URINALS REIMAGINED - TotoUSA.com

Taking cues from nature, TOTO's engineers design the world's best extra-hygienic, eco-friendly urinals to enhance the quality of public restrooms while ... URINALSREIMAGINEDTakingcuesfromnature,TOTO’sengineersdesigntheworld’sbestextra-hygienic,eco-friendlyurinalstoenhancethequalityofpublicrestroomswhileprotectingtheplanetProblemAnyonewhorunsaservicebusinessknowsthatfirstimpressionsmeaneverything.Thepublicspacesinsettingslikerestaurnats,hotels,andairportspresentcustomerswithaclearsenseoftheethosthatdrivesthebusiness.Thisisespeciallytrueinpublicrestrooms,particularlymen’srestrooms,wheredysfunctionalorbadlymaintainedurinalscanassaultthesenseswithfoulodorsandunpleasantsights—andsubsequentlysourtheprospectsfornewbusiness.“Ifacustomerexperiencesrestroomfixturesinarestaurantthatleavebehindanundesirableodororresiduethatisnotaestheticallypleasing,thenthere’sagoodchancehe’llalsothinktherestoftheplaceisterrible,too.”saysWilliamStrang,chairmanofTOTOMexicoandpresidentofoperationsintheAmericasforTOTOUSA.Yet,withadvocacygroupsandincreasinglegislationpromptingstricterwaterconservationmeasures,businessownersandoperatorsareoftenatthemercyofthelimitationsofavailableplumbingfixturesthatmeetthesedemands.Theseincludethenewerwaterlessorlower-waterconsuming“pint”urinalsdevelopedtoreplacethewater-wastingone-gallonurinalsofthepast.Whiletheintentionsofsuchproductsaregood—allaimtoprotecttheplanetbyreducingwaterconsumption—alltoooftentheirwater-conservingbenefitsarecancelledoutbyoffensivesmellsandunsightlyremainsofwastethatfailstogodownthedrainwithinsufficientwatertorinsethebowl.Maintenanceissueswiththesetypesofurinalsalsoincrease,requiringextramanpowerandmorechemicalstokeepupwiththeresultingmess.Recognizingtheneedtobothimprovethequalityoflifeforbusinessownersandtheircustomersandcreateapioneeringproductthatrespectstheplanet,TOTO’sengineeringanddesignteamrosetothechallengeofmakingtheworld’sbesthuman-andplanet-friendlyurinal.AteamthatincludedengineersfromTOTO’sR&DlabsinbothJapanandMorrow,Georgia,beganbystudyingthephysicsoftheflushofbothwaterlessandlow-water-consumingurinals.Theirfirststepwastocreatemodelsofclearresinurinalswithadvanced3Dprintingtechniques.Thentheyreliedonhigh-speedvideotapestoobservetheflowofwaterandcoloredliquidthroughthefixturestodeterminehowtocraftabetterperformingurinal.“Weexperimentedforthreemonthstoanalyzetheperformanceofthemodels,”saysDepashPatel,TOTO’sassistantdirectorofdesignatitsLakewood,Georgia,facility.Withparticularemphasisonwaterconservationduringthecourseoftheirresearch,theteamstudiedbothwaterlessversionsofurinalsaswellas1/2-gallonand1/8-gallonwater-conservingmodels.Withtoomuchcrystallineurineresidueremaininginthewaterlessversiontomeetitsstandardsofperformance,theyturnedtheirattentiontothewater-conservingmodelsandnoticedadramaticdifferenceinfunctionbetweenthe1/8-and1/2-gallonversions.“Inordertocreateaviable1/8-gallonurinal,werealizedwewouldneedtomaximizetheuseofthetrapwaytobesurethewaterexitedthebowlcompletelywithoutanybackfloworeddies.”explainsPatel.AeurekamomentcamewhenStrangsawtheparallelbetweentheflowofliquidinthemodelurinalandtheoxboweffectthattakesplaceinnatureaswaternaturallyflowsthroughameanderingriverbasinonalluvialplains.“Aswereviewedthevideotapedmovementofthewater,wecouldseethatthetrapwasn’tfullyeliminatingthecoloredliquid,andInoticedbyserendipitythattheturbulenceandviscousshearproducedinourmodelswassimilartotheoxboweffectofameanderingriver,whichleavesadepositionontheinsideofacurveandcreateserosionontheoutside,whichaffectstheflowofwater.”Strangexplains.