CHAPTER VIII THE Burtpinc—Its SAnrrary FITTINGS AND (Part 1)

CHAPTER VIII THE Burtpinc—Its SAnrrary FITTINGS AND Waste PIPEs Architectural students and others wishing to study sanitary appliances and the necessary plumbing in greater detail than can be done in this chapter are recommended to refer to the B.S. Codes of Practice, No. 805 (Sanitary Appliances), No. 8 (Chapter 7, Engineering and Utility Services) and Post-War Building Study No, 4 (Plumbing), all obtainable from H.M.S.O., and available on loan at most public libraries. The Institute of Plumbers “ Mini- mum Specification” prepared for the use of their members and available at the Institute, 81 Gower St., London, W.C.1, may also be useful. Soil and Waste Water. There are three classes of liquid waste matter to be removed from buildings, namely the discharge from water closets, urinals, slop-closets, generally described as “soil”; that from baths, lavatories, sinks, etc., known as waste water; and rainwater from roofs, paths and paved spaces, described for drainage purposes as “surface water” or “rainwater’’, (Incidentally there is a good deal of misuse of the term “‘lava- tory’ among certain sections of the general public. It should, as its name implies, be used for the wash basin or the room in which it is housed, and not applied to the water closet, as is so often done.) “Soil”, if not properly dealt with, can lead to very unpleasant insanitary conditions. “Waste Water’’ is usually just dirty water, or water carrying small particles of food from washing up, cooking operations and the like. This needs removing from the house, but the risk of unpleasant odours is not so great. “Surface Water” may carry soot or bird droppings from the eaves gutters or grit from gullies in garden paths or paved spaces (if so drained) but is otherwise cleansing in its action on rainwater pipes and drains rather than the reverse. Spat It is important to keep these definitions clearly in mind, because most local authorities in this country differentiate between them, and expect “soil”, ““waste water” and “rainwater” to be kept separate until they reach the underground drains (if any), where 244 THE BUILDING—ITS SANITARY FITTINGS, ETC. they flow down together to the sewer or other place of disposal. These details will be referred to in later chapters. “Dry” and ‘Water Carriage’”’ Systems. In dealing with the first of the three classes of waste matter, that is the soil or excre- mental matter from buildings, there are two principal systems, known respectively as the “Conservancy” or “Dry” system, and the ‘Water Carriage” system. The former involves the use of earth closets, chemical closets or privies, and the latter, water- closets, drains, sewers, cesspools, etc. In sparsely populated country districts the use of earth-closets and privies is permissible where no convenient position can be found for a cesspool, and where there is no regular public supply of water, but they should not be permitted in populous districts, as their use is against the best interests of health. All waste matters should be removed from the vicinity of the building as speedily as possible. The conservancy system has been common in the towns of the north of England and the Midlands, where sanitary progress was less rapid than in the south, but even in the northern towns privies and earth-closets have now been almost entirely superseded by water-closets. A plentiful supply of water is essential to the success of any system involving water-closets and drainage, and where this cannot be obtained a good form of chemical closet or earth-closet is the best. Waste Water and the Conservancy System. When the “dry” system is in vogue for the soil, it is generally necessary to install waste pipes, drains and a cesspool to deal with the waste water and either a “‘soak-away” or an underground storage cistern for the rainwater, details of which will be given later. Privies with Middens. The earliest form of closet, or privy, con- sisted merely of a seat placed over a shallow pit termed a midden. The midden was sometimes lined with brick, slate or stone slabs, but was more often unlined, and was furnished with no means of deodorising the waste matters. More modern forms have either a fixed or movable receptacle, the latter system forming what is termed a pail-closet. Pail Closets. Special pails are sometimes provided by the local authority, and periodically removed in special vans, being replaced by clean ones. The pails are emptied and disinfected before being used again, The space under the seat, whether furnished with a pail or not, should be of watertight construction, and the seat and riser should be readily removable. Privy Ashpits. In some places the privy is combined with an THE BUILDING—ITS SANITARY FITTINGS, ETC. 245 ashpit, the two being constructed back to back and communicating below the seat. A special shoot conducts the ashes so that they fall on to the foul matter and act as a mild deodorant. Local By-laws as to Privies. By-laws vary from district to district, but the following list gives an average set of requirements in districts where privies are permitted. 1. The entrance to be from the open air. 2. To be not less than 40 feet from any well, spring, etc., used as a source of drinking or domestic water. 3. Ready means of access for cleansing. 4. Apartment to be properly lighted and ventilated into the open air, near the top. 5. Floor to be not less than 3 inches above ground, of non- absorbent material, and falling } inch to 1 foot towards the door. 6. Space beneath seat to be lined with non-absorbent material, and the floor of it to be not less than 8 inches above ground. 7. If a movable receptacle is provided, its capacity is not to exceed 2 cubic feet or, if a fixed receptacle, 12 cubic feet. 8. The space below seat must have no communication with any drain and not to be exposed to rainfall. 