British vs American Homes

[NETWizz]

I was reading up on the difference between the homes...

Is it true that you all don't necessarily have a toilet in the bathroom? That you have to ask for the lavatory, loo, or toilet? That the room with the toilet doesn't necessarily have a place to wash hands?


I read that your outlets have switches right on the outlets? I haven't seen that. You folks wouldn't just unplug a toaster for example but rather turn off the switch?

That you don't have garages?? or Mixing facets but rather separate facets for hot and cold???


I read you all don't have air conditioning???

 

[nlinecomputers]

I read you all don't have air conditioning???

You have to remember that London is roughly the same latitude as New Foundland Canada. They don't need air conditioning.

 

[Your PCMD]

I'm in the US but I am British - from Norwich, England. The older houses, including thatched houses have the "toilet" separated from the main bathroom and some even have the toilet outside in a separate or attached building. Newer more modern housing have the same setups as the US from what I have seen when visiting there.

As far as air conditioning, what @nlinecomputers said is correct. Also, you have to remember that 70 degrees in the UK is considered a heatwave.

 

[Altster]

Is it true that you all don't necessarily have a toilet in the bathroom?

The area of the US where I live (usually) has a toilet / loo / potty / what-have-you located in the bathroom. Some bathrooms (usually in the higher-price homes have separate areas for each item - which I find to be overly lavish and silly. But that's just me.

I read that your outlets have switches right on the outlets? I haven't seen that.

Seems that the home builders like to "make it simpler" for dwellers to use appliances without having to unplug them when done. Personally we leave our toaster plugged into the wall outlet all of the time. And we (my wife & I) do that with many of our appliances. The only area (room) that we disconnect items from is the bathroom. Don't want to leave a curling iron plugged in all the time - most don't have power switches.

That you don't have garages??

I'd say that the majority of the homes in my area have garages. Now not all of them (like ours) is used to park an automobile into. In fact the garages in my neighborhood are way too small for most of the autos seen in my part of the world - SUV's (too big for the garage.) We use ours for storage as many other people do AND many people have converted their garages to living space. There are homes in my area which have 3 - 4 place garages which will hold that many autos, but they are usually part of the "up-scale (read: rich) homes."

or Mixing facets but rather separate facets for hot and cold???

My shower and sink in my kitchen are just that - single outlet and a mixing lever for hot & cold. Again, another way of making it simpler for people to not have to work too hard to use the faucet (faucets) and possibly scorching their skin.

I read you all don't have air conditioning???

We have Central Air (and thank goodness for that.) And there are others who have Central Air / Windows Units and don't use it - even in high temperature and high humidity areas. But we Americans are a spoiled lot (I am speaking for my family.) Most of us are overweight and tend to get hot and stay hot longer. Facts of life here and other places around the globe.

 

[ChrisTech]

I was reading up on the difference between the homes...
Is it true that you all don't necessarily have a toilet in the bathroom?

Older houses may have separate toilet and some houses may be designed to have them separate deliberately, but I can't remember the last time I saw a bathroom without a toilet in it.

That you have to ask for the lavatory, loo, or toilet?

Just like everywhere else, there are many names for it - bog, khazi, etc.

That the room with the toilet doesn't necessarily have a place to wash hands?

I have never seen a room with a toilet, that does not have a basin.

I read that your outlets have switches right on the outlets? I haven't seen that. You folks wouldn't just unplug a toaster for example but rather turn off the switch?

Of course we have , why unplug when you can turn the power off at the socket!

That you don't have garages??

Space is an issue in the UK, less so in the US. Especially in the past, since there was an explosion of terraced properties.

or Mixing facets but rather separate facets for hot and cold???

My kitchen has a mixing faucet, everywhere else is separate. Down to personal choice either way.

I read you all don't have air conditioning???

This is England mate, not Arizona!
Having said that, we are having a heatwave at the moment with temperature in the 80s every day, so I wish we did.

The biggest difference I can think of, is that more homes in the US are timber framed/built whereas its mostly brick here......or am I taking it wrong from the TV?

