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In this article, we will take an in-depth look at the history and working of waterless urinals. We will also share some information and tips on installation and maintenance of these urinals such as how long does a waterless urinal cartridge last.
Urinal technology has advanced greatly in the past few years. Today, waterless urinals are becoming increasingly popular due to their ability to conserve water. The barriers that once made building owners reluctant to adopt waterless urinals are now being gradually eliminated through increased awareness of their benefits.
Waterless urinals use no water to flush urine down the drain. They are easy to clean and maintain as well. In addition, installing waterless urinals significantly reduces the water bills. In some states such as Arizona, waterless urinals has been mandatory in state buildings.
In the past waterless urinals had a high cost of maintenance because they use a liquid sealant to keep urine odor under control. These sealants do not allow for cleaning of waterless urinals to be done with regular cleaners, nor sanitizers. Special expensive cleaning solutions had to be used for cleaning. This is why we recommend the EZ Trap Waterless Urinal Cartridge. The EZ Trap fits to any Sloan, Falcon, and Bobrick waterless urinal. They last 3 to 4 times longer, and dramatically reduce maintenance cost because no liquid sealants are required, you only have to pour regular water daily for maintenance, and you can clean the waterless urinal with any cleaner or disinfectant. Click here to buy the EZ Trap Waterless Urinal, or just click on the banner below.
Brief Background of Waterless Urinals
The urinals was developed by a German Klaus Reichardt in the 1980s. He had got the inspiration from a similar bathroom fixture that were in use in Switzerland during 1980s. These urinals are designed in a way that allows the urine to drain down the pipe without using water.
Urine in the bowl drains past a strainer and then passed through a liquid sealant. The sealant is usually an oil based liquid, but can be simply any oil such as vegetable oil. Oil is less dense than urine. The difference in densities results in the urine to sink through the sealant. Urine collects in the U-bend. This prevents overflow of the urine in the bowl. It also prevents odors from permeating the air.
Application of Waterless Urinals
Most waterless urinals use a trap insert or cartridge filled with the sealant. The urinals are generally installed in high-traffic public buildings. They are also commonly found in places where water conservation is necessary such as due to a draught.
The urinals have become common in areas in the US that have been facing draughts. They are located at cinemas, restaurants, rest stop, train stations, schools, state buildings, and so forth. The urinals can be integrated into green sanitation approach whereby the urine is stored and then used as a fertilizer.
What are the Benefits of Waterless Urinals
1. Conserve Water
The foremost benefit of waterless urinals is conserving water. Urinals that have flush sensors use an average of 60,000 liters of water. Those without a sensor will use about 150,000 liters of water. All of this water represents wasted water resources. Considering the fact that drinkable water represents only about 2 percent of the total water supply, using flush urinals results in a great wastage.
Waterless urinals are environmentally friendly as they help conserve precious water resources. They can also reduce energy costs as no pump is required for water. In addition, they eliminate the need for sensors, flush handles, and supply lines.
Due to the increasing use water due to population growth, technologies such as waterless urinals have become essential. They provide a solution to solve water shortage problems and promotes sustainable living. The environmental benefits of waterless urinals are great. What’s more is that they also provide cost benefits. Studies have found that waterless urinals generally have a payback period between one to three years.
The actual water savings vary and depend on:
- the type of flush being replaced
- the cost of water
- the rate of use of the fixture
Some studies have found that the water savings incurred by replacing traditional flush urinals with waterless urinals amount to 27,000 to 95,000 per year. A study that was carried on by the LA county found that if every building in the county switched to waterless urinals, the net savings could amount to about 500 million gallons of water.
Traditional cisterns flush between 10 to 15 liters of water on each use. The liquid waste has to be processed at the sewage plant that generates about 25 kg of Co2 every year. Since waterless urinals don’t require water to flush the waste, only a small amount of liquid waste is sent to the sewage plant that greatly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
2. Eliminate Bad Odor
Another benefit of waterless urinals is that they eliminate bad odors. The peculiar odor is not the smell of urine. Instead, it results when air and water mixes with the urine. It results in a chemical reaction resulting in the formation of ammonia gas, which causes the odor associated with wash rooms.
Bad odor problem in flush urinal arises due to P-trap. The trap holds a pool of urine that is exposed to water after flushing. This results in the creation of ammonia gas that results in the bad odor. Since waterless urinals don’t use any water to flush urine, there is no bad odor problem. In most cases, the bad odor problems arises due to liquid at the surrounding floor. Having the floors cleaned regularly will prevent bad odor problem.