9. The privy is not to be less than 10 feet from any building used for a dwelling or place of business; and lastly, it is usual to require some provision for the application of dry earth or ashes from time to time in the case of a privy having a fixed receptacle. Earth Closets. A much better apparatus is the earth-closet, which, like the privy, can have either a fixed or movable receptacle, the latter being very much to be preferred. Fig. 216 shows the arrangement in diagram form. In either case provision is made for the systematic application of dry earth to deodorise the discharges, which is best done automatically. There are many kinds of earth- closet, the best being those in which the earth is applied merely by the weight of the user on the seat actuating a series of levers. - The earth should be of a loamy, vegetable nature, sand or gravel being of little value as a deodorant. The application of suitable earth turns the excremental matter into a sort of mould, suitable foruse asa fertiliser. Local By-laws as to Earth Closets. The usual official require- ments for earth-closets are the same as for privies, with the addition of the requirement that there shall be a receptacle for dry earth or other suitable deodorising material with suitable means of application. Also the 10-foot distance rule is usually dropped and the earth-closet may be built attached to the building so long as there is no possibility of direct access of air from the E.C. to the rest of the house. 246 THE BUILDING—ITS SANITARY FITTINGS, ETC. Chemical Closets. Chemical closets, illustrated in Fig. 217, possess distinct advantages over earth-closets. Earth is no more than a mild deodorant, whereas in a chemical closet powerful dis- infectants can be used and these, in a well-designed apparatus, will render faeces and urine nearly, if not quite, sterile and absolutely inoffensive. They require less frequent attention and emptying than earth-closets and do not form a breeding place for flies and vermin. It is important, however, that the apparatus shall be so designed as to bring the disinfectant into intimate contact with every part of the sewage and with any surface liable to be fouled. Perhaps the earliest type of chemical closet to be placed on the market was the “Elsan”, which is available in portable and tank models. The portable model has either a vitreous-enamelled seam- less steel or galvanised sewage container of 5 to 7 gallons’ capacity, which, under normal household use, will need to be emptied daily or every few days according to the number of persons using it. Around the container is a steel ventilation chamber, which is preferably ventilated by a 3-inch diameter pipe passing through the roof, or through a wall or window, with a cowl at its top; there are also small air inlets in the sides of the chamber. Smaller models having no ventilation pipes are available, which are thus more portable. The top of the container is provided with an enamelled guard to prevent urine from passing into the ventilating chamber; the container has a handle to facilitate emptying. The seat and lid are usually of bakelite with chromium-plated hinges. Before use, a quart or two of water, mixed with a measure of specially prepared chemical liquid, is placed in the bottom of the container. No further attention is needed until the container is full, when the contents can be buried, or mixed with lime and leaf mould and used as manure. The chemical used in the portable model is a liquid, the most part of which is miscible with water, but which contains a small amount of an ingredient which floats on the surface and, it is claimed, forms a smell-preventing seal. The tank model is a permanent fixture, intended for schools, sports pavilions and the like. Either one, two or three white- glazed earthenware pans, each ventilated by a 4-inch diameter pipe, are connected to a cylindrical tank, placed underground beneath the apartment or apartments, of capacity ranging from 40 to 210 gallons, according to requirements. As the lid is raised from the seat an anti-splash plate is auto- matically raised to a position which will prevent faeces falling THE BUILDING—ITS SANITARY FITTINGS, ETC. 247 straight into the liquid, causing unpleasant splashing; when the lid is replaced the anti-splash plate is submerged into the disin- fectant. The raising and lowering of the lid also moves an agitator or paddle which helps the chemical to disintegrate the faeces and toilet paper. The capacity of the tank installed will normally be of such a size as to last an average household for several weeks without emptying and when this is necessary an outlet valve at the bottom is opened and the liquid and disintegrated faeces and toilet paper is allowed to pass through a 4-inch drain pipe to a soakaway well away from the dwelling and at least 100 feet from a well or spring used for drinking purposes. The chemical used for the tank model is usually a solid in the form of easily dissolved flakes instead of the liquid form. The Water Carriage System. The fittings used in conjunction with the water carriage system include water-closets, flushing cisterns, lavatory basins, baths, sinks and urinals. To be quite efficient all sanitary fittings should be of simple construction, as self-cleansing as possible, made of non-absorbent and incorrodible materials, and readily connected to waste pipes. All parts should be made readily accessible, and the fittings, as a general rule, should be left uncased, since casings or enclosures are very apt to become receptacles for dust and dirt. Slopwater Closets. Slopwater closets are occasionally found in old buildings where there is not an ample supply of clean water. Fig. 218 shows an objectionable