 

[Porthos]

The biggest difference I can think of, is that more homes in the US are timber framed/built whereas its mostly brick here......or am I taking it wrong from the TV?

It depends on the area and the age of the homes. Some homes like mine only the front is brick the other 3 sides are shingle or other outside wall material. After my house burned down 5= yrs a go, some of the front brick was damaged and they could not find matching brick. We decided to go half brick in front and hardy board for everything else all around.

Some of the newer tract housing uses "plastic/vinyl" siding .

 

[mdownes]

I was reading up on the difference between the homes...

Is it true that you all don't necessarily have a toilet in the bathroom? That you have to ask for the lavatory, loo, or toilet? That the room with the toilet doesn't necessarily have a place to wash hands?

40-50 years ago, the toilet was often separate (usually adjoining the bathroom). They often didn't have a sink in which to wash your hands (different times!). On refurbishment, this is always the first thing to be modernised if possible, so nowadays, it's quite uncommon. If as a guest, you ask for the bathroom, people will know what you mean and send you the right direction.

I read that your outlets have switches right on the outlets? I haven't seen that. You folks wouldn't just unplug a toaster for example but rather turn off the switch?

Domestic supply is 230V AC here, rather than 110V DC. So plugs and sockets are a lot more robust and there's a clever sprung mechanism in the socket which keeps the live and neutral terminals covered whenever nothing's plugged in. This may help explain the switch - it just makes things easier. Speaking of which - I see US-style switches are pointed "up" when "on", whereas ours are the reverse. Your convention makes more sense...

That you don't have garages??

They're still popular where land is cheaper, but they're considered a luxury in urban areas and are often converted into playrooms, etc. People prefer to park in the driveway or on the roadside.

or Mixing facets but rather separate facets for hot and cold???

We call them "taps". There's an underlying reason for keeping them separate, but not one that justifies the annoyance. Hot water is generally fed from a tank in the attic, whereas the cold water (at least on the ground floor) is generally potable water from the public water main. A malfunction in the mixer tap could force hot (non-potable) water into the public system. This is quite unlikely, so mixers are much more popular nowadays. However, you still see separate taps, even in newly constructed bathrooms (although that's increasingly rare).

I read you all don't have air conditioning???

If the temperature gets to 26 C for a few days in June, we just open a window! We spend the money saved on heating, raincoats and umbrellas.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Having said that, we are having a heatwave at the moment with temperature in the 80s every day, so I wish we did.

See I am in Texas. As I type this the current temperature is 93 degrees. Which of late is a cooling spell. Highs for the past 6 weeks are around 100 degrees. 80 degrees around here we wouldn't even flip the A/C on.

 

[NETWizz]

40-50 years ago, the toilet was often separate (usually adjoining the bathroom). They often didn't have a sink in which to wash your hands (different times!). On refurbishment, this is always the first thing to be modernised if possible, so nowadays, it's quite uncommon. If as a guest, you ask for the bathroom, people will know what you mean and send you the right direction.



Domestic supply is 230V AC here, rather than 110V DC. So plugs and sockets are a lot more robust and there's a clever sprung mechanism in the socket which keeps the live and neutral terminals covered whenever nothing's plugged in. This may help explain the switch - it just makes things easier. Speaking of which - I see US-style switches are pointed "up" when "on", whereas ours are the reverse. Your convention makes more sense...



They're still popular where land is cheaper, but they're considered a luxury in urban areas and are often converted into playrooms, etc. People prefer to park in the driveway or on the roadside.



We call them "taps". There's an underlying reason for keeping them separate, but not one that justifies the annoyance. Hot water is generally fed from a tank in the attic, whereas the cold water (at least on the ground floor) is generally potable water from the public water main. A malfunction in the mixer tap could force hot (non-potable) water into the public system. This is quite unlikely, so mixers are much more popular nowadays. However, you still see separate taps, even in newly constructed bathrooms (although that's increasingly rare).


