In Europe do they have plumbing like the U.S? if not, how is the plumbing there?

Question

I'm traveling to germany in the spring and i was just wondering how the whole plumbing situation is in europe?

Answer 1

The plumbing in Germany is very good, your concern should be the toilet paper. That "Das Gut" brown stuff can only be described as John Wayne TP. It is rough and tough and doesn't take Sh*t off of anyone. Pack a roll or two of Charmin and you will be fine.

Answer 2

lol.. some of the answers here crack me up.. lol.. yes, plumbing in Europe is quite good and generally cleaner than public bathrooms stateside.. yes, the water is generally turned off while you´re brushing your teeth because the environment is always a subject (garbage has separated and recycled for decades here already) and 20 minute shower sessions are not something to be proud off.
BUT no, the water does not turn the other way around if flushed, as a matter of fact, the water NEVER turns the other way around because you are in a different hemisphere, the corollis effect only works on things like hurricanes not on tiny little things like toilets.. grin grin.. the way the water turns all depends on the anatomy of the toilet and other small factors :-D
You will like the plumbing situation in Germany, I promise you that :-D
There´s always a "bad apple" somewhere but hopefully you´ll be pleasantly surprised! Enjoy your trip!!

Answer 3

Well,
I'm not sure if we use different pipes in Europe, but surely we have a plumbing system that works and even might have some history behind it.
You might not believe that even the Romans had some kind of plumbing system.
What you might notice as an American in Germany is the following:
- we do have different shape toilets, that do not fill with water after using them. I remember my mother traveling to the US and wondering if all toilets were clogged up because of the water in them.
- we absolutely do not have these strange soft toilet seats.
- Showers are normally more flexible allowing you to adjust the hight to comfort your size.
- we do not have garbage disposals, as we just do not push everything down the drain and pollute the water.

Greeting
Ina

Answer 4

This is an interesting question. Generally speaking, yes, plumbing (bathroom, kitchen) is very much like the US.

What's interesting (to me at least) is the various ways in which one can flush toilets in Europe. Most American homes have "American Standard" brand toilets with a small lever on the left side that is pushed down to flush. This is rarely the case in Europe.

In the UK, a tank halfway up the ceiling holds water for flushing, and you would typically pull down on a string with a wooden ball to activate the flush.

In a lot of places, toilets look like American toilets, but no lever on the side to push down for a flush. Instead, there is a knob on top of the tank that must be pulled up (not pushed in--which doesn't do anything). Or, newer toilets have a button to push in; on one side there is a pictogram showing a shaded in flush (for, em, #2s when more water is typically needed to flush away the contents of the bowl), and a half-shaded pictogram for #1s when less water is needed to do the job.

For showers, some places will have a button on a box feeding the water pipe up to the showehead. It usually will have a red button, and might be labeled "shower". This activates the water heater. It's an energy-conserving instantaneous water heater that heats water as it's on the way to the shower head (instead of in a reserve tank like many US water heaters). Be sure to switch it off when finished.

Answer 5

We have in germany a lot of petrol stations there are always plumbings, the most are for free. They are most very clean. you should juse the plumbings of a petrol station the public plumbings are often very dirty.
you also can go at a plumbing of a restaurant they always have a plumbing and they are for free.
enjoy Germany :)

Answer 6

The plumbing situation is better than the United States. After all, most everything in Germany is more advanced than in the U.S. due to German ingenuity. You will find that in many petrol stations you have to pay 50 euro cents to use the bathroom, but it is a clean and modern bathroom. Even rest area wc's on the autobahn are cleaner than most bathrooms in any public area in the U.S.

Answer 7

If you're asking if you're going to have to use a porta-potty, it depends on where you are staying. If you are staying in a very cheap hotel you MAY have to share a bathroom with the rest of the people on your floor. This is becoming somewhat rare, though. It'd be less concerned about the plumbing and more about the scratchy TP!

Answer 8

If you are a guest in someone's home, you'll shower differently than you do in the US. In Germany, they enter the shower, get wet very quickly, then turn the water off. Then shampoo is applied and lather yourself up with soap, then turn the water back on and rinse. The water will run for about 90 seconds tops.
They really conserve water over there.
The same with brushing your teeth. If you're not rinsing your toothbrush or mouth, the water is turned off.

Answer 9

This is actually an interesting question because while almost all US bathrooms are engineered the same from coast to coast there are dozens of different German plumbing/engineering solutions---pretty clever actually....

Answer 10

Actually it's the southern hemisphere where the water goes anti-clockwise, not Europe.
I assume this question is being asked in jest and you are trying to be funny, but if you really are that clueless, I can assure you that their plumbing is fine.
You may encounter "squatties" as we like to call them, shower-like toilets where you squat and pee down a hole.