type, in which S is the seat, F the floor of the closet, and FD. is a flushing drain, fed by the waste from a sink and by rainwater pipes. The flushing drain in these models usually has a very irregular discharge, so that there is seldom water available for flushing at the right time and the clean- ing action is therefore ineffective. In Figs. 218 and 219 a tipper, T, stores up the waste water until there is enough to give a good flush at intervals, but there is still no guarantee that the water will be there when needed. The tipper is so hung that it overbalances and discharges its contents when full and regains its original position when emptied. In Fig. 218, a movable cover, M.C., is provided to give access to the tipper. The introduction of the tipper greatly increases the area liable to be fouled. Fig. 219 shows a type in which there is a proper closet pan with a water seal, flushed at the top by a spiral flush from a tipper placed above ground level; this is a much less objectionable type, but it is still far from sanitary, and a good type of earth-closet or chemical closet is much to be preferred. 248 THE BUILDING—ITS SANITARY FITTINGS, ETC. PERMANENT VENTILATION WINDOW - 2. SQ.FT. BM, PAS EARTH PA) REMOVABLE INNER LINING SW. SLOPWATER CLOSETS LONG HOPPER SHORT HOPPER 220 221 222. CONTAINER CLOSET THE BUILDING—ITS SANITARY FITTINGS, ETC. 249 The Planning and Arrangement of Water Closets. The posi- tion and treatment of water closets and other sanitary fittings in the design of a building are matters of great importance. Wherever possible, all fittings should be placed against external walls, to ensure short branches to the waste or soil pipes. In flatted dwellings, hotels and buildings of several floors, all fittings of similar nature, if at all possible, should be arranged over one another on the various floors to simplify the plumbing. Principles of Design for a First-class W.C. There are certain conditions that should be fulfilled in order to obtain a really sanitary closet. They include the following: (1) at least one wall of the apartment should be an external wall of the building; (2) there should be a good window, made to open for light and ven- tilation and so placed as to give plenty of light around the appara- tus. The area should be at least 2 square feet and if the whole of this area is made openable so much the better; (3) a non-absorbent floor and walls, or, if this is impossible owing to cost, a tiled dado around the sides and back of the apparatus; in a public water-closet it is better that the walls should be of white glazed bricks or tiles, and the floor of tiles or granolithic, but in a private house this would generally be objected to on the ground of appearance; (4) a pedestal apparatus; (5) a trap forming part of the apparatus, or, if a separate trap, close to the apparatus and above the floor; (6) the pan and trap to be of incorrodible and white glazed ware, for preference the pan and trap made in one piece and of the same material; (7) the whole of the apparatus to be simple in design, with no movable working parts to get out of order, and to be easily accessible; (8) the pan should have a reasonable water area of adequate depth, especially where most of the droppings will fall, and should be easily accessible; (9) a siphonic water waste-pre- venting cistern over the back of the pan, it being placed there to obviate the loss of flushing power caused by bends; and (10) the full force of the flush should be directed on the contents of the trap and not wasted by being diverted to accessory parts. If such accessory parts be thought desirable, as in the case of some of the “‘siphonic”’ closets, a larger cistern should be used. The flush, in its passage to the trap, should thoroughly cleanse the pan. There should be no hidden inaccessible parts to a sanitary fitting no matter what the purpose of the fitting may be. Numerous examples of such objectionable items might be given, some practically obsolete, others doomed to become so. Such are the ‘‘Container”’ closet, the ““D” trap, the ‘‘tip up” lavatory basin, basins and baths with 250 THE BUILDING—ITS SANITARY FITTINGS, ETC. THE BUILDING—ITS SANITARY FITTINGS EDC, 25! overflow pipes entered only through a few small holes pierced in the material of the fitting, and soon. Bad Types of W.C. Pan. In dealing with closet apparatus, it will be well to divide them into two sections, those which are objectionable. and those which are allowable or desirable. Figs. 220 and 221 show two of the oldest forms of pan, known as the “long hopper” and “short hopper” respectively. The inlet in either type may have a flushing rim, as shown in Fig. 221, or merely a spreader, as in Fig. 220. Both types are to be condemned where found, because there is no water in the pan into which discharges may fall and the pan is very liable to be fouled. Another very insanitary apparatus is the “pan” or “container” closet shown in Fig. 222. It has a conical basin of glazed earthen- ware, fixed over a cast-iron container, C, the outlet of the basin being closed by a hinged copper pan, P, holding water. When a handle in the seat was pulled the pan fell to the position shown by dotted lines, throwing the contents into the container, which became very foul. The water was admitted to the basin behind a spreader, S. The sketch shows the outlet of the container joined to a D trap, D.T., by the dip pipe, D.P., there being a lead safe or tray, L.S., on the floor, the waste pipe, W.P., of which communi- cates with the trap. The “Washout” W.C, Pan. The next sketch, Fig. 228, shows a section through a “washout” closet, It is less objectionable than the “container” type, but is far from satisfactory. The pan is so constructed that there is a shallow basin of water directly below the seat, the water