The cartridge present in the waterless urinals forms an airtight seal. Biodegradable oil present inside the cartridge prevents urine to flow out of the bowl. This prevents bad odors from permeating the room. The cartridge is the key in waterless urinal that prevents bad odor problems. Later, we will inform how long does a waterless cartridge last. The cartridge must be cleaned or replaced regularly to ensure that the waterless urinal remains odor free.
In some waterless urinals, odor is controlled through the use of simple one-way valves. These valves are manufactured of a flat rubber. The tube opens to allow urine to flow through and then closes. Also, some waterless urinals use two silicon curtain pieces that allow passage of urine. The end result is the same in all the different types of waterless urinals: allowing urine to drain down the pipe without using water and without causing any odor problems.
Once the urine collects in the waste pipe, it enters into the drain pipe due to a simple concept of displacement. Air bubbles rise to the top and leave the urine in a low oxygen environment. The odor is trapped below the layer of oil that cannot reach the bathroom occupant’s rooms.
3. No Blocked Pipes
Water is the main culprit in case of blocked pipes that lead to flooding of the washrooms. Over time, the lime scale present in water mixes with the uric sediment present in the urine. This results in the formation of solid waste. The waste builds up inside the pipe thereby resulting in blocked pipes. Trying to clear the blockage by flushing increasing amount of water only complicates the matter. All this does is increase the amount of lime scale that deposits in the pipe. This leads to further blockage of the pipe and ultimately results in flooding.
With waterless urinals no water passes through the pipe. As a result, lime scale does not deposit in the pipe. Waterless urinals act similar to a filter collecting the waste and preventing it from leaving the pipe.
4. Waterless Urinals Have Less Bacteria
Waterless urinals have much less bacteria as compared to flush urinals. Most people think that flush urinals must be more clean as water constantly flushes the waste. However, the fact is the flush urinals is the perfect place where bacteria can thrive. Bacteria generally grow in moist areas such as the flush urinals. Certain areas are hot spots for bacteria such as those parts that are in direct path of the flushed water. Bacteria thrive in the area every time the water flushes.
Bacteria formation is not that significant in waterless urinals. They are made of nonporous material that dries very quickly after the urine passes through the surface. The urine is locked inside the cartridge. The air tight seal prevents any liquid from reentering the bowl. This prevents formation of bacteria. Some studies have found that waterless urinals have about 6 times less bacterial growth as compared to flush urinals.
5. Cost Savings
Replacing flush urinal with waterless urinals can result in significant costs savings. Since no water is used, the yearly maintenance costs is less. The urinals drastically cut down the energy bills resulting in great cost savants. The amount of cost savings depends on the frequency of use, cost of water, and the flush urinal that is being replaced. Generally the annual cost savings due to the use of a single waterless urinals amounts in the range of $300 to $850. The lower range is when there is moderate use or replacing a urinal having a flush sensor. On the other hand, the higher range is when waterless urinals replace flush urinals with sensors.
Installation and Tips for Waterless Urinals
Installing waterless urinals is not that difficult. In most cases, it should not take longer than one hour to install the urinal. Installation of the water urinal in newly built houses is much easier as there is no need to install water lines. This greatly reduces the time to install the bathroom fixture.
The plumbing codes in many states in the US require that the urinals should be installed in a way that the height of non-ADA urinal lip to floor should be about 610 mm (24”). For ADA installations, the safe height from the urinal lip to floor is about 430 mm (17”).
Every waterless urinal comes with the hardware that is required to install the urinal. Installing the urinal in retrofit situation is extremely easy and a lot of time is saved when waterless urinal is installed. The amount of time required to install the unit ranges from 15 to 120 minutes.
- New installation — 15 to 25 minutes
- Simple Retrofit — 45 to 60 minutes
- Rough-in Retrofit — 90 to 120 minutes
The above are approximate times to install or retrofit waterless urinals. The lower range represents the approximate the time required and plumbing professionals can perform the installation in even lower time frame. Quick installation will mean that you don’t have to wait for long to use the urinal.
