Can toilets flush on their own?

[iceleven]

Just got back from a short cruise where, during the night, our toilet flushed on its own. Both husband and I thought the other had gone to the bedroom but when I looked over to see him come back to bed, he was already there. Needless to say, it scared the cr_p out of me and I jumped up to look in the bathroom, the closets, and even under the bed. I wouldn't have thought much of it if I had ever heard anyone say that it can happen. To make it even more strange, we had trouble with our TV the entire trip. It would just shut off at random times. So, would someone please tell me that it is possible for a toilet to flush on its own, perhaps due to another flush down the line or something??? If not, then we've got a haunted cabin.:eek:

[Rosefloater]

Maybe some of the spirited guests of the Queen Mary decided to join you in your cabin.:D:D

Edited August 3, 2014 by Rosefloater

[Cruisin' Cool CAT]

:eek:

I just need to know the ship & cabin number please! lol

This would freak me out!

[Aplmac]

And were the two strange occurrences ever reported to Engineering?

 

.

[golfadj]

Obviously cabin is haunted. Tell Carnival so they can charge extra.

[LambKnuckles]

I have NEVER had that happen to me... I know, when the cabin next door flushed theirs, it can be loud enough to hear -- but not THAT loud.

 

If someone had reported problems, they can fix the toilet from the hallway -- and I guess they could flush it from the hallway... but I'd think you'd hear noises in the hallway -- talking or something.

 

But when the TV also was strange -- I might tend to wonder...

 

I had a hotel room where a lamp would turn itself on and the TV would turn itself on...

 

I agree with the others... I might not stay in this cabin, this ship, again!! Unless engineering could explain it.

[SkyMaster]

Yep, I've seen, and heard that happen, but it's RARE! I don't know if the plumbing is stopped up, and suddenly clears, or what, but YES it does happen.

 

"SKY"

[Darkstrike]

I've heard that they can flush them in order to move a cleared clog further down the line. The toilet runs on a vacuum system so if the system was off for maintenance or something once the system is re engaged and the vacuum restored that could cause it also. If not than definitely a ghost lol

[vols_159]

It happens.. It's not like plumbing at home it's a vacuum system

 

 

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[beachbum53]

Just got back from a short cruise where, during the night, our toilet flushed on its own. Both husband and I thought the other had gone to the bedroom but when I looked over to see him come back to bed, he was already there. Needless to say, it scared the cr_p out of me and I jumped up to look in the bathroom, the closets, and even under the bed. I wouldn't have thought much of it if I had ever heard anyone say that it can happen. To make it even more strange, we had trouble with our TV the entire trip. It would just shut off at random times. So, would someone please tell me that it is possible for a toilet to flush on its own, perhaps due to another flush down the line or something??? If not, then we've got a haunted cabin.:eek:

 

 

 

 

I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks. I do, I do, I do, I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks, I do, I do, I do, I do!

 

 

I'd say it's strictly coincidental that you had a minor plumbing issue and an electrical issue occur in the same cabin, both of which could have been easily resolved by the ship's maintenance staff. It might be fun to think you had a haunted cabin, but in reality you probably had a toilet with a faulty flush valve, and a TV that needed to be either repaired or replaced.

Edited August 3, 2014 by beachbum53

[OCruisers]

There was a toilet in the ladies room (lido deck) on Carnival Fantasy that would flush on its own at very inconvenient times for the person using it. :rolleyes:

[dulcimergirl]

Yep, Fantasy does it all the time. In every restroom on the ship, and in the cabins also. You just get used to it.

A lot of the other ships do it as well, just not as often as Fantasy. Or maybe they do, its just that I've done Fantasy 7 times, so I notice it more?:eek:

 

The TV? Someone might have set the sleep timer, and that might make it go off at unusual times.

 

No need to worry,

Edited August 3, 2014 by dulcimergirl

[ShakyBeef]

Something like this happens quite regularly on RCI's Grandeur of the Seas, as well. The way I understand it (from the RCI boards) is that sometimes the toilet isn't able to flush when you push the flush button, but sometime later, when it's 'in the mood' to flush, it will, on it's own. So, for example, one could push the flush button at 3:00PM and at 5:15PM it will finally flush.:rolleyes: Those that don't know about this quirk naturally assume their toilet is broken or clogged and call maintenance or their steward to report it. Thankfully, we knew about it before our Grandeur cruise so when it happened to us, we didn't worry. But when it finally did flush, it could be startling!

[crusinpsychRN]

Some flush when they are in the mood, not before!! Just when you're ready to call maintenance, the darn thing flushes...

[DocF]

In theory, the toilets on cruise ships are interlocked so they will not flush unless the lid is closed. We had one cruise where the toilet would flush with the lid up and it was possible to have it flush while seated.

 

All of the rational explanations (not poltergeists) make some degree of sense and one must also consider the possibility of the water level being set so high that the anti-overflow kicks in and flushes to remove excess water.

 

Anyway, it may be somewhat unnerving, but it is not dangerous unless one is large and seated when it flushes.

 

Doc

[OCruisers]

OP (iceleven) .... Hopefully, we have relieved your mind a bit now that you know toilets on ships sometimes just flush when they want to. :D

No clue about your TV! Ghosts! :eek:

LuLu

[SoCal Cruiser78]

It happens.. It's not like plumbing at home it's a vacuum system

 

Yup, I remember it happening on the Celebrity Infinity. There were ongoing plumbing issues in our section of the ship, and we would get random flushes. Or sometimes when I would flush, there was a long delay before anything would happen.