“Usingbio-mimicrytoenhanceourunderstandingofhowwaterworks,wewereabletoputourobservationsintoactioninproductsthatenhancetheexperienceforpeopleandatthesametimeconservethewateroftheplanet.”SolutionOncetheteamdiscoveredhowtheycouldsolvetheproblem,theycreatedvariousprototypestoimproveperformancebyredesigningtheU-shapedP-trap,whichmanagesthesewergasthatcausesodor,intoaV-shape.Thischangeproducedawater-conserving1/8-gallonHighEfficiencyUrinalthatenhancedtheflowofwatertomoreeffectivelycontrolsmells.Toimproveperformancefurther,theyincorporatedanEcoPower®flushometervalve,whichputswatertoworkbysupplyingtheveryenergyconsumedtooperatetheflushvalves.Withthistechnology,theflowingwaterspinsahigh-efficiencyturbinetocreateandstorepower.Witheachturnoftheturbine,theinternalcapacitorsarepoweredandrechargedandpowerthesensorandsolenoidvalve,whicharebackedupbyabattery.Thismeansthatwithasfewas10usesaday,batterywillseldombeusedandcanlastupto19years.Italsomeansthatthehigh-efficiencyurinalsnotonlyconservewater,theyalsoprotecttheplanetbyusinglessenergyandimprovethequalityoflifeforbusinessownersandoperatorsbyeasingmaintenanceandloweringoperatingcosts.Aftertestingtheprototypesinvariousapplicationstoverifytheirsuperiorperformance,thecompanylaunchedtwovariationsofan1/8-gallonurinal—theUT105UthelargerUT445U.DesignedtomeetthebothIAPMOcertificationandtheEPA’sWaterSensestandards,bothfixturespromisetomakelifealittlesweeterinpublicmen’sroomsacrossthecountryandaroundtheglobe.BenefitsforPeoplePlanetWaterLaunchedin2011,eachofTOTO’snewlow-water-consumingurinalsenhanceslifebyofferingseveralbenefitstobothpeopleandtheplanet.Here’salistofafewofthem:PeopleBetterhygiene.ByrinsinganddrainingcompletelythankstoaredesignedP-trap,thenewurinalseliminateodorsandunsightlybackflow,keepingtheatmospherefreshandclean.Easymaintenance.Becausenocrystallineurineresidueisleftbehind,thefixturesareeasiertoclean.Inaddition,theEcoPowervalveseliminatethecostsofinstallingpowersuppliesandwiringaswellasmaintenancecostsforbatteryreplacement.PlanetReducedenergyusage.TheEcoPowervalveregeneratesitsownenergywitheachflush.Thehydro-poweredturbineintheEcoPowervalvechargesthepowersupplyduringusageandprovidesmaximumperformanceineventhemostdemanding,high-trafficcommercialspaces,whileminimizingimpactontheplanet.WaterImprovedwaterconservation.Usingonly1/8ofagallonofwatertorinsethebowl,theurinalsare8timesmoreefficientintheiruseofwaterthanold-fashionedurinals.AndtheUT445UHighEfficiencyWashoutUrinalconservesupto75percentmorewaterthana0.5GPFurinal.Save87%ofwaterperflushoverthe1GallonUrinal.Onaverage,aurinalgetsflushedabout20timesaday;thereforeabusinesswillsave4,000+gallonsperyearforeveryWaterSenselabeledurinalitinstalls.SignUpForOurNewsletterJoinourmailinglistandstayuptodateonnewsandproducts.FirstNameLastNameEmailAddressPleaseDescribeYourselfPleaseDescribeYourselfArchitectConsumerContractorsDesignerDistributorEmployeeEngineersManufacturerRepAgencyPlumberShowroomRepresentativeTradeProfessionalZipCodeSubmitComments?WewelcomeyourfeedbackabouttheTOTOwebsite.Pleasefillinyourcontactinformation,below,andsendusanote.Welookforwardtohearingfromyou.ContactInformationName*Email*FeedbackEnterfeedbackhere*Sendmeacopy.Sendmeacopy.Toofferthebestpossibleservice,thiswebsiteusescookies.Byusingoursiteyouagreetousingcookies.MoreinformationinourPrivacyPolicy!IunderstandLiveChatLiveChat