SANITARY APPLIANCES

In buildings, many types of sanitary appliances are required. They fulfill a variety of
specialized functions, which are connected with drainage and disposal of sewage and
refuse from buildings.
Desirable characteristics of sanitary fittings
01
Sanitary appliances are supplied with water
.
It is a must that the water in such appliances are not contaminated with
foul water. In order to maintain this condition water supply lines should
be fixed to appliances above the flooding level of it so that back
siphonage of foul water into the supply pipe becomes impossible.
Especially when it comes to soil appliances a suitable trap should be
housed to prevent the foul air in the disposal system from entering into
the room.

A trapped gulley
02 The sanitary appliance design should minimize the contact area of supply
. water and foul water.
03 Their surfaces should be
.
i. durable
ii. easily cleanable
iii. non-absorbent
iv. non-corrosive
v. smooth
vi. self cleaning
04
. Sanitary appliance's design also should be smooth in out line to permit
rapid emptying of soil and waste matters which facilitates self cleaning
process.
05
. The design must be simple and working parts must be minimum as
possible.
06
. Appliances should be able to be connected to the appropriate soil/waste
pipe or stack readily.

Desirable characteristics of sanitary fittings

Materials used for sanitary appliances
Waste appliances
Soil appliances

Materials used for sanitary appliances

The desirable characteristics of sanitary appliance materials are as follows.
i. Hard
ii. Smooth
iii. Non-absorbent
iv. Non-corrosive
Following is a list of materials commonly used to make sanitary appliances.
01.
Ceramics
The strength and the degree of impermeability of ceramic depend upon the
composition of the clay mixture and the temperature at which they are
mixed.
a).

Glazed Earthenware
These are
i. good in colour
ii. cheap
iii. easy to form into different shapes

b).

In most cases water closets and sinks are made out of glazed
earthenware.
Glazed fireclay

c).

This is a hard and durable material.

Glazed stoneware

d).

Glazed stoneware is hard and non-absorbent even when it is not

glazed.
Vitreous china
This gives a good finish and a non-absorbent. But this material is not
suitable for hard use.

02. Pressed metal

a). Mild steel

b).

Mild steel is cheap but corrosive. So it needs to be galvanized. This is

used for sinks etc.
Stainless steel
Even though it is expensive stainless steel gives a very good
appearance. It is also very hard.
This is used for
i. sinks
ii. urinals
iii. water closets etc.

03.

Acrylic plastic/Perspex
Characters
i. very cheap
ii. light weight

iii. good appearance

04.

Glass reinforced polyester

Characteristics
i. hard
ii. expensive

05.

Cast iron
Cast iron is used for larger appliances. It is
i. hard
ii. heavy

06.
Terrazzo
Terrazzo is used to make larger appliances. With this, your sanitary
appliance could be cast in-situ.

Types of sanitary appliances Sanitary appliances are broadly divided into two categories.
01. Waste appliances
These are mainly for the disposal of soupy, dirty and greasy water.

E.g. Wash basins

Shower trays
Baths
Sinks
Bidets
These fittings are connected to waste pipes and to a vertical waste stack, which is
connected to the drains by means of a rest bend or a back inlet gulley at its base.
Wash basins
Sinks
Kitchen sinks
Baths
Shower trays
Bidets
02. Soil appliances
These are for the disposal of foul matter or the waste of human body. These fittings are
built with traps and are connected to a vertical soil stack, which is connected to the drain
by means of a rest bend of the foot or base of the stack.

Water closets
There are two basic types of water closets on its flushing mechanism.
01.
Wash down type : This is the most commonly used type. In this the
contents of the pan are removed by a gravity water flush. These are
designed to maintain a 50 mm minimum water seal and fouling area.
These are i. simple ii. cheap iii. efficient iv. rarely blocked
02.
Siphoric type : These are more silent and positive in action. But
these are more prove to blockages.

Slab type
This is a cheap option. But this provides a lessor degree of privacy.
Stall type
With this type a higher degree of privacy is guaranteed.
Bowl type
With this a less fouling area is provided. The traps in this type are effective and
accessible.
Eastern closed/squatting pan
Stop hopper
This is a useful appliance for use in hospitals. This efficiently disposes dirty water, weak
liquid food, waste contents of kitchen, bedrooms prison vessels etc.