Commercial Sanitary Ware: What Should You Specify for High-Traffic Washrooms?

Commercial sanitary ware is the set of WCs, urinals, washbasins, taps and flushing systems built for washrooms that are used all day by many people. Choosing the wrong products leads to blockages, leaks, high water bills and constant repairs. This guide explains what commercial sanitary ware includes, how it differs from domestic products, which materials and standards to look for, and what to specify for high-traffic washrooms in offices, schools, healthcare and public buildings.

What is commercial sanitary ware?

Commercial sanitary ware is sanitary equipment designed and tested for heavy, repeated use in non-domestic buildings. It covers the fixed appliances people use in a washroom, such as WC pans, urinals and washbasins, plus the cisterns, flush valves and taps that serve them. The term is also written as commercial sanitaryware, and both spellings mean the same thing.

Compared with home bathrooms, these products must cope with far more users per day, tougher cleaning chemicals and a higher risk of misuse. It also has to meet UK water regulations and, in accessible toilets, Approved Document M.

What does commercial sanitary ware include?

A typical commercial washroom package includes the following items. Each one should be chosen to suit the building’s users and footfall.

• WC pans and seats, either wall-hung, back-to-wall or close-coupled.
• Cisterns and flush controls, often concealed behind IPS panels with push-button or sensor flush plates.
• Urinals, as individual bowls, slabs or troughs, with water-saving flush controls or waterless designs.
• Washbasins and wash troughs, either countertop, under-mounted, wall-hung or as one-piece solid surface troughs.
• Taps and mixers, including sensor, push-top (non-concussive) and thermostatic mixing valves.
• Accessible packs for Doc M toilets, with the correct pan, basin, rails and fittings.
• Toilet sanitary ware accessories such as seats, flush plates, wastes and traps.

How is commercial sanitaryware different from domestic toilet sanitary ware?

Commercial sanitaryware is built for many more flushes and hand washes per day than domestic toilet sanitary ware, and it is designed to resist damage and simplify cleaning. The table shows the main differences.

Feature	Domestic sanitary ware	Commercial sanitary ware
Daily use	A few people	Dozens to hundreds of people
Cisterns	Usually exposed	Usually concealed behind panels
Taps	Manual lever or twist	Sensor or timed push-top to save water
Fixings	Standard	Heavy-duty and tamper-resistant
Maintenance	Occasional	Planned, with access panels and spare parts
Materials	Vitreous china, acrylic	Vitreous china, stainless steel, solid surface

Which materials are best for commercial sanitary ware?

Vitreous china is the best all-round material for commercial washrooms because it is hard, non-porous and easy to clean. Stainless steel and solid surface are better for specific risks and layouts.

Material	Strengths	Best for
Vitreous china	Hygienic glazed finish, affordable, wide range of shapes	Offices, schools, hospitality, most public washrooms
Stainless steel	Extremely tough, vandal-resistant, easy to sanitise	Prisons, custody suites, transport hubs, high-risk areas
Solid surface	Seamless, repairable, can be moulded into one-piece troughs and vanity tops	Wash troughs and vanity units in schools, offices and leisure
Solid Grade Laminate (for surrounding panels)	Waterproof, impact-resistant	Cubicles and IPS panels around the sanitary ware

BRAC Projects manufactures solid surface wash troughs and vanity units in our UK facility. Our guide to low-maintenance commercial vanity units compares the options.

What should you specify for commercial WCs?

For high-traffic washrooms, specify wall-hung or back-to-wall WC pans with concealed cisterns, made to BS EN 997. Concealed cisterns protect the flushing mechanism from tampering, and wall-hung pans leave the floor clear for cleaning.

• Choose rimless pans where possible, as they are faster to clean.
• Specify a flush of 6 litres or less, as required for WCs under the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999.
• Use heavy-duty seats with quick-release hinges.
• Plan access panels so every cistern can be serviced without removing tiles.

Our comparison of wall-hung, close-coupled and back-to-wall commercial toilet bowls explains each pan type in detail.

What should you specify for commercial urinals?

Specify urinals with a water-saving flush control, because UK water regulations limit how much water urinals can use. Automatic urinal cisterns must not exceed set volumes per bowl per hour, and many buildings now use presence sensors or waterless urinals to cut use further.

• Individual wall-hung bowls, made to BS EN 13407, are easier to clean and replace than slab or trough urinals.
• Privacy screens between bowls improve comfort.
• Sensor or timed flush controls stop urinals flushing when the building is empty.
• Waterless urinals save water but need a strict cartridge-replacement and cleaning routine.

What should you specify for basins and taps?

Specify robust basins or one-piece wash troughs with sensor or timed push-top taps. Washbasins should meet BS EN 14688, and taps should be WRAS-approved for use on UK water supplies.

• Sensor taps are hands-free and turn off automatically, which improves hygiene and saves water.
• Push-top (non-concussive) taps are a lower-cost, durable alternative.
• Thermostatic mixing valves control water temperature to reduce scalding risk, which is important in schools and healthcare.
• Solid surface troughs remove joints between basins, so there are fewer places for dirt to collect.

Which standards apply to commercial sanitary ware in the UK?

Sanitary products for UK commercial buildings should meet product standards, water regulations and, where relevant, accessibility guidance. The main references are:

• BS 6465-1 for the number of sanitary appliances needed in different buildings.
• BS 6465-3 for selecting, installing and maintaining sanitary appliances.
• BS EN 997 for WC pans, BS EN 13407 for wall-hung urinals and BS EN 14688 for washbasins.
• Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, including flush limits for WCs and urinals. WRAS approval shows that a fitting meets these rules.
• Approved Document M for accessible WCs, including a 480 mm seat height and grab rails. See our grab bar by toilet guide.

How do you specify commercial sanitary ware for a high-traffic washroom?

Start with the users and footfall, then work through layout, materials, water use and maintenance. Follow these steps.

Step 1: Calculate how many appliances you need

Use BS 6465-1 and the Workplace Regulations to set the number of WCs, urinals and basins for your building. Our guide to workplace toilet requirements explains the numbers.

Step 2: Match products to the risk of misuse

Vitreous china suits most buildings. Choose stainless steel and anti-ligature products for custodial and secure settings.

Step 3: Conceal services behind access panels

Hide cisterns and pipework behind IPS and duct panelling, with lockable access panels for maintenance.

Step 4: Choose water-saving controls

Specify dual-flush WCs, urinal flush controls and sensor taps to keep water use within the regulations and lower running costs.

Step 5: Plan cleaning and spares

Pick products with standard spare parts and finishes that suit your cleaning chemicals. Wall-hung items and seamless troughs make each clean faster.

Getting commercial sanitary ware right

The right commercial sanitary ware is durable, water-efficient, easy to clean and easy to maintain. Start with footfall and users, then choose concealed cisterns, robust materials and water-saving controls that meet UK standards. BRAC Projects designs, manufactures and installs complete washrooms, including cubicles, IPS panels and solid surface troughs. Read our guides to commercial toilet design and commercial washroom refurbishment, or contact us to discuss your project.

Frequently asked questions