If the temperature gets to 26 C for a few days in June, we just open a window! We spend the money saved on heating, raincoats and umbrellas.

The area of the US where I live (usually) has a toilet / loo / potty / what-have-you located in the bathroom. Some bathrooms (usually in the higher-price homes have separate areas for each item - which I find to be overly lavish and silly. But that's just me.


Seems that the home builders like to "make it simpler" for dwellers to use appliances without having to unplug them when done. Personally we leave our toaster plugged into the wall outlet all of the time. And we (my wife & I) do that with many of our appliances. The only area (room) that we disconnect items from is the bathroom. Don't want to leave a curling iron plugged in all the time - most don't have power switches.


I'd say that the majority of the homes in my area have garages. Now not all of them (like ours) is used to park an automobile into. In fact the garages in my neighborhood are way too small for most of the autos seen in my part of the world - SUV's (too big for the garage.) We use ours for storage as many other people do AND many people have converted their garages to living space. There are homes in my area which have 3 - 4 place garages which will hold that many autos, but they are usually part of the "up-scale (read: rich) homes."


My shower and sink in my kitchen are just that - single outlet and a mixing lever for hot & cold. Again, another way of making it simpler for people to not have to work too hard to use the faucet (faucets) and possibly scorching their skin.


We have Central Air (and thank goodness for that.) And there are others who have Central Air / Windows Units and don't use it - even in high temperature and high humidity areas. But we Americans are a spoiled lot (I am speaking for my family.) Most of us are overweight and tend to get hot and stay hot longer. Facts of life here and other places around the globe.

Aren't you in Indiana?

 

[NETWizz]

Older houses may have separate toilet and some houses may be designed to have them separate deliberately, but I can't remember the last time I saw a bathroom without a toilet in it.


Just like everywhere else, there are many names for it - bog, khazi, etc.


I have never seen a room with a toilet, that does not have a basin.


Of course we have , why unplug when you can turn the power off at the socket!


Space is an issue in the UK, less so in the US. Especially in the past, since there was an explosion of terraced properties.


My kitchen has a mixing faucet, everywhere else is separate. Down to personal choice either way.


This is England mate, not Arizona!
Having said that, we are having a heatwave at the moment with temperature in the 80s every day, so I wish we did.

The biggest difference I can think of, is that more homes in the US are timber framed/built whereas its mostly brick here......or am I taking it wrong from the TV?

It is 35 C here right now... wish it was only 80 F. At night our Low will fall to the 80's F.

 

[fencepost]

Hot water is generally fed from a tank in the attic, whereas the cold water (at least on the ground floor) is generally potable water from the public water main. A malfunction in the mixer tap could force hot (non-potable) water into the public system.

In the US, if it's going to a faucet it's pretty much always supposed to be potable water. Maybe there's a (historical?) difference in water heaters?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Remember the "age" of the homes too....look at old American homes and you'll see faucets with sep hot 'n cold. And detached bathrooms with toilet only.
Many homes in Europe are...originally old, and just continuously renovated.

 

[Porthos]

My 70's home has a jack n jill L shaped bath room. One doors to my bed room one doors to the main hall. there is a door between them. both sides have toilets and sinks but my side has the tub/shower.

 

[mdownes]

In the US, if it's going to a faucet it's pretty much always supposed to be potable water. Maybe there's a (historical?) difference in water heaters?

Water from hot faucets in the US is drinkable?

 

[coffee]

My friend in England commented when he saw a pic of my house "Oh, You live in a stick built house?". I found that somewhat odd. Of course I have never been to Europe for that matter.

I think the majority of homes in the US (atleast in my area - midwest) are built from wood. Most of the houses you see with brick fronts are just for show. They are not totally brick walls. Just a layer to make them look that way "for looks". There are some ALL brick homes. They are very impressive and usually extremely expensive. I do see in places like Las Vegas they not only have air-conditioning of course but they have 2 units instead of our one unit. I think most of the homes in the Midwest have some type of air conditioning.