 

It never occurred to me that we might be haunted. That might have freaked me out a little when we were halfway across the Pacific!

[riclop]

You had the spirit of John heald in your cabin in his underpants.

[RDC1]

The toilets flushing process is controlled by electronics. As someone mentioned earlier, if you push the button and the conditions are not right for it to flush (insufficient vacuum in the lines is one condition), it will not flush. It will remain in waiting state until all conditions are met and at that time the control board will flush it, could be 1 minute after the button was pushed or it could be 10 hours.

Edited August 3, 2014 by RDC1

[CruiseKittyFL]

You had the spirit of John heald in your cabin in his underpants.

 

hahhaaaahaaahahahah

good one.

[ja_martin]

A toilet can have a delayed flush, but I have never seen it be more than 30 seconds to a minute. The TV sounds more like a short.

[iceleven]

Thanks for all the replies. My first guess was that it was part of the system and perhaps involved another toilet(s) along the line. We had no problems with the flushing mechanism throughout the cruise. No pushing the button then nothing happening so there was no reason for a delayed flush. But things happen and I am glad to know that even though it is not a common occurrence, it does happen. If it had happened in the middle of the day I would never have even noticed or made issue of it but it was loud and definitely in our cabin.

 

We did request for TV service and were told that they did come to repair it but it continued with the same on/off issue so we just assumed it wasn't repairable, at least not during our cruise.

 

I am hesitant to say this but after I jumped up to check everything in the room I turned the light off (hubby appeared already asleep) and as I laid there for a while, trying to catch my breath and to relax, I swear that I felt a tug on my sheet several times coming from the side of my bed, not my husband's side. I just kept telling myself it was my imagination. The next day I told my husband about it and he said, "That's strange, I thought I felt something like that, as well." We both looked at each other and said "POLTERGEIST" and then just laughed.

 

Another thing that would happen would be that we would smell cigarette smoke, very strong and distinct and another strange chemical smell. It was intermittent. Again, we just thought it was coming through the AC vents. We mentioned it to our steward and he said he was aware of it happening but they couldn't do anything about it. We just joked about it and added it to the list of tricks our poltergeist friend played on us.

 

And no, I won't tell you what ship nor which cabin. :D

Edited August 4, 2014 by iceleven

[coyboy1971]

 

The toilet flushed on it own? I'm stuck!

 

 

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[chengkp75]

Wow, I really get a kick out of toilet threads!

 

In theory, the toilets on cruise ships are interlocked so they will not flush unless the lid is closed. We had one cruise where the toilet would flush with the lid up and it was possible to have it flush while seated. What? Sorry, there is no "interlock" on the lid. I'd like to know who told you that urban legend. The other half of this urban legend is that you might get stuck on the bowl if flushed while seated. That's not gonna happen either.

 

All of the rational explanations (not poltergeists) make some degree of sense and one must also consider the possibility of the water level being set so high that the anti-overflow kicks in and flushes to remove excess water.Huh? What anti-overflow? Sorry, there's not one of these either.

 

Anyway, it may be somewhat unnerving, but it is not dangerous unless one is large and seated when it flushes.See above, there is no danger of getting stuck to the bowl.

 

Doc

 

The toilets flushing process is controlled by electronics. As someone mentioned earlier, if you push the button and the conditions are not right for it to flush (insufficient vacuum in the lines is one condition), it will not flush. It will remain in waiting state until all conditions are met and at that time the control board will flush it, could be 1 minute after the button was pushed or it could be 10 hours.

 

No, the toilet flush mechanism is driven simply by vacuum. The button you push is a valve that applies vacuum to the timing mechanism that controls the water inlet valve and the discharge valve (that empties the bowl). "Phantom" flushes are caused when the vacuum in the system is low. You push the button to flush, and nothing happens. When vacuum is restored, the pushbutton valve is still open, and the restored vacuum will activate the timer mechanism and the toilet will flush.

 

Having maintained vacuum toilet systems for many years, I get a kick with the various misconceptions that people have about them.

Edited September 17, 2014 by chengkp75

[SadieN]

Thanks for all the replies. My first guess was that it was part of the system and perhaps involved another toilet(s) along the line. We had no problems with the flushing mechanism throughout the cruise. No pushing the button then nothing happening so there was no reason for a delayed flush. But things happen and I am glad to know that even though it is not a common occurrence, it does happen. If it had happened in the middle of the day I would never have even noticed or made issue of it but it was loud and definitely in our cabin.

 

We did request for TV service and were told that they did come to repair it but it continued with the same on/off issue so we just assumed it wasn't repairable, at least not during our cruise.

 

I am hesitant to say this but after I jumped up to check everything in the room I turned the light off (hubby appeared already asleep) and as I laid there for a while, trying to catch my breath and to relax, I swear that I felt a tug on my sheet several times coming from the side of my bed, not my husband's side. I just kept telling myself it was my imagination. The next day I told my husband about it and he said, "That's strange, I thought I felt something like that, as well." We both looked at each other and said "POLTERGEIST" and then just laughed.

 

Another thing that would happen would be that we would smell cigarette smoke, very strong and distinct and another strange chemical smell. It was intermittent. Again, we just thought it was coming through the AC vents. We mentioned it to our steward and he said he was aware of it happening but they couldn't do anything about it. We just joked about it and added it to the list of tricks our poltergeist friend played on us.

 

And no, I won't tell you what ship nor which cabin. :D

 

 

Ship's called Imagination for a reason , lol.