stuff Everyone Should Know · ahabulb.com/toilet-coriolis

Does water flush down the toilet in the opposite direction in Australia?

No. Toilets flush based on the angle of the water jets in the bowl.

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  1. Yes, because of the equator
  2. No, it depends on the water jets ✔
  3. Yes, the Earth's spin pulls it

Why: The Earth's spin does create the Coriolis effect, which spins giant hurricanes. But a toilet bowl is far too small for that force to matter.

Huh, didn't know that: Manufacturers aim the rinse jets to swirl the water and clean the bowl, which dictates the spin.

The dad joke
Why did the toilet paper roll down the hill? To get to the bottom.
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References

Answer: No, it depends on the water jets. The Earth's spin does create the Coriolis effect, which spins giant hurricanes. But a toilet bowl is far too small for that force to matter.

  1. Purdue University: The Coriolis Effect web.ics.purdue.edu/~dchavas/teaching/coriolis.html
    The residual swirl from filling the bowl, the shape of the jets, and any asymmetry in the basin are each thousands of times larger.
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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