Eli5: Why are most public toilets plumbed directly to the water supply but home toilets have the tank?
In: 4741
The flushometers on commercial toilets take a 1 inch water supply. A residential house is only fed with a 3/4 inch pipe of the water main. When you walk into a bathroom with 4 toilets om the wall that room is fed with a 2 inch water main. When you build a house your tap in fees for your water and sewer is based off the size of your water supply. The water tap in fee for a house with a 3/4 inch pipe ( around Cincinnati ) is about 3 thousand. I plumbed a bank 15 years ago with a 1 inch pipe, its tap in fee was 47,000$. The last grocery store I priced 20 years ago with an 8 inch water pipe was 700,000$. Remember this is also for fire protection.
You might be mistaking a hidden cistern for one being plumbed into the mains.
An exposed cistern (tank) in public is at risk of damage and vandalism to an extent that water is wasted and the toilet is not functional for weeks until repaired. This isn’t an issue in private residences (but is done in more modern homes just for visual appeal).
This could also be a regional thing as I can’t think of any public toilets near me that don’t have either a exposed cistern or hidden.
The flushometers on commercial toilets take a 1 inch water supply. A residential house is only fed with a 3/4 inch pipe of the water main. When you walk into a bathroom with 4 toilets om the wall that room is fed with a 2 inch water main. When you build a house your tap in fees for your water and sewer is based off the size of your water supply. The water tap in fee for a house with a 3/4 inch pipe ( around Cincinnati ) is about 3 thousand. I plumbed a bank 15 years ago with a 1 inch pipe, its tap in fee was 47,000$. The last grocery store I priced 20 years ago with an 8 inch water pipe was 700,000$. Remember this is also for fire protection.
plumbing designer here.
its all about the technology and the pressure required behind it.
so tanks in a house dont require much water pressure to run and have a few minutes between use. as such they take advantage of the lower pressure to fill a tank and time to fill it.
in a commercial setting there is a bit less time to fill a tank (when you flush you want it now.). this type of flush requires a higher water pressure in order to flush but is ready faster.
additionally the higher pressure allows a “full” toilet to have a more forceful flush and is less likely to clog.
now where pressure isnt available for a flush valve we use whats called a pressure assisted tank. this fills water in a tank with a glorified air balloon. this air baloon increases the power behind the water to get closer to the force of water from a flush valve
You might be mistaking a hidden cistern for one being plumbed into the mains.
An exposed cistern (tank) in public is at risk of damage and vandalism to an extent that water is wasted and the toilet is not functional for weeks until repaired. This isn’t an issue in private residences (but is done in more modern homes just for visual appeal).
This could also be a regional thing as I can’t think of any public toilets near me that don’t have either a exposed cistern or hidden.
You might be mistaking a hidden cistern for one being plumbed into the mains.
An exposed cistern (tank) in public is at risk of damage and vandalism to an extent that water is wasted and the toilet is not functional for weeks until repaired. This isn’t an issue in private residences (but is done in more modern homes just for visual appeal).
This could also be a regional thing as I can’t think of any public toilets near me that don’t have either a exposed cistern or hidden.
plumbing designer here.
its all about the technology and the pressure required behind it.
so tanks in a house dont require much water pressure to run and have a few minutes between use. as such they take advantage of the lower pressure to fill a tank and time to fill it.
in a commercial setting there is a bit less time to fill a tank (when you flush you want it now.). this type of flush requires a higher water pressure in order to flush but is ready faster.
additionally the higher pressure allows a “full” toilet to have a more forceful flush and is less likely to clog.
now where pressure isnt available for a flush valve we use whats called a pressure assisted tank. this fills water in a tank with a glorified air balloon. this air baloon increases the power behind the water to get closer to the force of water from a flush valve
plumbing designer here.
its all about the technology and the pressure required behind it.
so tanks in a house dont require much water pressure to run and have a few minutes between use. as such they take advantage of the lower pressure to fill a tank and time to fill it.
in a commercial setting there is a bit less time to fill a tank (when you flush you want it now.). this type of flush requires a higher water pressure in order to flush but is ready faster.
additionally the higher pressure allows a “full” toilet to have a more forceful flush and is less likely to clog.
now where pressure isnt available for a flush valve we use whats called a pressure assisted tank. this fills water in a tank with a glorified air balloon. this air baloon increases the power behind the water to get closer to the force of water from a flush valve
Toilets used in commercial applications just have the tank hidden inside the wall.
Source: I work for a major plumbing supplier in Australia.
*EDIT: The reason the flush is stronger is because they use a bigger tank.
Toilets used in commercial applications just have the tank hidden inside the wall.
Source: I work for a major plumbing supplier in Australia.
*EDIT: The reason the flush is stronger is because they use a bigger tank.
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