How Long Do Waterless Urinals Last

In this article, we will take a detailed look at the waterless urinal and also inform how long do waterless urinal cartridge last.

The answer on how long do waterless urinals last will depend on the amount of traffic the restroom has, and also the brand of waterfree urinal cartridge you are using. There are many brands of cartridges, but the one we recommend is the EZ Trap Waterless Urinal Cartridge. It fits perfectly on Sloan, Falcon, and Bobrick waterless urinals, and it last 3 to 4 times longer than regular manufacturer cartridges. The EZ Trap also cuts maintenance cost dramatically because you can clean your urinal with any cleaner, and it does not need special, and costly sealants for urine odor control. CLICK HERE for information on the EZ Trap Waterless Urinal Cartridge.

Waterless urinals represent advancement over traditional flush urinals. These urinals require no water to flush urine down the drain. The unique design of the urinal allows liquid waste to go down the drain without using any water. This results in savings of precious water resources that makes them particularly indispensable for drought stricken areas.

Whether you are a homeowner or manager of a factory, you can greatly benefit from installing waterless urinal. These urinals are ideally suited for areas that receive a lot of foot traffic. Replacing traditional flush urinals with waterless urinals can result in savings of thousands of gallons of water and significantly reduced utility bills.

In this article, we will take a detailed look at the waterless urinal and also inform how long do waterless urinal cartridge last.

History of Waterless Urinals

Waterless urinals were introduced by Klaus Reichardt in the 1980s. The urinal did not gain widespread acceptance upon launch as people were skeptical about hygiene and cleanliness of the urinal. However, later on increased public awareness about the benefits of the urinal led to increasing number of people replacing their traditional urinal with waterless urinals.

Today some states such as Arizona have passed laws making it mandatory to install waterless urinal cartridge in public building. Other states particularly those facing water shortage problem are expected to pass similar regulations in the near future.

How do Waterless Urinal Work?

Most waterless urinals consist of a urinal cartridge that keeps urine sealed inside the unit. The cartridge consists of a liquid sealant that prevents liquid waste from flowing out the bowl. As a result, there is no need to use flush to drain the liquid waste. We will inform about how long do waterless urinal cartridge last later in this article.

The liquid sealant prevents the urine from overflowing. Urine being denser than the sealant remains inside the urinal. It flows down the drain and is removed from the urinal due to displacement.

In addition, small holes are located on top of the urinal cartridge. The holes act like a filter in keeping gums and cigarette butts out of the urinal. In this way, there is no blockage problem with the urinal.

What are the Common Types of Waterless Urinals?

Waterless urinals are available in different shapes and sizes. The urinals differ in the way they drain the liquid waste. All of these urinals work without making use of water to flush urine down the drain resulting in water conservation. The following are the most common types of waterless urinals.

Microbiological Systems

Some of the urinals make use of microbes to prevent odor problem. The urinals trap urine in the u-bend where microbes break down the liquid waste into odorless components. You must regularly clean and replace the cartridge to avoid blockage problems. Make sure to use the right cleaning project made of microbiological based urinals so as to avoid damaging the urinal.

Sealant Based Urinal

Sealant based urinals are the most common type of urinals. The urinals trap the urine using an oil-based sealant. The sealant prevents overflow of the urine since it is less dense. You should know how long do waterless urinal cartridge last to avoid any problem with the urinal. Also, you should take care to use the right liquid cleaner to avoid damage to the urinal. With proper maintenance, the urinal will last for a long time without any problem.

Valve Barrier Units

Valve barrier urinals make use of a one-way-valve instead of a cartridge to keep the urine inside the urinal. When urine enters the urinal bowl, the rubber tube valve opens allowing the urine to pass through. It then closes to keep the urine from overflowing in the bowl. Having said that, valve barrier based urinals are not as effective as compared to urinals that use liquid sealant based cartridges. As with other types of urinals, it is important that you regularly clean the urinals to avoid any problem.

How Long Do Waterless Urinal Cartridge Last?

Knowing about how long do waterless urinal cartridge last will help ensure that the urinal lasts for a long time without requiring repairs or replacement. How long do waterless urinal cartridge last actually depends on the use of the urinals. Urinals that receive a lot of traffic require replacement of the cartridge earlier.

