How to Maintain a Waterless Urinal

In this article, we will take a detailed look at the functions and types of waterless urinals, and also how to maintain a waterless urinal.

The proper procedure on how to maintain a waterless urinal cartridge 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.

Most people don’t know about how to maintain a waterless urinal. The best thing about these urinals is that they help in conserving water. Most people don’t give a second thought about how traditional urinals waste a lot of water. If you think about it, the amount of water used to flush urine represents a great wastage of water. It not only results in increased water bill and sewer charges, but it also results in wastage of precious and scarce water resources.

What are the Different Types of Waterless Urinals?

Every type of waterless urinal drains urine without using any water. However, the method in which the urine is removed is different. Some urinals keep the urine sealed inside the urinal using oil based liquid sealant. Others use hydrostatic sealant for keeping the urine inside the urinals. Still, there are some that use the one-way valve to keep liquid waste inside the unit.

The most common type of urinal uses an oil-based sealant. These urinals trap the urine inside the urinal and prevent it from overflowing in the bowl. The sealant is less dense than urine that keeps the liquid waste trapped inside the urinal. Also, since the urine remains trapped inside the urinal, there are no odor problems with waterless urinals. The odor that emanates from the urinal is usually due to urine spilled on the floor or the wall.

The sealant inside the waterless urinal must be replaced at a regular interval. Some waterless urinals require replacement of the urinal after 1,500 uses while others such as Sloan waterless urinal and Falcon waterless urinal require replacement after 7,000 uses.

Another common type of waterless urinal uses hydrostatic sealant to keep the urine trapped inside the unit. The urinal uses an organic compound that collects and seals the urine. Similar to the oil based sealant, hydrostatic sealant keeps the urine inside the urinal thereby preventing odor problem. However, oil-based sealants are more effective and generally cheaper as compared to hydrostatic sealants.

Functions of the Waterless Urinals Explained

At first sight, waterless urinals look similar to a flush based urinal. However, when you look closely, you will find that waterless urinals don’t have a flush handle. Moreover, the interior design of a waterless urinal is completely different than a traditional flush urinal.

With the waterless urinal, there is no supply pipe. As a result, no complex plumbing is required prior to installing a waterless urinal. Since there are no pipes, the waterless urinal is not subjected to erosion and leaks.

Most waterless urinals are composed of a drain pipe and a sealant. The trap collects liquid waste while the liquid sealant keeps it inside the urinal. Despite the fact that waterless urinals don’t use water to flush waste, they are more hygienic and clean as compared to traditional urinals.

Bacteria and other pathogens thrive due to the presence of water. Without water, no organism can survive for long. Since waterless urinals don’t use any water to drain the liquid waste, they are more clean and hygienic as compared to traditional flush urinals.

Also, there is no odor problem with waterless urinals. The particular odor that we associate with urine is actually of ammonia gas. The gas is released when uric acid in the urine is exposed to water and air. Waterless urinals keep the urine inside the urinal where it is kept in anoxygen-free environment. As a result, there is no urine problem with waterless urinals.

There are two main components of waterless urinals. The first is the plastic mold that is the exterior surface of the material and the second is the drain trap that houses the sealant. The drain trap is connected to the existing sewerage system. Urine passes through the liquid sealant and flows down the drain pipe. The liquid waste goes down the drain due to displacement.

Waterless Urinal Cartridges: What are they?

Waterless urinal cartridge is the most important part of the urinal. It represents the next generation of sanitation technology. A lot of people don’t know about the use of waterless urinal cartridge. They also don’t know how to maintain a waterless urinal cartridge.

So, what’s the function of the waterless urinal cartridge and how to maintain a waterless urinal?

The urinal cartridge performs different functions. The cartridge acts like a funnel allowing urine to flow down the drain. It also acts as a valve preventing the urine to flow backward. In this way, the liquid waste remains inside the unit without getting exposed to water or air. This prevents odor problem that is common with traditional flush urine.

Another important thing that you should know about waterless urinal cartridge is that it helps prevent blockage inside the plumbing fixture. The blockage problem occurs when uric sediment deposits in the drain pipe inside a urinal. Waterless urinal cartridge prevents the deposit of uric acid inside the urinal that prevents blockage problem.

In traditional urinals, the blockage problem worsens due to flushing. Flushing water to try to remove the blockage creates a messy situation. It results in an overflow of the water creating the embarrassing condition. This is not the case with a waterless urinal.

Finally, waterless urinals help reduce the load on the sewage plant. Less liquid waste is sent down the drainage. Processing waste results in the emission of greenhouse house gases. Since waterless urinal reduces the amount of wastewater, it reduces the sewage processing thereby emission of harmful gas to the environment. As a result, using waterless urinals result in a positive impact on the environment.

What are the Benefits of Installing Waterless Urinals?

Waterless urinals provide various benefits. Here are some of the ways, property owners can benefit from the installation of waterless urinals.

Prevents Bad Odor Problem

The foremost benefit of waterless urinals as compared to traditional flush urinals is that it eliminates bad odor problem. The foul smell that we associate with urine is actually caused by exposure to urine to air and water. This results in a chemical reaction that results in the release of ammonia gas. The gas not just smells bad but also results in harmful health effects.

Bad odor problem in traditional urinals occurs since the liquid waste remains inside the P-trap. Here the urine is exposed to air and water. This results in the formation of bad odor. Waterless urinals do not expose urine to the air. As a result, there is no formation of bad odor. The liquid waste remains sealed inside the unit. The air bubbles rise to the top when urine passes through the sealant. The liquid waste is kept in a low oxygen environment that prevents bad odor problems.