It’s also extremely important to ensure that the drain pipes are installed correctly. The slope, diameter, and pipe materials should be such that they prevent buildup of calcium phosphate precipitates and struvite (urine stone) in the pipes. Buildup of these materials can result in blockages and expensive repairs. Undiluted urine corrodes all metals apart from stainless steel. That is why it’s extremely important that plastic pipes should be used as for drain pipes.
While little work goes into installation of waterless urinals, it’s recommended to have it installed by a professional plumber. The plumber will expertly install the urinal after capping off the existing pipework and removing it from the wall along with the cistermiser and tanks.
It’s recommended to replace existing pipes to solve the problem of sediment or scale buildup. Alternatively, you should consider removing the layers of debris and scale from the existing pipes. You can clean the pipes using commercially available cleaning agent. However, replacing the pipes will turn out to be a more cost effective option. You will save costs in the long run when you replace the existing pipes with new ones.
Maintenance Tips of Waterless Urinals
Cleaning and maintaining the waterless urinals is extremely easy. It is much easier to clean as compared to flush cleaners. The cleaner can easily clean the urinal by spraying the bowl with water and then wiping it with a dry towel. There is no need for the use of urinal cakes to remove bad odors as is the case with flush urinal. As a result, there will be less need to replace them.
An important maintenance task regarding waterless urinal is inspecting and replacing the cartridge. How long does a waterless urinal cartridge last? The answer to this question depends on the frequency of use. Another thing that determines how long does a waterless urinal cartridge last is the type of waterless urinal installed. The cartridge lasts for a long time for some type of urinals.
So, how long does a waterless urinal cartridge generally last? The answer is that it can last anywhere between three to six months. It’s important that you know how long does a waterless urinal cartridge as otherwise it will lead to odor problems. Knowing how long does a waterless urinal cartridge last is also important because it can affect the life of the waterless urinal. If you do not know how long does a waterless urinal cartridge last, the urinal will require replacement more frequently, resulting in increased costs for you.
In short, in order to keep the waterless urinal in top shape, you should know how long does a waterless urinal cartridge. You should consider keeping a log mentioning the last time the cartridge was replaced and the next expected time of replacement. In this context, knowing how long does a waterless urinal cartridge is important.
Another point to keep in mind is that you should buy a cartridge that conforms to the manufacturers requirements. This is important as buying the wrong cartridge can result in complications. When replacing the cartridge, you should flush the system using three to five gallons of water. The urinal should be flushed after removing the urinal. Also, it’s important to prime the new cartridge with water before pouring the sealant into the cartridge.
After installing the cartridge, you should have the cleaning staff disinfect the urinal. While they are more hygienic than flush toilets due to less bacteria formation, it’s essential that the cleaning staff disinfect the urinal. Consider defecting the urinal about once a week if it’s installed in high traffic area.
In the past waterless urinals had a high cost of maintenance because they use a liquid sealant to keep urine odor under control. These sealants do not allow for cleaning of waterless urinals to be done with regular cleaners, nor sanitizers. Special expensive cleaning solutions had to be used for cleaning. This is why we recommend the EZ Trap Waterless Urinal Cartridge. The EZ Trap fits to any Sloan, Falcon, and Bobrick waterless urinal. They last 3 to 4 times longer, and dramatically reduce maintenance cost because no liquid sealants are required, you only have to pour regular water daily for maintenance, and you can clean the waterless urinal with any cleaner or disinfectant. Click here to buy the EZ Trap Waterless Urinal, or just click on the banner below.
Conclusion
When you purchase a waterless urinal for the bathroom, you take a step towards a more eco-friendly and cost effective bathroom fixture. The urinals don’t require lots of water to flush the urine down the drain. In fact, the urinal is designed in a manner that allows urine to drain down the pipe without using any water.
The sealant present in the waterless urinals is completely biodegradable. This means that the oil won’t cause any harm when disposed. It is extremely cost effective in preventing urine from overflowing in the bowl. The urine is kept completely sealed inside the unit. It is not exposed to the air or water. This prevents formation of bacteria making the urinals extremely hygienic which means that there is no odor problem with the waterless urinals, making them a perfect choice for installing in high traffic public areas.
In order to ensure that the urinal works without any problem, you should keep it properly maintained. You should know how long does a waterless urinal cartridge last to ensure avoid problems with the urinals. Once properly maintained, the urinal can last for a long time. Replacing cartridges at proper intervals will help ensure that the urinals works properly in draining urine down the pipes.