So, the answer to how long do waterless urinal cartridge last is that it depends on the usage of the urinal. Generally, waterless urinals last anywhere between three and six months.

Another important point to know about how long do waterless urinal cartridge last is that it differs from brand to brand. Falcon and Sloan waterless urinal cartridges, for instance, last for about 7,000 uses. In contrast, low quality urinal cartridges last for only 2,500 uses.

You can greatly increase the lifespan of the urinal when you know about how long do waterless urinal cartridge last. When you know how long do waterless urinal cartridge last you will be able to avoid problems with the waterless urinals such as blockages.

Generally, blockages occur in the traditional flush urinals due to the accumulation of uric acid found in the urine. The uric acid accumulates inside the P-bend ultimately leading to a blockage problem. This problem can be averted if you know how long do waterless urinal cartridge last.

In case you don’t know how long do waterless urinal cartridge last, it will result in increased cost of caring and maintaining the unit. The urinal will require frequent replacement that will be hard on your pockets. In order to keep the waterless urinal in good condition, it’s vital that you know how long do waterless urinal cartridge last.

An important tip that can help you to know how long do waterless urinal cartridge last is to keep a log that mentions the last time during which the cartridge was replacement. In this way, you will know when to replace the cartridge.

Apart from knowing how long do waterless urinal cartridge last, you should also make sure that you buy the cartridge that is suitable for the urinal. Buying the wrong cartridge for the urinal can cause damage. You should flush the urinal after removing the cartridge.

In addition, apart from knowing how long do waterless urinal cartridge last you should also consider replacing the sealant. The sealant should be replaced every time you replace the cartridge.

Lastly, it’s important that after you have installed the urinal cartridge, you should disinfect the urinal using a disinfectant. Although, waterless urinals are more clean and hygienic as compared to flush urinal, you should still use a disinfectant. Consider using the disinfectant at least once a week in highly trafficked areas.

Cleaning the Waterless Urinals

Cleaning the waterless urinal is also important apart from knowing how long do waterless urinal cartridge last. This is important to ensure that the waterless urinal remain completely hygienic and clean. Before cleaning the waterless urinal, it’s important to place a cleaning-in-progress sign near the door of the bathroom. If the bathroom has multiple entrances, you should consider placing a signboard in front of each of the entrance doors.

Here are some of the steps that outline how to clean a bathroom urinal.

Step 1: First of all, you should put on the safety goggles and gloves.

Step 2: The second step is to remove objects such as gum or cigarette butt from the urinal.

Step 3: Next, you should pour a cleaner that is compatible with the cleaner on the urinal surface. Consider leaving the cleaner on the surface for a few minutes.

Step 4: Now, you should clean the urinal using a brush. Consider using a soft bristle brush to avoid scratching the surface.

Step 5: Use air freshener once you have cleaned the urinal to mask any lingering smell.

The above steps show how easy it is to clean the urinal cartridge. However, it’s important to take proper care when cleaning the waterless urinal. Do not pour soiled water or chemical down the urinal. This is important as it can flush the sealant that is present inside the urinal.

Also, it’s important that you do not use harsh chemicals when cleaning the urinal. Using a harsh urinal can damage the urinal surface. Instead, it’s important that you use a neutral cleaner in order to properly clean the urinal.

Maintaining the Waterless Urinal

Maintaining waterless urinals is much easier than cleaning flush urinals. There is no need to call a professional to maintain the urinal. Generally, it is maintenance free and does not require any servicing. However, it’s important that you know about how long do waterless urinal cartridge last to ensure proper operation of the urinal. Regular replacement of the urinal cartridge is essential as it will avoid major problems with the urinal.

The urinal will last for a long time without requiring a replacement. So, when you know how long do waterless urinal cartridge last, you will save cost in the long run. Knowing how long do waterless urinal cartridge last will prevent any damage to the unit. In other words, when you know how long do waterless urinal cartridge last and regularly replace the cartridge, the urinal will work flawlessly without any problem.

Regular cleaning is also important apart from knowing how long do waterless urinal cartridge last. You should clean the bowl and then apply disinfectant to the bowl.

What are the Steps Required to Replace Waterless Urinal Cartridge?

