Can the toilet bowl burst due to temperature differences

Good day. At the hotel, a guest broke a cistern on the toilet and refuses to compensate for the loss, arguing that hot water suddenly started and the cistern burst due to the temperature difference. Is it possible?

Lyudmila

Expert Answer

Good afternoon, Lyudmila.

Modern plumbing fixtures are made of sanitary faience and porcelain using high-temperature annealing. This, as well as a sufficient thickness of the products contributes to their high resistance to temperature extremes. According to GOST 13449–82, ceramic sanitary products are tested for thermal strength. In this case, sanitary ware is immersed for 15 minutes in hot water with a temperature of 85 ° C, after which the test sample is transferred to a vessel with cold water (temperature 17 ° C, time - 15 minutes with additional thermal stabilization of the tank). The device is inspected for chips and scratches and, in their absence, the experiment is repeated up to three times, after which they conclude that they comply with the state standard. As you can see, if your plumbing meets GOST 13449-82, then, most likely, the destruction of the tank occurred due to mechanical stress.

Nevertheless, the innocence of your guest cannot be ruled out. Perhaps the temperature range was wider or the ceramics did not differ in high quality. In this case, cracking the tank is quite possible. In any case, only a technical examination can give a residual answer.

In the end, I would like to recommend that you repair the mixers, check the correct connection of the boilers and dishwashers, and also install check valves in the system - this will avoid such a nuisance in the future.