CHAPTER VII. SANITARY APPLIANCES. (Part 1)

CHAPTER VII. SANITARY APPLIANCES. All sanitary appliances should possess certain common qualities ; it is the duty of plumbers to examine and study every detail of every appliance, whether old or new, before they recommend or adopt it in their business. There are many sanitary exhibitions held, no doubt, where experienced judges examine and decide on the merits of new inventions, and award prizes and commendation which very properly serve to guide the general public; but we cannot fail to have observed, among the multiplicity of awards, many given to appliances which practical men cannot endorse. It is therefore necessary that we should be capable of examining appliances and forming our own unbiased per- sonal judgment. A practical plumber should be able to form a better opinion on the merits of any appliance used in his trade than any professional gentleman merged in a committee of examiners. The study of actual apparatus in detail is one of the important features of a technical school of plumbing. The qualities required in all sanitary appliances are durability, simplicity, accessibility, cleanliness, and general effectiveness. Durability is placed first, because sanitary appliances are often neglected and soon forgotten, and thus, no matter how simple, accessible, clean, and effective they may be wheii ^30 SANITARY APPLIANCES. 231 first purchased and fixed, they do more harm than good if they fail in their action from want of durability in material or construction. For instance, take, as an example, a water-closet cistern. It may be simple, clean, easy of access, and effective, yet, if it corrodes into holes in twelve months, it fails utterly in the most important quality of durability. It may be durable, clean, and efifective, yet, if it be com- plicated with valves, chains, and levers, the absence of simplicity will cause constant expense and trouble. It may be durable, simple, and accessible, and yet not be effective, by failing to fulfil its purpose. It may be durable, simple, clean, and effective, and yet may fail, owing to the inaccessibility of some simple part which cannot be got at without pulling all to pieces. The first sanitary appliances for the plumber's considera- tion will be water-closets; they are not found to be the most dangerous of house-fittings as a rule, because they are more suspected, and therefore more closely looked after. Let us have, first of all, an illustration of the old pan water-closet, till lately the sign and ornament of the plumbers' shop windows, and let us consign it unsparingly to the limbo of the most hopelessly condemned insanitary appliances. Like many other meretricious inventions, it for a time superseded, because it was cheaper, Bramah's valve-closet, its superior in every particular ; both, however, are now set aside by others and are out of date. When pan-closets are removed from dwellings they should be at once broken up as scrap metal ; they are more valuable as old metal, and certainly less dangerous than as pan-closets. Some plumbers have sold them to jerry builders for a few 282 DOMESTIC SANITARY DRAINAGE AND PLUMBING. shillings, but such traffic is of doubtful morality, and there- fore to 1)6 scrupulously avoided by honest tradesmen. Fio. 156. — "Ye old pan water-closet, condemned to death." In mitigation of the evils of the metal trunk container of filth in pan water-closets, some makers have enamelled SANITARY APPLIANCES. 233 the containers, and others, even eminent as sanitary manu- facturers, offer them with stoneware containers; but take a friend's advice, if you are responsible for the sanitary condition of a dwelling-house, and do not recommend a pan water-closet under any form or material. It frequently will occur, we are sorry to say, that you will find pan closets already in possession, and an owner or landlord in the enjoyment of these antiquated appliances, who declines to have them removed, on the ground of expense and long usage. In such cases it will be the engineer's or plumber's duty to protest and explain his reasons for protesting ; but he will be within his right and duty in obeying his employer's directions, and making the best of a bad business. It is not the plumber's duty to dictate on such matters to his employers. Plumbers have endeavoured to improve these pan closets by adding a 1-inch diameter lead vent-pipe to the metal trunk, and others have added 2-inch diameter lead pipes, in the hope of obtaining a ventilating current of air through the trunk. These pipes, if carried into the open air, do no harm beyond complicating the apparatus, but they do very littlegoodindeed. Common earthenware, stoneware, or enamelled iron conical Dill water-closets are also to be condemned. They are very frequently found fixed in closets intended for servants' use. One can hardly understand that any reason can exist for placing an insanitary form of apparatus for the use of persons less likely to be particular as to usage and cleanliness than their more educated employers, es- pecially when such closets are generally situated in the basement, whence any defect in cleanliness must affect the upper house. They are not fit for use as closets even in a garden house; the soil clings to every part of the conical basin, as experience proves, and no flush of water can keep them cleansed. 234 DOMESTIC SANITARY DRAINAGE AND PLUMBING. The Dill conical basin, illustrated below, is suited only for use as a slop-sink, but is constantly fitted up as a servants* closet. The writer has seen the water-flush rising Fig. 167. — Dill water-closet basin and trap?. up by centrifugal force in them, and overflowing by the top, instead of passing away by the trap to the drain!' The wash-out water-closet is no longer in favour ; it has served its purpose in sanitary progress and has given place, as the writer expected, to better forms at the present time. Here are various illustrations for comparison (Figs. 158, 159). Fio. 158. — Wash-out water-closet in two pieces. It may be noticed that these closet-traps have no proper SANITARY APPLIANCES. 