Now that you know the importance of replacing waterless urinal cartridges, let’s find out how to properly replace the cartridge. Replacing waterless urinal cartridge is not that difficult. Here are the steps that you should take to properly replace the waterless urinal cartridge.

Step 1.First, you should insert the key to unlock the cartridge. This is the first step of replacing the urinal cartridge.

Step 2. The next step is to lift the cartridge from the urinal. You should tilt the cartridge a little in order to drain remaining urine and sealant. This is the second important step of replacing the urinal cartridge.

Step 3. Next, you should place the cartridge in a bag. Make sure that you properly seal the cartridge and then throw it in the trash can. This is the third step of replacing the urinal cartridge.

Step 4. The next step of replacing the urinal cartridge is to use a soft brush. You should scrub inside the pipe using a nylon brush.

Step 5. Once you have carefully cleaned the urinal, the next step is to flush the urinal using about seven gallons of soapy water. This is an important step of cleaning the waterless urinal that you should not ignore.

Step 6.After you have flushed the waterless urinal, the next step should be to clean the rim of the urinal bowel. Consider using a sponge or a soft cloth for cleaning the urinal bowel rim.

Step 7. Next, you should insert the newly bought urinal cartridge inside the urinal. You must turn the key to the right in order to secure the urinal.

Step 8: Now that the urinal cartridge is securely in place, you should next fill the cartridge with water. Consider filling the cartridge until no bubbles remain visible.

Step 9. Once you have primed the cartridge, you should next add the cartridge sealant. Make sure that you allow sufficient time for the sealant to drain inside the urinal.

Step 10. The last step of replacing the urinal is to use a disinfectant spray. Spray the disinfectant on the urinal bowl and then clean it using a sponge. Although, waterless urinal harbors much less bacteria as compared to traditional flush urinals, you should still clean the urinal. This is important to eliminate any presence of harmful pathogens from the urinals.

Benefits of Installing Waterless Urinals

Waterless urinals offer various benefits over traditional flush urinals. They are ideal for locations that receive high traffic. In such areas, replacing flush urinals with waterless urinal can result in great savings in water bills. Some of the ideal places for installing waterless urinals include shopping malls, schools, cinemas, rest shops, restaurants.

Installation of waterless urinals is particularly important in states having water shortage problems. Replacing traditional flush urinals with waterless urinals can result in significant savings in precious water resources. States such as California and Arizona that constantly face water shortage problem can greatly benefit from any effort that can help in conservation of water.

Waterless urinals can become part of the water conservation efforts. Apart from saving of precious water resources, waterless urinals can also help in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions. Using the waterless urinals greatly reduces the load on the public sewage systems.

Since water is not used in flushing the liquid waste, it results in less waste sent to the sewage plant for treatment. As a result, there will be reduced greenhouse gas emission that will have a positive impact on the ecology.

Another great benefit of installing waterless urinals is that it will result in savings in utility bills. Using waterless urinals will result in less water usage and reduced load to the sewage system. This will result in reduced water and sewage bills.

Lastly, homeowners can benefit from installing waterless urinal as there will be less odor problem as compared to traditional urinals. The particular smell that we associate with urine is actually of ammonia gas that is produced when uric acid in urine comes into contact with water and air. The gas is released into the atmosphere thereby resulting in pungent smell that we commonly associate with urine.

With waterless urinals, the urine is sealed inside the urinal. Since the urine is not exposed to air and water, odor problem will not occur with waterless urinal.

Final Remarks

Waterless urinals can result in great water savings. They provide various other benefits over traditional flush urinals. However, you should know how long do waterless urinal cartridge last to ensure that the urinal works without any problem.

When you replace the cartridge at regular intervals, it will prevent blockage and other problems. Generally, the urinal cartridge last anywhere between three to ten months. In high traffic areas, the cartridge requires more frequent replacement.

Knowing how and when to replace the urinal cartridge is important. The good thing is that it’s not that hard to replace the waterless cartridge. You can easily replace the cartridge without calling a professional. You just need to know about the steps that are required for replacing the urinal cartridge.

The little effort in knowing how to properly replace the cartridge will go a long way in ensuring proper operation of the waterless urinal.

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