# Installing urinal in domestic bathroom



## Whiskey (1 May 2008)

I'm building a new house, and am considering installing a Urinal in the main bathroom.

For the average male with a height of over 100cm, the traditional WC in every bathroom is not well designed for spending a penny, going to water the plants, or whatever euphamism one uses for this human necessity. It's quite difficult to avoid creating a little mess every time.

The Urinal is a brilliant solution to this problem, I never see them in domestic houses though.

Any thoughts about where they can be sourced ? Are there any negative points to installing one ? Do they need special plumbing ? Are they costly, I assume there may be a problem getting one as part of a standard bathroom suite ?

Would it be considered an eccentric addition to a domestic bathroom if friends were calling around ? My wife thinks its unnecessary and eccentric.


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## mathepac (1 May 2008)

Brilliant - I think its the coolest idea since well, eh, indoor plumbing maybe.

If you can source them, the American flushable type is great, I find or the German / Spanish ones with the sensor that auto-flush after "Elvis leaves the building".

I suppose suppliers to the bar / restaurant trade could be a source.

Can I take a test-drive?


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## Brendan Burgess (1 May 2008)

Why not get a women's urinal for the bathroom instead? 

Brendan


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## wishbone (1 May 2008)

Brendan said:


> Why not get a women's urinal for the bathroom instead?
> 
> Brendan


cos it's rotten lookin'???  
I like the idea of a man's urinal though as it's more neat, rather than the trough for the woman's urinal...you might as well go for one of those Turkish loos they have in France!


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## sam h (1 May 2008)

A friend did the same when building her house (abroad so can't offer any providers), but she reckons it's fantastic...she has a load of boys & got sick of the mess!


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## truthseeker (1 May 2008)

Thats a fantastic idea - Id be very interested to hear where you source it from and a rough idea of price.

If I were you Id contact the trade suppliers - they should be able to give you some options.


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## Leo (1 May 2008)

Try the larger suppliers who have trade business such as Heatmerchants, Chadwicks etc. They will have access to these through their regular supply chains. Use the [broken link removed] to get product codes. Covers products in the Ideal range of brands.
Leo


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## builder ed (1 May 2008)

Chadwicks plumbing centres stock them.  Our Club purchased one there recently after some vandals damaged the public toilets.


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## Caveat (1 May 2008)

FWIW I think it's a good practical idea, sure, but I can understand your wife's reservations.  It might be considered a bit ... I dunno ... uncouth or something?  Too much of an association with public toilets maybe.


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## tosullivan (1 May 2008)

I considered one a few years ago, but could never really find the space for one.  You could just fit a cistern on the wall above it with an electric timer wired into a solenoid valve that does an automatic flush every hour or so during the day or at peak times


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## wishbone (1 May 2008)

tosullivan said:


> with an electric timer wired into a solenoid valve that does an automatic flush every hour or so during the day or at peak times


What's this??? Not only can men not aim properly, or put the loo seat down - now they can't even flush the bloody toilet???


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## pc7 (1 May 2008)

If I was house hunting again I know it would put me off buying a house! yuck!


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## Madangan (1 May 2008)

Whiskey,

this would seriously put me off if it was,as you say, in the main bathroom. Presumably you will probably have a second toilet somewhere so why not use that to put in a urinal?

Alternatively  just be  a little careful lots of men manage not to make a mess  just as lots of men are quite capable of putting down the toilet seat after proper training!


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## truthseeker (1 May 2008)

pc7 said:


> If I was house hunting again I know it would put me off buying a house! yuck!


 
why is that? Is it not a more hygenic alternative for a man than 'creating a little mess' using a standard loo?


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## sse (1 May 2008)

I think Villeroy and Boch do one of these, has a little lid, concealed flush, everything. They're (relatively) common on the Continent, a friend of mine has one in France next to their normal toilet.

Expensive though.

SSE


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## Caveat (1 May 2008)

Madangan said:


> lots of men manage not to make a mess


 
Exactly - it's not hard.  And if you do make a mess - clean up. Basic stuff really.



> just as lots of men are quite capable of putting down the toilet seat after proper training!


 
Ah, but you do know the only reason men leave the seat up don't you?

Because it's easier.

After all, women leave it down don't they?


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## MrMan (1 May 2008)

TBH when you go into mens rooms in pubs there is rarely a dry floor to be seen, so I don't know if urinals are the solution. For asthetics it would look better as the toilet off a games rooms or something like that otherwise I do think it would negatively impact on the house.


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## Guest117 (1 May 2008)

wishbone said:


> cos it's rotten lookin'???
> ...you might as well go for one of those Turkish loos they have in France!


