Criteria for: Efficient Toilets, Urinal controls

Urinal controls

This sub-category includes urinals control units and urinals with integral control units. All urinal control equipment must demonstrate compliance with the following sections of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, for example by WRAS* approval, (* or by providing a test certificate from an independent test laboratory accredited to ISO 17025). Alternatively companies accredited to ISO 9001 may provide a declaration of self-conformity with the Regulations.

• Part II Requirements Paragraph 4 ‘Requirements for water fittings etc’
• Schedule 2 - Requirements for water fittings, Paragraph 2 ‘Materials and substances in contact with water’
• Schedule 2 - Requirements for water fittings, Paragraph 3, 4 and 5 ‘Requirements for water fittings’
• Schedule 2 - Requirements for water fittings, Paragraph 25 ‘WCs, Flushing devices and urinals.’

Discrete control systems that, when activated, result in the release of water to flush a urinal qualify for inclusion on the Water Technology List. They may be retrofitted to existing urinals and may be integral to the urinal. Controls within this category include:

• presence detector and controller - automatic device detecting occupancy or movement in an area to switch flushing ‘on’   and ‘off’ according to occupancy needs;
• urinal flush controllers that are demand driven serving a single urinal or multiple urinals through a cistern and only flush after presence is detected or indicated through a temporary change in water pressure.

For pressure-flushing (mains-fed) systems, the maximum flush volume must be 1.5 litres per urinal bowl or position.  Demand driven controllers may be pre-set or adjusted to respond to a variety of conditions as long as they deliver a maximum flush volume of 1.5 litres.

Presence detectors must only flush after use. Those that are incorporated into the appliance or mounted just above it must have a short range, less than a metre, and be designed so that only bodies stationary in front of the bowl for at least ten seconds will be registered as a use resulting in a flush.
 
For cistern-fed installations, presence detectors and controls that limit the operation of the cistern to flush after occupancy is detected or after a defined period following the detection of occupancy, are eligible for inclusion on the Water Technology List.  The controller must also limit the operation of the cistern so that it does not flush without the detection of occupancy (apart from the hygienic flush) for example, during unoccupied periods.
 
Presence detectors that control a range of appliances may be ceiling or wall mounted and will have sufficient range to cover the appliances they control. These must be immune to variations in lighting intensity and air movements.
 
If a presence detector is not present then the control equipment must restrict the rate at which the cistern is filled with water so that it does not exceed:

• 10 litres an hour for a cistern serving a single urinal
• 7.5 litres per hour per urinal bowl or stall, or as the case may be, for each 700mm width of urinal slab, for a cistern serving two or more urinals.

The facility for a hygienic flush must be included on all types of controls so that a flush is initiated if the facilities have not been used for a period of up to 12 hours.
 
Manufacturers should apply to Defra with evidence that their products meet these criteria in order to appear on the Water Technology List.