We have 1.5 baths. This means a full bath (tub/shower, sink, toilet) and then the half bath (sink, toilet) they are seperate rooms - if its a two story house then the full bath is upstairs and the half bath is downstairs.

As for plumbing, We have a 'mixer' faucet on every sink. We have a water heater, Water conditioner. Some of the water in the US depending on where you live can be quite hard. So a water conditioner is used.

What I find to be the biggest difference between England and the US is the size of things. I can understand this as space is probably a premium in the UK. When my friend in England showed me his refridgerator it reminded me of my college days We have about a 18 cubic foot double door fridge and a chest freezer in the garage. Our washing machine/dryer/furnace are much larger also.

I also noticed that you people in the UK are still driving on the wrong side of the road - lol...

For fun, My friend and I play "Whats in my fridge". We take our phones and give a tour of the products we have in the fridge. Its kinda entertaining to see what products are in another country.

coffee

 

[coffee]

Water from hot faucets in the US is drinkable?

It is if you like drinking hot water. we have a fridge with a water/ice dispenser that also filters the water. However, Most of the water is fully drinkable from the tap. Its only some places the water is bad because of heavy industry polluting the wells.

 

[Porthos]

Water from hot faucets in the US is drinkable?

Yes, Some use it for cup o soup etc (depending on how hot you set the water heater). Our main water supply goes to our hot water heaters. But hot or cold it depends on the quality of the water some citys have sucky water. Some homes have water softners and filtration systems.

 

[mdownes]

It is if you like drinking hot water. we have a fridge with a water/ice dispenser that also filters the water. However, Most of the water is fully drinkable from the tap. Its only some places the water is bad because of heavy industry polluting the wells.

Interesting. In Ireland, public water supply is potable (and free) and in the average house, feeds the cold taps on the ground floor directly. Water is heated in a storage cylinder which has either an internal coil heated by the central heating system, an electric immersion heater, or both. This cylinder is fed from a tank in the attic, which in turn is fed from the potable water supply. The tank may have no dust cover and the water may sit there or in the cylinder for quite some time, so the hot tap isn't considered drinking water. The tank also supplies the cold taps in the upstairs bathrooms. Probably safe to drink, but the most it would generally be used for would be washing teeth. Although, as a kid, I used to happily drink it and it never done me no harm.

 

[fencepost]

The difference may be in perceptions and the capacity of the tank (and heating speed). I've always lived in the natural-gas-available parts of the US so the water heater is generally a 40 gallon sealed tank with a natural gas burner at the bottom of it. These may be on any floor of the house (including the basement). Because it's sealed hot water pressure is the same as cold water pressure, and there's also a pressure relief pipe and a faucet (usable for flushing the tank). Inflow and outflow are both at the top, but I believe that inflow has an internal tube that runs down to the bottom of the tank and is designed to mix the water as it enters the tank.

I know there are electric tanks (I've seen them in hardware stores), and I suspect there are also oil-fueled ones used in areas that use heating oil but I don't think that's ever been common in Illinois.

 

[coffee]

Interesting. In Ireland, public water supply is potable (and free) and in the average house, feeds the cold taps on the ground floor directly. Water is heated in a storage cylinder which has either an internal coil heated by the central heating system, an electric immersion heater, or both. This cylinder is fed from a tank in the attic, which in turn is fed from the potable water supply. The tank may have no dust cover and the water may sit there or in the cylinder for quite some time, so the hot tap isn't considered drinking water. The tank also supplies the cold taps in the upstairs bathrooms. Probably safe to drink, but the most it would generally be used for would be washing teeth. Although, as a kid, I used to happily drink it and it never done me no harm.

Sealed tank in the basement next to the water conditioner. Hot water via gas burner. The water is totally drinkable. Our pipes here in the Midwest as like other places start at the bottom of the house and branch up to the upstairs. Basically the same setup as @fencepost mentioned. If I need to boil water quicker I will get it from the hot water tap and then heat it the rest of the way on the stove. I do believe our hot water heater is 80 gallons.


Pardon the mess. lol, This is our water heater.


Water Conditioner.