9. Urinals

Pedestal Urinals are free standing on the floor with the drain exiting the back similar to a pedestal basin. This is an older style of urinal not installed anymore.

Trough Urinals were made of enamelled cast iron, and is nothing more than a long sink with a perforated pipe running along the top, allowing water to flow down the back of the fixture.

Three reasons why many local and provincial codes prohibit the use of trough urinals are:

1. no privacy,
2. splashing and
3. catchall for trash.

Stall Urinals are set into the floor of a washroom so the rim of the fixture is at finished floor level. The stall urinal is flushed by water which flows through the top rim and spreads across the back. This water is gravity-drained to the drainage system through a strainer in the bottom of the fixture and a P-trap below the floor.

The picture above left illustrates a stall urinal with a sensor operated flush valve. The drawings to the right are the rough-in sheet. Note the flush tank.

Because of the cost of water, flush tanks are not being installed. The frequency between flushes was controlled by either a needle valve installed in the bottom of the tank or flow control device installed above the tank. The faster the tank is filled the more often the urinals are flushed.

Note: tanks are no longer made.

Wall Hung Urinals

A urinal is a water-flushed plumbing fixture designed to receive urine directly. Urinals are manufactured from vitreous china or enameled cast iron. Urinals, like water closets, are available with a variety of different flushing actions:

• Siphon jet
• Blowout
• Washout

Wall-hung siphon jet urinals flush in the same way as a siphon jet water closet. The siphon jet urinal design is thought to be the best because each flushing provides a complete discharge of all wastewater and a new supply of trap water. Note the trap design on the wall-hung siphon jet urinal below.

The operation of the wall-hung blowout urinal shown below depends on strong water pressure (30 psig minimum) to flush wastewater through the integral trap. The blowout urinal may be chosen due to its large unrestricted trapway. It may be practical for installation in manufacturing or industrial buildings where the noise caused by the required high operating water pressure is not a consideration.

Washout Urinals. In a urinal with a washout flushing action, the flushing water enters the top of the urinal, flows out into the fixture through openings in the top rim of the urinal, spreads across the back of the urinal, and flows by gravity out through the urinal trap into the sanitary drainage system. The trap of a washout urinal is not actually flushed, but rather the waste is washed out of it. Washout urinals are characterized by restricted openings over the inlet of the trap at the bottom of the urinal. This restricted opening may be either a beehive strainer (see picture below) or small openings cast in the china.

Flush Devices for Urinals

A urinal must be equipped with an adequate flushing device to completely remove the urine from the fixture after it is used, to prevent the spread of disease, fouling of the urinal, and offensive urine odour.

Urinals may be flushed with either an electronic or hand operated metering valve which delivers a pre-set volume of water which must match the urinal flow rate (Fig. 1) or a flushometer valve which the water volume can be adjusted. (Fig. 2) Each urinal must be equipped with its own metering or flush valve.

Note that Fig. 1 is a hand operated metering valve and Fig. 2 is a sensor operated flushometer valve.

Note that the urinal below has flush valves that are the concealed type with foot operated levers.

Automatic Urinal Tank

Older urinals commonly had automatic flush tanks, which flush at regular intervals. As water fills the tank, either from a needle valve or via a flow control device, the water level slowly approaches the top lip of the siphon tube. Once the water level reaches the top of the tube, water pours over the top of the siphon lip and down the flushpipe. The small projection in the pipe (a) causes the falling water to pull air down the outlet, causing the air pressure in the pipe to drop. This starts the siphon and the tank flushes. Urinal flush tanks are no longer installed because of their high water usage. The flush tank will use water even if the urinal doesn’t require flushing.

One tank could serve a single urinal or a group, as the number of urinals increases the header diameter increases. As in the Fig. below, it is common for the vertical pipe out of the tank to be larger than the horizontal header, this ensures equal amount of water to each urinal.

If a urinal tank holds 4 gallons of water and it flushes every 30 minutes it would use 8 gallons an hour, 192 gallons a day, 5,760 gallons a month and just under 70,000 gallons of water a year. Some buildings such as schools started installing solenoid valves with timers to reduce the water consumption.

Women Urinals

Women’s urinals are differently designed so that they can be straddled for use. One type of women’s urinal is floor set, while another is wall-hung from a supporting chair carrier.

Crane manufactured this type of urinal from 1955 – 1970.

Drain Connection

Wall hung urinals connect to the drain with a flange and foam rubber gasket as shown below. The flange can be made from plastic or wrought copper. The flanges are available with soldered, threaded or cemented ends. They are also available with hub or spigot ends.

PVC solvent or female thread. Wrought copper solder or female thread

Water Connection

Urinal spuds are used for connecting water supply to the inlet hole of the urinal. The urinal spud is made up of the main body which includes a male thread at one end and a flared portion at the other end, a rubber gasket covering the flared portion and having a corresponding flared portion, a friction ring abutting the rubber gasket and a coupling nut threaded on the threaded portion of the other end of the couple.

To install the urinal spud in the fixture, the flared portion of the couple and gasket are inserted into the inlet hole of the fixture. Next the coupling nut is tightened onto the main body which causes the flared portion of the gasket to expand against the perimeter of the hole.

Installing a urinal spud

1. Slide spud housing with threads up into water inlet hole in the urinal.
2. Slide the rubber gasket and metal washer onto spud housing, ensuring that the beveled end remains in the water inlet hole.
3. Screw locknut onto spud housing, and tighten nut.
4. Connect water supply to the spud.

