Guide to types & designs of squat-type toilets.

This article series describes the different types and models of toilets: historical or old toilet types, wooden high wall-tank toilets, conventional reservoir tank toilets, low-flush toilets, water saving toilets, back-flush toilets, up-flush toilets, and even chemical toilets.

Squat Toilet Designs & Features

At above left is a modern squat toilet in Japan; below is a more typical waterless squat toilet in use in Mexico and widely used in British washrooms, in India, Japan, Korea, and other countries throughout Asia.

[Click to enlarge any image]

In North America squat toilets are most-often found in military installations, prisons or similar facilities, but in other countries this toilet design is the rule, rather than the exception.

Squat vs Sit-on Toilet Usage Safety Signs

When western style flush toilest are installed in areas where people are mostly familiar with squat toilets we find instructive signs such as the one shown below.

Indeed in Korea in the 1960's we discussed slip and fall hazards encountered by people who by habit or out of concern for sanitation squatted on the raised seat of western style toilets.

The toilet instruction sign at above left asks users to sit rather than stan when urinating into the toilet. At above right toilet users are warned not to squat on the toilet seat.

Squat toilets are a very old design still in widespread use in Asia and Europe. In most basic form (found by the author at the top of the Victor Emmanuel monument public restroom in Rome) the squat toilet includes a pan with islands for the user's feet that allow the user to straddle a hole in the pan center.

Illustration: public restroom signage recommended to indicate the type of toilets available: sit-type or squat-type, Singapore Restroom Association, cited below.

In a 1950's visit to Rome the author, answering nature's urgent call atop the Victor Emmanuel monument, was startled to find a cleaning person's mop suddenly appearing around his feet during use of that toilet.

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Above: A stainless-steel squat toilet pan with cover, produced in China and distributed by Kuge, cited below. This toilet includes a flushing mechanism - you'll see the flush spout at the toilet base just below the hinged safety grid.

Next to the stainless steel squat toilet pan we illustrate a concealed tank flush system (Alibaba) providing a pneumatic concealed cistern for flushing squat toilets. This design may be used to provide a flush mechanism for squat toilets while protecting the cistern itself from vandalism.

A flushing mechanism for a squat may be absent, may use a nearby bucket and brush, or in modern squat toilets, a wall mounted cistern and flush valve as shown in our photo (Wikipedia [5]).

Depending on the era and locale of use, a squat toilet may empty into a modern plumbing and sewer system, or simply into a cesspool or in the 5th century and later, into a pipe that simply discharged waste to outside the building.

Squat Toilet Sources, Installation Manuals, Specifications, Standards

• ASEAN PUBLIC TOILET STANDARD [PDF] The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, web: http://www.asean.org/ - retrieved 2022/02/13 original source: https://www.asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ASEAN-Public-Toilet-Standard.pdf
  Excerpt:
  In case squatting WCs had to be installed, then it is recommended only one should be fitted in the premise and possibly sited furthest away from the entrance; it should be equipped with hose and spring-loaded nozzles (instead of a sink with a bucket in order to avoid excessive wetting of floors) and a grab bar. The cubicle should be kerbed in such a way that the water will not flow out (as a result of cleansing activities) and the cubicle floor shall be properly graded towards the gully trap to collect excess water.
• Cotto, C2112 Squat Toilet, Ceramic, Cotto Corp., สอบถาม และสั่งซื้อสินค้า @COTTOLIFE สอบถามสินค้า สุขภัณฑ์ ก๊อกน้ำ ติดต่อ CALL CENTER 02 521 7777
• Kuge, Squat Toilets, Web: https://www.sstoiletkuge.com/ +86-13809256554 kuge01@sskuge.com +86-757-87388028
• Penal-Ware 1698-Series SQUAT TOILET INSTALLATION MANUAL [PDF] Acorn Engineering Company 15125 Proctor Avenue P.O. Box 3527 City of Industry, CA 91744-0527 U.S.A. Tel: (800) 488-8999 www.acorneng.com E-mail: info@acorneng.com - retrieved 2022/02/13 original source: https://www.acorneng.com/uploads/fileLibrary/1698.pdf
• Singapore Restroom Association, A GUIDE TO BETTER PUBLIC TOILET DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE [PDF] - retrieved 2022/02/13 original source: https://www.toilet.org.sg/articles/GuideBetterPublicToilet.pdf
  Excerpt:
  If a squatting WC is to be installed; only 1 should be installed in the cubicle furthest from the main entrance. For cubicles where a squatting WC is provided, grab bars shall preferably be installed. The cubicle should be kerbed such that water will not flow out of the boundary of the cubicle and the cubicle floor shall be properly graded towards the gully trap within the cubicle.
• Sloan, Regal FLUSHOMETER for SQUAT TOILETS [PDF] (2022) Sloan 10500 Seymour Ave, Franklin Park, IL 60131 Phone: 800.982.583 sloan.com - retrieved 2022/02/13 original source: https://www.sloan.com/spec-sheet/3981799
  

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Continue reading  at TOILET TYPES, CONTROLS, PARTS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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Citations & References

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