235 provision or* flange for safe connection with lead or iron soil-pipe, and consequently they are unfit for use inside a dwelling, and should only be employed in an outside closet, where the trap would be cemented direct to an earthenware Fio. 159. — Wash-out water-closet in one piece. drain-bend. The depth of water in the basin of Fig. 159 is quite inadequate, and without an after-dribble the basin would be emptied at each flush by momentum. The water seal of trap, also, is defective, and would be highly dangerous if used thus in a dwelling-house. There are much better forms of the wash-out class than these. We here illustrate (Fig. 160) another form of the wash- out closet, in section and elevation. It is made in one piece of pottery ware. The junction flange with soil-pipe is well exposed for examination ; it is not shown wide enough for screwing down securely. The trap and drown are carried better into view in the section arrangement. The water for 236 DOMESTIC SANITARY DRAINAGE AND PLUMBING. receiving the soil is somewhat deeper than usual, and an after-flush is secured by the small after-flush container shown at the back. A vent-pipe horn is provided on the Height 17 m. Diameter of BmIp n6 x 14^ iifc Fio. 160. — Wash-out water-cloaet in section. outgo of trap ; but the two comers shown in the water-way under the basin are palpable defects, where soil would surely catch and remain untouched by the flush. The basin is well scoured at every flush by the direction communicated to the incoming water. We have an independent wash-out closet in this illustra- tion (Fig. 161), and we see that the defect caused by the two comers in the soil-pipe under the basin has been here removed, and a continuous pipe syphon is shown, quite self- cleansing. All other improvements are shown; but the flange junction with soil-pipe is not nearly wide enough, and is not quite apart from the body of the apparatus, and there- fore cannot be so readily ^een and examined. This objection can be got over, but great care in fixing will be called for. The " wash-out " form is now obsolete. The objections to this closet seem to be— SANITARY APPLIANCES. 237 1. That the trap, made of earthenware, may be badly connected with the soil-pipe, so as to admit drain air to the house, either by defective packing or by the flange cracking across by too great a strain from the screws. 2. That the trap is not directly in view, and may retain soil unnoticed, and may also lose its water-seal without the danger being discovered. Fio. 161. — Indepeadent wash-out water-closet section. 3. That although there is a layer of water to receive the soil, it is not deep enough to cover over the soil and stop odour from it, nor to preserve the basin from impurity, and that this impurity is not always washed out by the flush. The latter objection may be lessened by having arrange- ments for a strong and full flush. Special ornamental forms of wash-out closets are now made to stand exposed and independent, without wood casings, and with hinged wooden seats to allow of slops being thrown in when the hinged seat is turned up. They 238 DOMESTIC SANITARY DRAINAGE AND PLUMBING. are subject to the same objections as any other forms of wash-out closets. All such closets have the trap over the floors. As compared to pan water-closets, these are greatly superior in a sanitary point of view. Fig. 162. — OrDameuted independent wash-out closets. The best of all the simple sanitary forms of water-closet is the wash-down. It fairly fulfils all the requirements named at starting, and in our opinion deserves high com- mendation. A very considerable experience of this form of closet in action, in the face of strong opposition, only confirms us in our good opinion of its advantages. The best possible form may not have been reached yet, but the attainment is open to every man who has per- severance to bear with disappointments, and a little time and money to spend on experiments. This arrangement of compound closet, available as water- closet, slop-sink, and urinal, consists of earthenware or porcelain basin and trap in one piece, standing independent on the floor. The seat, supported on cast-iron brackets, is SANITARY APPLIANCES. 239 Fig. 163. — Compound water-closet, sinkj aud urinal. balance-weighted to remain raised open unless when pressed down tn use. Any form of cistern may be adopted, having an after-flush. The form here illustrated (Figs. 164, 165) exhibits the earliest eflfort to secure a sanitary form of wash-down water- closet ; it has been discarded for better forms suggested by long experience and observation as being free from defects, which became noticeable in these early forms in use. 240 DOMESTIC SANITARY DRAINAGE AND PLUMBING. SOIL Flo. 164. — Section of oiiginal form of wash-down water-closet with basin in usual position. Fig. 165. — Elevation of original form of wash-down water-closet with basin retersed. SANITARY APt>LIANCES. 