 
Or one of thos French loos they have in Turkey


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## pc7 (1 May 2008)

hey truthseeker, I would just feel like I'm living in a bar and god forbid you put blue blocks in it! Its just personal perference, I think especially when you are house hunting the slightest thing can turn you off. In saying that I've bought two shacks twice and have gutted them! So if I did see an urinal I'd likely take it out. oh has good aim but never puts the seat down!


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## truthseeker (1 May 2008)

pc7 said:


> hey truthseeker, I would just feel like I'm living in a bar and god forbid you put blue blocks in it! Its just personal perference, I think especially when you are house hunting the slightest thing can turn you off. In saying that I've bought two shacks twice and have gutted them! So if I did see an urinal I'd likely take it out. oh has good aim but never puts the seat down!


 
I dont understand the blue blocks reference....
I know what you mean - I was thinking more along the lines of a Men Only under the stairs loo - which would then give me liberty to ban the OH from the main loo altogether based on the fact that he had his own specialised one


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## pc7 (1 May 2008)

When I was a young lounge girl back in the day, I'd have to clean the mens loos at the end of the night, they had these blue detergent blocks in the urinal they stank!


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## truthseeker (1 May 2008)

pc7 said:


> When I was a young lounge girl back in the day, I'd have to clean the mens loos at the end of the night, they had these blue detergent blocks in the urinal they stank!


 
Ah I see - I didnt hang around the Gents much in my youth


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## pc7 (1 May 2008)

Or you were enjoying your youth so much you don't remember :0 he he he only joking.


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## truthseeker (1 May 2008)

pc7 said:


> Or you were enjoying your youth so much you don't remember :0 he he he only joking.


 
quite possibly


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## Caveat (1 May 2008)

pc7 said:


> a young lounge girl


 
Is it just me or does that sound a bit sleazy or something?


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## DavyJones (1 May 2008)

A mate of mine once confided in me that his girlfriend nearly convinced him to sit down when peeing to avoid any spills. Funny thing is she nearly had him trained until he saw the light. Most annoying thing about living with women is they always leave the seat down!


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## truthseeker (1 May 2008)

DavyJones said:


> Most annoying thing about living with women is they always leave the seat down!


 
Please, please dont make inflammatory comments like that or a whole heap of us women are likely to list out the thousands of annoying things that men do!!!


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## pc7 (1 May 2008)

Caveat said:


> Is it just me or does that sound a bit sleazy or something?


Caveat I was thinking back to the days when I was 16 and a lounge girl! with head tilted as I remembered my youth and sighing! Now 30th! ahh! I'd look a bit queer as a lounge girl


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## Brianne (1 May 2008)

As someone who works in a male environment and whose office is only a few doors from the mens' toilets, any woman who would allow such a ' convenience' into her home needs her head examined!!!.
We have to deal with much more difficult situations in that small room, they only have to put the seat down and leave it clean after them and indeed most of them do at home, either through inate good manners or fear!!!
However, give them a urinal , they'll think they're at work or in the pub!!!
Smells!!!


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## Gautama (1 May 2008)

A urinal at home?  Are you serious?  Why?
The smell alone should put anyone off, especially with asparagus season upon us

If you don't get the right shape you'll go thru' the "reflector" problems.
If you don't know what I mean, put on shorts and use the urinal... a rude education.

I hope you don't intend to used those yellow/blue cubes?
Or those rubber mats... why didn't these disappear with the smoking ban?

Then, what about these urinals being mis-used?

Been there myself, I'm afraid.  In San Francisco "everybody's favourite city".  Not as a user/abuser I hastily add... but I witnessed it... twice!!!
Now, I realise that the said city has 15,000 homeless people and that public toilets are a haven for this mis-fortunates, but reversing into a urinal... messy.

Don't do it.  Your missus is right!


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## JoeB (2 May 2008)

Those blue blocks smell lovely.. . whoever said they don't is mad...

Just draw a target on the bog... men love to aim at things....

What's so bad about sitting down when peeing? Have a bit of a break...

Guatama, that's funny about reversing into the urinal, he he, messy.


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## anseo (2 May 2008)

If you do install one make sure you etch a fly into the porcelain.

All explained here:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/abramsv/SBqZqido3WI/AAAAAAAAP_w/hoU2E2PwhB0/s1600-h/schipol_fly.jpg


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## sparkeee (5 May 2008)

since going to spain and turkey i yearn for a bidet,so much cleaner.


