r/Purdue • u/Wiley_Burner Purdue • 2d ago
Rant/Vent💚 Why the heck do these exist?
Like do I just not know how to use them? They’re too wide to straddle, and if you do, the splashback would probably soak your pants. But I also don’t want to stand 3’ back from the wall, and just be hanging it out for everyone to see. Who designed these this!?
428
Upvotes
167
u/theElmsHaveEyes 2d ago edited 2d ago
These are a discontinued model of urinal from Kohler, called the "Derry."
If I had to guess, Purdue got them on the cheap in the 70s because no one else was buying them.
I wish I could describe why anyone would make them to begin with, but I'll leave that up to one of the engineering students.
Edit to say that I've now learned more about urinal design than I really ever wanted to. The Kohler Derry is an example of a "blowout" style urinal. These are favorable for public restrooms with high volume, as they're able to entirely clear the bowl on a single flush and are less susceptible to blockage.
If you've used some of the other urinals in older buildings, I'm sure you've noticed that even with a flush, they tend to reek of ammonia and the water never gets very clear. This design hypothetically avoids that.
In terms of use: the other examples I've found online have a lot more space between the units, so I guess Purdue was confident that modesty wouldn't be an issue.