# Why Don't They Put Urinals In Houses? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 11, 2002, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981 "2002-04-11T05:36:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/1 "2002-04-11T05:36:01Z")
Wouldn’t it be easier for everyone if architects just designed houses with urinals in the bathrooms? Think about it- no arguments over leaving the seat up, no dribbling on the seat. Why don’t houses have them? I personally don’t _want_ to have to pee in the bathroom sink, but it seems I’m left with no other choice! ---
**Author:** ![ski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@ski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ski)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/2 "2002-04-11T05:44:01Z")
I have long said that if I ever have a house built for me, I’m putting in a urinal in the main bathroom. For some reason, people think I’m weird. I just think it makes perfect sense! ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/3 "2002-04-11T05:44:34Z")
I guess few homeowners want to go to the additional expense when a conventional toilet covers the bases pretty well. In states where water consumption is regulated (say, Texas), I’m surprised more homeowners don’t have urinals installed because they would be far more efficient for (male) urine elimination than a toilet. There was a _King of the Hill_ episode that hinged on this, and how the low-flow toilets mandated by law were almost useless at solid-waste disposal. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/4 "2002-04-11T05:46:33Z")
Hmmm, hit \ at the wrong time. Anyhoo, if you put a urinal in for urine disposal and a conventional high-flow toilet for solid waste, I’ll bet your overall water consumption would go way down, assuming your household had several males in it. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/5 "2002-04-11T05:50:58Z")
Excellent points, guys. I’m not positive, but I bet the additional cost would be minimal. It would also conserve water, which is very important in the Southwestern United States. And it’s _much_ more sanitary. Very low maintainance. Why aren’t they doing this? ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/6 "2002-04-11T06:10:33Z")
I really, really don’t want to see a urinal every time I use the bathroom. At least with a lavatory you can close the lid, and it’s discreet. But being faced with a yellow-stained piece of porcelain plumbing every time I brush my teeth? No thank you! Yes I know that is a huge exaggeration but I really, really, really don’t want a urinal in my bathroom. ---
**Author:** ![Supernate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@Supernate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Supernate)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/7 "2002-04-11T07:11:22Z")
Plus… I don’t think you can go to your local hardware/plumbing store and buy one of these… or parts (however minimal) to fix them. Also, is it anymore trouble? I mean, I know you wouldn’t have to worry about the whole lid up/down ordeal, but it’s basically the same as a toilet as far as work involved goes. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/8 "2002-04-11T07:24:22Z")
The airwaves here in the UK are literally crawling with ‘home makeover’ TV shows; on at least a few of these, I have seen people installing urinals in their bathrooms; on one occasion, I seem to recall it was an urinal specifically designed for use by women (don’t ask; the shock of this has erased the details from my mind). ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/9 "2002-04-11T07:44:38Z")
Ozzy Osbourne famously has one in his house. His wife & daughter complained about him peeing on the seat so much he got a long urinal installed so he could just pee in the general direction of the wall. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/10 "2002-04-11T07:52:35Z")
I think the absence of a lid is a significant factor in a domestic situation; or at least, it is if all those horror stories about ‘toilet flush aerosol’ are true (although, of course, this might be less of a problem since it is only handling urine). ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/11 "2002-04-11T09:37:14Z")
Oh god oh god oh god the whole prospect of a urinal is just really getting to me. I am so glad I am not a man and only ever have to use a nice ladies’ bathroom with private stalls in it. Here there are still some places that have those squat loos. A stained white platform thing to stand on with a big black dark hole beneath plummeting straight into the void or bowels of the earth… Arrggh!! No - NEVER NEVER NEVER ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/12 "2002-04-11T09:38:33Z")
I have seen bob velia installing one (ok those work men behind bob) in one of his remodeling jobs. For water consumption they would be good but they are kind of ugly for a home - a sink looks a lot nicer 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/13 "2002-04-11T10:00:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by istara \* > I am so glad I am not a man and only ever have to use a nice ladies’ bathroom with private stalls in it. Yeah, but on the upside, after a few beers (not for you though;), urinals magically appear everywhere! On walls, in car parks, in the front garden… ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/14 "2002-04-11T12:13:34Z")
I saw one at a home show that was called the miser. It was a cute little urinal that came in designer colors. There was a cover that concealed it when not in use. I would not mind this so much, bet then it did not stick out very far from the wall and I would fear a yellow streak forming on the wall near it. Hubby has sucky aim. ---
**Author:** ![kryptonite2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/85e7bf/32.png) [@kryptonite2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kryptonite2)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/15 "2002-04-11T12:29:27Z")
i think urine is supposed to be sterile and plus most urinals do kind of a cascade thing when you flush so i don’t think the actual sterility issue is the reason it hasn’t caught on(maybe just the misconception of it being dirty). my guess is that toilets are multifunctional whereas you would still need a toilet in the house if you built a urinal… extra bathroom fixtures. when i was abroad, i saw a urinal that was just a tiled wall with water that would trickle down into a small gutter after you peed. that seems like a good solution to the unsightly urinal problem. i don’t know if i could get used to peeing on the walls of my bathroom though… Surreal and k2dave are on the right track… that’s why we have sinks and showers 😉 ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/16 "2002-04-11T12:44:32Z")
Hey guys, have you ever gone into a public men’s room to find a dry floor in front of the urinal? Never! Men always seem to dribble a few drops of pee on the floor. Can you imagine the chagrin of your wives finding pee on her bathroom floor? So, if you have a urinal, be careful where the last few drops go. Keep the bathroom floor clean. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/17 "2002-04-11T13:01:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by robcaro \* > \*\*Hey guys, have you ever gone into a public men’s room to find a dry floor in front of the urinal? Never! Men always seem to dribble a few drops of pee on the floor. Can you imagine the chagrin of your wives finding pee on her bathroom floor? So, if you have a urinal, be careful where the last few drops go. Keep the bathroom floor clean. 😃 \*\* Now I not only do not want a urinal in my bathroom, I do not want a MAN in my bathroom… ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/18 "2002-04-11T13:28:47Z")
Do you suppose that a bidet could also function as a urinal? And while we are on the topic of toilets, I plan on having a padded, heated seat for my master bedroom in the house I’m about to buy. ---
**Author:** ![Smitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Smitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smitty)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/19 "2002-04-11T13:40:25Z")
I have a wealthy uncle who has a urinal in one of his bathrooms. To walk in and see that in a private house was a truly weird experience. ---
**Author:** ![ski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@ski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ski)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981/20 "2002-04-11T13:50:36Z")
Since some people seem to not like the idea of having a proper urine disposal device in the room where these functions are to be carried out, I suggest putting a urinal in the garage. That way as I’m drinking beer with friends talking about cars, I don’t even need to go inside! And it’s much cleaner than just going in the bushes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-put-urinals-in-houses/102981.md?page=2)