Types of Urinals (and How to Choose the Right One for Your Commercial Location)

It is no unknown secret that urinals supply frequently used restrooms with exceptional advantages, such as convenience (for users and restroom operators) and cost-effective methods.

For most users, the use of a urinal is significantly easier than that of a toilet in most instances. As for those who operate restrooms, urinals are more convenient for shorter wait times, cleaning, maintenance, saving space, water, and money.

The latter is true because urinals can save commercial locations a lot of water (and, therefore, cash) over time, as they only use about a pint per flush rather than a toilet’s 1.3 gallons per flush. And, since the average urinal is flushed around 20 times per day, you can wager this, over time, could save you a lot of money (and that’s only for those urinals that flush– some don’t require any water at all!).

When you are a commercial restroom operator and you are put in charge of purchasing and installing these convenient bathroom fixtures, though, it can be difficult to know exactly which one to choose because there are various types of urinals available.

Let’s take a look at the most popular types of urinals so you can be one step closer to finding the right urinal options for you and your location.

Trough
One of the most classic options is the trough urinal. This particular urinal is typically an elongated fixture that allows people of varying numbers to use it at once and is made of either stainless steel or tiles.

These particular urinal types have been around for quite some time, specifically post-Industrial Revolution and in factories and other highly-capacity workplace locations. They allow more users to come and go significantly faster and save both more room and water than individual bowls.

While these were indeed convenient in certain locations (and are still commonly used in restrooms across America today), there is one large issue that befalls the trough: the stench. These options are often ill-prepared for subduing the urine smell, which makes the place in which it is located and used often smell quite poorly. They also offer very little privacy for its users.

Still, these are unparalleled in convenience in certain locations with many workers, like factories, or simply people in general, such as stadiums and clubs.

Bowl
Bowls are ceramic urinals that are mounted to a wall that serve one user at a time and are the most common type of urinals. They can be standalone or there can be multiple mounted in close proximity of one another, sometimes being separated with partitions. These urinals can come in a wide range of designs and sizes, varying from small fixtures to lengthy options that reach all the way to the floor (or are even in the floor, like squat urinals!).

Bowl urinals are more comfortable for most users, as they offer more privacy, and they tend to be able to curb the undesirable urine smell more easily. However, these aren’t as cost-effective as troughs are, as just one unit requires the same amount of plumbing as a trough that could serve four people at once.

Urinals Designed for Female Users
Almost all urinals, regardless of type, are catered to male users. However, there are also urinals for females available albeit rare. Urinals for females are specifically designed a bit differently, which are typically used by squatting over a bowl that looks somewhat like a combination between a toilet and a traditional bowl urinal.

Flush vs. Waterless
There are two flushing options to choose from: those that flush using water or those that don’t use water at all!

Flush Urinals
Most urinals require water in order to flush urine down the drain and through the plumbing system. There are specifically three types of flushing: manual, automatic, and timed.

Manual flushing urinals require the assistance of a flushometer, which contains a flush valve, such as these Delany urinal flushometers that are made of polished chrome, in order to flush. Users activate a lever themselves after urinating in order to efficiently remove their excretory product.

Automatic flushing urinals require no touching from users and are motion activated. Based on the user’s movement, the urinal’s flushometer is automatically activated for hands-free flushing.

Timed urinals contain mechanical or electronic timers that flush at specific intervals without the need for activation from users.

Waterless Urinals
While the concept of a waterless urinal may sound modern, this is quite the contrary. In fact, waterless urinals date back centuries. They were even found in Sri Lanka during the 9th century!

These options are excellent for the environment and your budget, as each urinal can save anywhere from 15,000 and 45,000 US gallons per year. These operate with the assistance of a trap insert that allows urine and its odor to flow through.

Why Trust Quality Plumbing Supply for Your Urinal Needs
When it comes to supplying your high-capacity restroom with the right fixtures, we have you covered. We have some of the highest quality options, such as Delany urinal supplies and other Delany urinal fixtures, among many others. Give us a call today to get started at 1-833-251-4591.