Sometimes you may be able to install the spud into the inlet hole of the fixture in a semi- expanded condition where the outside diameter of the flared portion of the rubber gasket is slightly larger than the diameter of the inlet hole. Therefore, the spud must be press-fitted into the hole. After the spud is inserted, the coupling nut is securely tightened to the main body to provide a tight seal between the spud and the inlet.

Urinal spuds are available with 1/2” and 3/4” opening.

To prevent the spud from turning while tightening the nut a spud wrench or the handle of a pair of pliers may be inserted into the spud similar to the method used for basket strainers.

The spud wrenches allow the plumber to tighten the chrome nuts without marking the finish.

2.4.3.1.1) states that adjacent walls must be a material that will not absorb water.

Usually, ceramic tile is used.

2.2.7.4. 3) states that copper pipe cannot be used for the fixture drain or portion of the vent that is below flood level rim of a flush valve operated urinal.

A flush valve operated urinal may not be flushed after every use allowing undiluted urine to be in contact with the copper pipe, urine will cause the copper pipe to corrode.

The National Building Code states the requirements for only Barrier Free fixture installation. If a fixture is not required to be Barrier Free, the installation will be according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. For example the Barrier free height of the rim is 15 1/4” maximum and 24” if not Barrier Free. The rim height may be lower if it is intended to be used by children as shown below.

WATERLESS URINALS

Waterless urinals have one major advantage over traditional urinals, they save on water.

The major disadvantage is if the trap way must be cleaned, serviced and then refilled with Blue Seal or Zurn AquaGreen (depending on manufacturer). The specific gravity of liquid is lighter than that of urine. If maintenance isn’t performed on a regular schedule the urinals begin to have an objectionable odour.

The Halifax Regional Municipality will no longer allow this type of urinal to be installed because of the complaints about odours, however Provincial and Federal jobs are not under HRM regulations.

Image Credits

1. Pluming Geek. (n.d.). Pedestral Urinal. http://www.plumbing-geek.com/old-urinal-vintage-crane.html
2. Kohler. (n.d.). Washout wall-mount 48″ trough urinal. https://www.kohler.com/en/products/commercial/shop-commercial-urinals/jarves-washdown-wall-mount-48-trough-urinal-5056?+skuId=5056-0%3D5058-0&productNumber=null
3. American Standard. (n.d.). Stallbrook – Low Consumption Urinal. https://lixil.cdn.celum.cloud/166435_spec_6400001_Stallbrook_urinal_original.pdf 
4. American Standard. (n.d.). Stallbrook – Low Consumption Urinal. https://lixil.cdn.celum.cloud/166435_spec_6400001_Stallbrook_urinal_original.pdf
5. Delta. (n.d.). Metering Urinal Valve – Exposed. https://www.deltafaucet.ca/commercial/product/86T505Fig.2 Electronic valve.
6. Delta. (n.d.). Electronic UR – Exposed. https://www.deltafaucet.ca/commercial/product/81T231BTA-05
7. Urinal. (n.d.). The Urinals of Florida International University. https://www.urinal.net/florida_intl_u/
8. Urinals. (n.d.). How to use the crane “HY-SA”fixture. https://www.urinal.net/texas_am/Usage instruction.
9. Oatey. (n.d.). Oatey® Horizontal Adjustable Urinal Flange Kit. https://www.oatey.com/products/oatey-horizontal-adjustable-urinal-flange-kit–2114869785?upc=038753435435
10. Plastic Oddities. (n.d.). 2″ Cast Threaded Urinal Flange. https://plasticoddities.com/2-cast-threaded-urinal-flange/Foam Gasket. Credit: Kelly Supply. (n.d.). Urinal to Wall Gasket. https://www.kullysupply.com/76-3115-urinal-foam-gasketNOTE: Do not double up on gaskets.
11. Acklands Grainger. (n.d.). Inlet Spud, Urinal,1 in. https://www.grainger.ca/en/product/INLET-SPUD%2CURINAL%2C1-IN/p/WWG4THJ5?searchBar=true&nls=NLSAA_NA-7
12. State Supply. (n.d.). Internal Urinal & Closet Spud Wrench. https://www.statesupply.com/gu2190
13. Toolmarts. (n.d.). Thrifco 9410003 #191 3 IN 1 Spud Wrench with 1/2 Inch Lug Turn & Pwot Hook. https://www.toolmarts.com/thrifco-plumbing-9410003-combination-wrench
14. Midwest supply. (n.d.). Closet Spud 1-1/2. https://midwestsupplyus.com/products/spe-959
15. Tool experts. (n.d.). Spud wrench. https://www.toolexperts.com/spud-wrench-191.html
16. American Standard. (2012). Washbrook FloWise Universal Urinal [spec sheet]. https://lixil.cdn.celum.cloud/144680_spec_6590001_Washbrook_urinal_original.pdf
17. Kohler. (n.d.). Urinals. https://www.kohler.com/en/products/commercial/shop-commercial-urinals
18. Kohler. (n.d.). Urinals. https://www.us.kohler.com/webassets/kpna/catalog/image/492×276/aab01299_169.jpg
19. Waterless urinal. Credit: Building Green. (n.d.). Water Efficiency. https://www.buildinggreen.com/water-efficiency.
20. Berls. (n.d.). Waterless (1114-BlueSeal-Case-12Q) BlueSeal Liquid. https://www.berls.com/waterless-1114-blueseal-case