241 The basin has a flushing rim constructed in the best way for throwing a body of water on the paper and soil, while a strong flush is also scouring the sides of the basin. The basin is similar in form to that of the pan water-closet flushing-rim basin. The trap may be made of porcelain or of iron enamelled, but with these the junction to the soil-pipe needs special care to ensure safe and durable connection with the soil-pipe, which must be flanged over the floor to receive the iron or porcelain flange tightly screwed down on it, and then dressed up over and round the flange with red-lead cement bedding. The trap has a deep drown, so as to bring the water well up into the basin that the soil may drop into water, and a lead cone is soldered to the trap, reaching half-way up the basin, so that if the basin be removed, the cone and trap still retain the same depth of water standing in them ; and during the flush, when water rises a little, no overflow would occur, even if basin had not been properly bedded in the lead cone. The basin and trap both stand accessible above the floor on the lead safe-tray, and the soil-pipe passes out at this accessible level, which is a most important advantage and security. The deep drown of trap prevents risk of evaporation withdrawing the seal, but as the water-seal is in sight this point always reveals itself. The service-pipe should be at least one and a quarter inch and the service- valve two inches in diameter to secure ample flush. The trap and its seal are directly in sight and accessible, so the trap can be cleaned and cleared without trouble. If it ever choke, it will occur within easy access for cleansing. The position of the trap shows at once whether the flush R 242 DOMESTIC SANITARY DRAINAGE AND PLUMBING. has cleared away the soil and paper from the premises, because, once gone from the trap, there is no other receptacle to retain them. In a pan or even valve closet the concealed trap beneath may retain, as it must receive them. The soil-pipe of this form of closet must be ventilated full bore, and should be treated as the smoke flue of a stove and carried to a point clear of blow-down, and surmounted by a simple form of extractor. The outgo of the trap also should be ventilated as already described, and all other appurtenances arranged in sanitary form. The wash-down form of closet will come more to the front, as the public and the plumbers realise that simplicity is sanitation in earnest. The trap and basin are in two parts, and the basin can be turned about at will to bring the inlet directly opposite the service-pipe, and to give the flush the best direction for driving off the paper quickly. The pull may be arranged by cranks and wire from the seat up to a service- valve in cistern, or to a waste-preventer cistern, or to a r^ilator and valve under the seat. The best arrangement is a long pull formed of brass or plated tube, with neat hanging knob or handle fixed on the face of the wall from the lever of the cistern-valve, so that every working part of the apparatus may be exposed and easily accessible. An improved form of wash-down water-closet is now made in one piece of earthenware, which possesses certain advantages over the original form. The basin is made with the back sloping away and the front more sloping than usual, giving an oval form and greater area to the water surface, and bringing the water into a better position to receive all the soil, some of which occasionally falls on the back part of the common form of wash-down, needing an extra flushing to cleanse. SANITARY APPLIANCES. 243 Fig. 166. — Deluge improved wash-down water-closet. Fia. 167. — Deluge improved wash-down water-closet This closet must be always fixed in the one position. It may be used with or without an enclosing wood-casing, and forms an excellent water-closet of a cheap type. 244 DOMESTIC SANITARY DRAINAGE AND PLUMBING. The Adamant Deluge Closet is specially recommended for Asylums and Institutions where hard usage must be provided for. Fio. 168. — Deluge Adamant improved wash -down water-closet. The flushing pipe should be one and a quarter or one and a half inch in diameter. Where sufficient head room cannot be found for ordinary flushing cisterns, a combination arrangement of cisterns and closet is adopted. A large inlet horn or arm, six times the capacity of an ordinary horn, is made in one piece with closet. A cistern, on single or double valve principle, with an outlet valve correspondingly large with inlet arm of closet, is placed at the back of closet, and connected direct to that inlet arm. They are also supplied with valveless syphon cisterns. Wlien cistern-valve is lifted the contents of cistern are precipitated with one gulp into the basin, which is made .with flushing rim, thoroughly washing out the basin and trap, and leaving a larger quantity of water in basin than usual with wash-down closets. The instantaneous character of the flush gives this closet an advantage over SANITARY APPLIANCES. 245 all others for thoroughly clearing out the trap and flushmg the drain every time the handle is pulled. An after-ser\iee box is constructed in one piece with the closet, as a safe- guard against the tendency that exists in closets of the Fio. 169. — Combination wash -down closet. wash-out type to leave too little water in the basin, or the unsealing of the trap by syphonage. The wash-down water-closet is also made with a patented douche arrangement of great use, especially near the surgical wards of hospitals or in doctors' houses, where examinations are made or operations are performed, or generally for persons suffering fron hsemorrhoids, etc. The douche is quite separate from the flush arrangement, and is only used when required. The small supply cistern 246 DOMESTIC SANITARY DRAINAGE AND PLUMBING. is fixed on the seat he&Ule the user, and can be easily filled with water at any desired temperature, and, if necessary, medicated. The ai)pIication of the douche is given by actuating a handle-pull, which opens a valve and allows as much or as little water as desired to pass in douche form, as shown, to cleanse the person. The form adopted for this addition to hospital and nursing hygiene is the wash-down closet. The apparatus is formed of pure, fine ivory porcelain ware, most cleanly, owing to suitable shape and high class of glaze, giving a large water surface to receive and cover excreta, and a strong water-flush, with deep water trapping. The advantages of the patent douche ^loset appear to be :