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## Bronte (6 May 2008)

A relation of mine had many boys and installed a urinal, but it was the downstairs toilet.  Being female myself I wouldn't like it in the ensuite, it just doesn't look good and I'm not squemish.  Downstairs as compromise to the other half or if you really want it off the main bedroom put it in a separate room altogether, have the bathroom and another door for the the urinal.  On the continent the actual toilet is nearly always separate to the bath/shower/sink.   I know many men who sit down as they have given in to their other half on the toilet seat up/down debate - also think ladies loos at work are in a worse state then the men's.  We have to put up signs in ours........


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## europhile (6 May 2008)

I could never understand the obsession about leaving the toilet seat up.


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## Sylvester3 (6 May 2008)

I wouldn't want one myself, but its a great idea for water conservation. I heard a while back about a specially designed toilet that had a seperate drain located forward from the main pan for men to pee into and avoid the need for all that fresh water.


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## DavyJones (6 May 2008)

Bronte said:


> I know many men who sit down as they have given in to their other half on the toilet seat up/down debate - also think ladies loos at work are in a worse state then the men's. We have to put up signs in ours........


 
As a matter of interest, how do you know? do you discuss toilet habits with male friends?.  Bet you have great after dinner converstations


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## rrrrrrrrrr (6 May 2008)

Victor Horta's famous Art Noveau house in Brussels has one in the bedroom...


[broken link removed]


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## Bronte (7 May 2008)

Davyjones, I was out with a bunch of lads and lassies last month for a quiet lunch with a wild bunch as it happens, and one female brought up the subject of her husband and the toilet seat.  Of the 4 men there all with partners, 3 admitted they now do it sitting down and the 4th is still shocked that they do this, he couldn't get over it.  The lady in questions husband obviously doesn't and mine I don't know what he does in the loo except he seems to use an enormous amount of toilet roll, but he does keep the seat down and one of the other ladies is divorced and staying that way and the last lady is single and desperate to get married so hasn't got to the toilet seat debate yet.  None of the men and women were Irish except for myself if that helps and this conversation was tame by far based on our previous lunches but very funny.


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## MugsGame (7 May 2008)

eileen alana said:


> How disgusting



You'd think AAM has "sunk" to new lows. Aiming at the sink is better than the splashback effect from urinals, particularly when wearing light coloured trousers (though it is simpler to just sit down in a cubicle!). Besides, urine is sterile. Your toilet at home is probably a better place to eat lunch off than your desk at work!


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## Buddyboy (7 May 2008)

I came across ones in "Designer Bathrooms & beyond"  in the Tramore Road in Cork.  They even covers on!.  Also had a small fiy etched on them.

I had considered it, with a seperate outflow leading to the compost heap. Apparantly the nitrogen is good for the compost.

As regards the old leaving the seat up/down argument.  I always put the toilet cover down as well, to even the score.


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## wheels (7 May 2008)

Nationwide Bathrooms and Tiles have em in their catalogue, fairly stylish ones as well. Also B n Q have one but it's not very attractive. 

I'd look on eBay, a friend bought an amazing bathroom suite on eBay a while back for a quarter of the price. He had to wait a month or two to get it because they were waiting on a shipment but it's stunning and a huge talking point.


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## DavyJones (7 May 2008)

Bronte said:


> this conversation was tame by far based on our previous lunches but very funny.


 
Pray tell?

It doesn't sit well with me (forgive the pun) but has certainly made me think. When I meet my mates I'll find out is it common. I'll let you know


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## Gautama (7 May 2008)

MugsGame said:


> Your toilet at home is probably a better place to eat lunch off than your desk at work!


 
Not if you use it for regular toilet activites apart from urinating.


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## Gautama (7 May 2008)

Buddyboy said:


> Apparantly the nitrogen is good for the compost.


 
Yep, it's one of the cheapest activators and the easiest to get.
Dilute it with water, 1:3. Not sure how much you are meant to use at a time, just be careful coming down the stairs with that bucket and do the diluting outside!
I sprinkled in about 2 litres yesterday, and 2 litres about two weeks ago. Gave it a good mix this evening, lots of of head and dust out of the composter, and no smell, so things are composting nicely.


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## coleen (7 May 2008)

I have a  german friend and she tells me all german boys are trained at a young age to pee sitting down and she thinks it is the correct option no mess involved.


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## Bronte (8 May 2008)

After changing 1 million nappies for years, and currently potty training  I can honestly say that urine does not bother me, there's nothing bad or dangerous in it.  I have to wash the potty out using the bath/sink whatever,  is that disgusting too and sometimes the kids miss, I can't be getting all squemish, how do people think parents clean up after their kids, urine is the least of it.  I was at an airport  (I think it was Dublin and a new terminal and no baby changing)  at xmas and changing my child on the floor (very clean in the hardly used disabled toilet) another mother was disgusted at me using the floor, but she put her child on the sink area - how's that for logic coz I thought what she did was disgusting.


