Sloan Valve Company is a privately owned American company specializing in plumbing valves and fixtures.

History

The company was founded by

William Elvis Sloan William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

in 1906 with the introduction of the Royal

flushometer A flushometer is a metal water-diverter that uses an inline handle to flush tankless toilets or urinals. It was invented by William Elvis Sloan and is a product of the Sloan Valve Company. Function It uses water pressure from the water suppl ...

, a valve to release a measured amount of water to flush a urinal or toilet. Initial sales were very poor: only a single Royal model flushometer was sold in 1906, and two were sold in 1907. Fortunately, in 1908, the company sold 150 units. Initially, potential customers were wary of adjusting to his invention. Even some plumbing fixture manufacturers wouldn't sell their products if they were furnished with Sloan's flushometers. However, the original 1906 design has proven so reliable that as of 2012, parts are still available to repair any flushometer ever made. In addition to its flush valves based on diaphragm technology, Sloan also introduced piston-type flushometers, including the Crown and the GEM 2. A special piston-type flushometer, called the Naval, was built for marine applications. In 1976, Sloan introduced the Optima line of sensor-activated flushometers (the first few were installed at Chicago's

O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loop, ...

); battery-powered equivalents under the name Optima Plus followed in 1991. Sloan also now has solar-powered models with a battery back-up that operate using any artificial or natural light source.

Water-saving initiatives

Sloan has made a major commitment to producing equipment that minimizes consumption of water. This effort is led by co-presidents Jim Allen, Kirk Allen and Graham Allen. The company is producing the dual-flush Uppercut flushometer with a green handle. Pressing the lever down produces a regular 1.6-gallon flush, while lifting the lever up produces a 1.1 gallon flush. p. 70 Sloan also introduced waterfree urinals that use a special

trap A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...

with a lightweight, biodegradable oil that allows the urine to pass through but prevents odors from escaping. The company also offers sensor-activated flushometers and other plumbing fixtures, including water-efficient electronic faucets, solid-surface lavatory systems, stainless-steel scrub sinks and wash stations, and bedpan washer flushometers. Other restroom fixtures include sensor-activated hand dryers, low-flow showerheads, networked water-control systems, and electronic soap dispensers.Martin, Mary Jo
Celebrating 100 Years...
''The Wholesaler''. Retrieved 2007-03-29.

Sponsorship

In January 2015 Sloan announced a new marketing and sponsor partnership with the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

and

Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Wh ...

which included naming rights to the Cubs spring training facility in

Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley (Phoenix metropolitan area), East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by ...

. Formerly named Cubs Park, the stadium is now called

Sloan Park Sloan Park is an American baseball park in Mesa, Arizona, which opened in 2014. The primary operator is the Chicago Cubs and the ballpark serves as their spring training home and is also the home of the Arizona League Cubs of the Arizona League ...

References

{{Reflist Manufacturing companies established in 1906 Manufacturing companies based in Illinois Companies based in Cook County, Illinois Plumbing materials companies Franklin Park, Illinois 1906 establishments in Illinois Sanitation companies Bathroom fixture companies