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Old and Unique Device....does anyone know what it is for??

JUGHNE
JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,060
in THE MAIN WALL
I came across this during a remodel.
Anyone here old enough to ever have installed one?

Comments

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,517
    not me
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,060
    Late 1940's restroom item.
  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,289
    Hi, Was it installed in the water supply to a toilet? Did the small tube go to a floor drain? Maybe a trap primer? What’s the name on the side of the thingie? Questions! 🤪
    Yours, Larry
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,060
    You are getting warmer.....the name is "Kohler USA".

    I could hear this operate thru my first 8 years in school.
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,630
    Is it for one of those refill and flush after some period of time automatically urinal tanks?
    PC7060
  • PC7060
    PC7060 Member Posts: 1,157
    Haha, this is the part you mentioned during the tour of the Catholic school!   I believe @mattmia2 got it right. 
    JUGHNE
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,060
    Yes, you are the winner!

    I had to study this for awhile and I think now understand how it works.

    Auto syphon flush valve.
    It was on a wall hung tank above 2 floor mount urinals.
    Constant water fill.
    Water would enter thru the bottom of the large cylinder and fill to where it would come out of the small tube and start the syphon down the outlet pipe to the urinal spuds.

    Full flow emptying the tank until the syphon was broken by the larger tube (with 2 holes drilled in the end) sucking air when the tank was nearly empty.
    Refill the tank and repeat.

    Flush frequency varied by water fill flow rate.

    This was still working fine when the restroom was remodeled.
    In the basement of a church that housed the grade school I attended.
    Restroom plumbing was added to the 1911church after the war in the late 1940's.
    Outhouses until then.
    PC7060
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,060
    Pretty simple device, no moving parts other than water.
    You could shut the water valve nearly down and still get an occasional flush.

    Would be considered a water waster today.....but how does a floor drain trap primer work? This could have been used for that with a little piping.

    But when this flushed it was a full tank of maybe 4 gallons and cleared the drain line, cigarette buts and all......not that anyone would have thrown their butts in there. The WC did a better job of removing that evidence. ;)
    PC7060
  • MikeAmann
    MikeAmann Member Posts: 997
    Simplicity at it's finest !
    JUGHNE
  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 7,828
    JUGHNE said:

    Pretty simple device, no moving parts other than water.
    You could shut the water valve nearly down and still get an occasional flush.

    Would be considered a water waster today.....but how does a floor drain trap primer work? This could have been used for that with a little piping.

    But when this flushed it was a full tank of maybe 4 gallons and cleared the drain line, cigarette buts and all......not that anyone would have thrown their butts in there. The WC did a better job of removing that evidence. ;)

    Why would there be cigarette buts in a Catholic School urinal. I remember that no one would dare get caught smoking in grade school or Sister Teresa Trashcan would wrap you on the knuckles with a yard stick. >:) LOL

    Edward F Young. Retired HVAC ContractorSpecialized in Residential Oil Burner and Hydronics
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,832
    EdTheHeaterMan said:

    JUGHNE said:

    Pretty simple device, no moving parts other than water.
    You could shut the water valve nearly down and still get an occasional flush.

    Would be considered a water waster today.....but how does a floor drain trap primer work? This could have been used for that with a little piping.

    But when this flushed it was a full tank of maybe 4 gallons and cleared the drain line, cigarette buts and all......not that anyone would have thrown their butts in there. The WC did a better job of removing that evidence. ;)

    Why would there be cigarette buts in a Catholic School urinal. I remember that no one would dare get caught smoking in grade school or Sister Teresa Trashcan would wrap you on the knuckles with a yard stick. >:) LOL

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwY4Yxjlm_c

    >:)
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
    JUGHNE

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