Urinal
A urinal is a specialized toilet designed to be used only for urination, not defecation, and almost always by a standing male. Advantages over a full-function toilet include: it is smaller, uses much less water, and the regular version is for regular adults at a convenient higher height (but with the disadvantage that the regular version is too high for small men, including boys).It often contains a urinal cake contained within a plastic mesh guard container or a plastic mesh guard without a urinal cake. The plastic mesh guard is designed to prevent foreign solid objects such as cigarette butts or paper fron being flushed and possibly causing a plumbing stoppage.
The use of urinal cakes is largely due to the fact that many users of the fixtures do not bother to flush when finished using the fixture. This is often because of fear of touching the handle which is located too high to kick (with toilets, users often kick the flush lever to avoid perceived or real possibilities of infection from touching it). Accordingly, automatic sensor operated flush systems are commonly used on urinals, in which urinal cakes are no longer needed or used.
The term may also apply to a small building or other structure, in which such toilets are contained.
Urinals for women, which involve specialised funnels, have been introduced, with some success, at outdoor events (where standard indoor plumbing might not be available, most recently at the Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, Somerset.
A more recent revolution with urinals are urinals that does not use water at all. Sloan Valve Company has created the first urinals that do not use water but uses a cartridge filled with a special sealant liquid.
See also Public toilets.
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