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## Gautama (8 May 2008)

coleen said:


> I have a german friend and she tells me all german boys are trained at a young age to pee sitting down and she thinks it is the correct option no mess involved.


 
Maybe, but does this mean that the German way is always better
I believe that history has thought us otherwise.


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## BlueSpud (9 May 2008)

I was reared on a farm which kept cows, for milking. They were milked with suction clusters and never a drop spilled. What do ye think people, have I stumbled onto the perfect solution here, no spillage and probably not the worst experience of the day.

My 2 boys, 6 & 8 continuously pee on the floor, I bet my OH would approve of a urinal for them, but we probably dont have a good space for it.


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## Sylvester3 (9 May 2008)

BlueSpud said:


> I was reared on a farm which kept cows, for milking. They were milked with suction clusters and never a drop spilled. What do ye think people, have I stumbled onto the perfect solution here, no spillage and probably not the worst experience of the day.




I think NASA got there first, I'm afraid....


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## Caveat (9 May 2008)

Gautama said:


> the German way


 
...which can be a euphemism for urolagnia, a love of which is often attributed to the Germans...

Strange how everything can be linked isn't it?


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## Whiskey (9 May 2008)

Gautama said:


> Maybe, but does this mean that the German way is always better
> I believe that history has thought us otherwise.


 

Don't critisize the Germans. 
Yes they lost a couple of wars and suffered hugely under some leaders who were not democratically elected. But look at how they have risen above it to become one of the economic powerhouses of Europe. 

What's that to do with installing a Urinal, I have no idea whatsoever.


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## Buddyboy (15 May 2008)

Whiskey said:


> Don't critisize the Germans.
> Yes they lost a couple of wars and suffered hugely under some leaders who were not democratically elected.


 
And won the Eurovision with a song about peace


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## start (27 Jun 2009)

*Urinals?*

Hi 
Just been to Germany and visited a lot of homes there. They all seem to have urinals and toilets in their main bathrooms. Cuts down on cleaning and water costs, though it does seem a bit nightclubby!! Am building and am considering it for the main downstairs bathroom for its praticality for the males in the house. Any suggestions or comments? Or do you think it would be tacky?


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## mathepac (27 Jun 2009)

*Re: Urinals?*

Mr. Crapper never designed the sitty-down toilets for No 1's for boys. Urinals (or fields) were designed for that purpose, perfectly suited, much more practical and save on one of life's little inter-gender irritations "seat-up, seat-down, seat-up, seat-down". Bring on the urinals I say; fair play to the Germanian-type persons.


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## nad (27 Jun 2009)

*Re: Urinals?*

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=81116&highlight=urinals check out this thread


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## ajapale (28 Jun 2009)

*Re: Urinals?*



start said:


> Hi
> Just been to Germany and visited a lot of homes there. They all seem to have urinals and toilets in their main bathrooms. Cuts down on cleaning and water costs, though it does seem a bit nightclubby!! Am building and am considering it for the main downstairs bathroom for its praticality for the males in the house. Any suggestions or comments? Or do you think it would be tacky?





nad said:


> http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=81116&highlight=urinals check out this thread



Thanks nad for pointing this out. Ive moved starts question to the existing thread.

aj
moderator


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## Shei (23 Jul 2009)

Whiskey and truthseeker,
Did you ever get your urinals?  If so where, how much were they and are you pleased with them?


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## MOB (24 Jul 2009)

Caveat said:


> Exactly - it's not hard.  And if you do make a mess - clean up. Basic stuff really.




It's not hard for an adult male.   We have two small boys peeing and a third due for toilet training.  Esp. at night, when drowsy, they barely get 'Elvis' into the building at all, trousers are barely pulled down and Elvis'  trajectory is all over the place.   "Point it down" is their parents' plaintive refrain.   I am so glad we tiled the bathroom, and even at that it is rank.......

Mind you, I am not sure a urinal would improve their aim - but it couldn't get any worse.


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## Complainer (24 Jul 2009)

MOB said:


> they barely get 'Elvis' into the building at all


Beautiful analogy!


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## Shei (28 Jul 2009)

MOB, that's my situation too.  Well, 2 boys, and another one coming in autumn.  Now that house will be 80% male, a compelling case has been made for a urinal in the ground floor loo, which is rough and ready as it is, so no great loss to me.


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