In most cases, the bad odor problem results due to liquid waste being spilled in the nearby walls and floors. If you keep the walls and the floors cleaned, the bad odor problem will not occur. Also, in order to prevent bad odor problem, it’s important to know how to maintain a waterless urinal. The urinal cartridge must be regularly cleaned and replaced. This will keep the bathroom completely odor-free.

Conservation of Water

Another great benefit of waterless urinals is that it results in conservation of water. Replacing traditional flush urinals with waterless urinals results in saving a large amount of water. You can save from 60,000 to 150,000 liters of water everyday by installing waterless urinals. The greatest benefit can be experienced by high traffic areas such as shopping malls, schools, and public buildings. In such areas, the savings in water can be significant resulting in lower water bills.

Water conservation is extremely important today. Every individual is responsible to conserve the precious water resources. Water conservation will help solve the water shortage problems that are prevalent in many states in the US. Installing waterless urinals will greatly cut the water usage in households and offices. The more these waterless urinals are used, the greater will be the net water savings.

Savings in Water Bills

Using waterless urinals can also help in cost savings. Since the urinals require no water to flush the urine, it greatly cuts the water usage. This results in reduced water bills. The actual savings in water bills depends on the frequency of use and the type of urinals. Typically the cost savings by installing waterless urinals range between $250 and $900. The cost savings in high trafficked areas will be in the upper range.

Part of Ecological Sanitation Program

Waterless urinals can become part of the green or ecological sanitation program. It can greatly help in reducing the carbon footprint from the environment. Installing waterless urinals will not just conserve water, it will help in reducing the load on the sewage processing plants.

Traditional urinals generally send a lot of wastewater for processing by the sewage plant. The plants generate more than 25 kg of harmful CO₂ gas in the environment every year. This results in climate change and other problems to the ecology.

Water urinals reduce the amount of waste water that is fed to the sewage plants for processing. This benefits the overall ecology. The water sent to the sewage plants are significantly less when waterless urinals are installed. This, in turn, results in reduced CO₂emission that benefits the environment.

Clean and More Hygienic

Waterless urinals are clean and more hygienic as compared to traditional flush urinals. These urinals prevent the formation of bacteria. Harmful pathogens including bacteria thrive in moist areas. With waterless urinals, no water is used in flushing waste down the drain. This makes waterless urinals more safe and clean as compared to traditional flush toilets.

The surface of quality waterless urinals is non-porous. As a result, the liquid does not remain on the surface. It quickly drains down the sealant. The urine remains sealed inside the unit. In another word, the liquid waste is kept in anoxygen-free environment. A number of studies have found that waterless urinals harbor six times fewer bacteria as compared to flush urinals.

Reduces Pipe Blockage Issue

Blockage of the pipe is a common issue with traditional urinals. This happens when uric sediments contained in urine accumulates inside the pipe. The deposits occur when the time scales that are present in pipes mix with the uric sediments. The waste tends to build up over time resulting in blockage of the pipe.

Trying to remove the blockage by flushing water worsen the blockage problem. The reason is that water increases the amount of deposit in the pipe. This results in flooding that causes social embarrassment.

The best thing about waterless urinals is that pipe blockages do not occur if you know how to maintain a waterless urinal. No water is used in flushing the liquid waste. As a result, the waste is disposed of in an efficient manner. When you regularly replace and clean the urinal cartridge, no blockage or other problems can arise.

Tips for Maintaining Waterless Urinals: How to a Waterless Urinal

Waterless urinals require proper maintenance. You should know how to maintain a waterless urinal to avoid any problem. The great thing about waterless urinals is that it does not require much cleaning. That being said, you should still know how to maintain a waterless urinal to avoid major problems.

Fortunately, it’s not that difficult to know how to maintain a waterless urinal. To clean the waterless urinal, you just need to sprinkle water in the bowl and wipe clean using a dry, soft cloth. You don’t need to place urinal cakes on the bowl after cleaning.

You should know how to maintain a waterless urinal in order to ensure proper functioning of the urinal. One important question regarding how to maintain a waterless urinal is how often to change waterless urinal cartridge?

The answer to this question regarding how to maintain a waterless urinal depends on the type of the urinal. Some urinals require replacing the cartridge after 1,500 uses. However, there are others such as Falcon and Sloan waterless urinals require cartridge replacement after every 7,000 uses. You should read the instruction manual to find out how to maintain a waterless urinal.

Mostly, you will find that the waterless urinal won’t require much cleaning and care. However, it’s important that you know how to maintain a waterless urinal to ensure that the urinal lasts for a long time. How long does a waterless urinal cartridge last will depend on the frequency of use. In high frequent places, urinals need to be replaced more quickly as compared to places where the urinals are used less frequently.

In most cases, you will have to replace the cartridge anywhere between three to ten months. Knowing how to maintain a waterless urinal requires that you determine the frequency of the urinal usage.

One important thing that you should know about how to maintain a waterless urinal is that the sealant should be added every time that the cartridge is replaced. Another important thing to know about how to maintain a waterless urinal is that you will need to flush the urinal using about four gallons of water.

Finding out the right technique regarding how to maintain a waterless urinal is important. This will ensure that the urinal does not cause any problem. It will prevent blockage of the pipe and avoid overflowing of the urine.

An important thing to keep in mind regarding how to maintain a waterless urinal is that you should note down the time when the cartridge was last replaced. This will ensure that you replace the cartridge at the right time.

In addition, one critical thing to know regarding how to maintain a waterless urinal is that you should always buy the right type of urinal cartridge. This point regarding how to maintain a waterless urinal is important as it can save you a lot of trouble. Installing the wrong type of urinal cartridge can create problems.

Always buy a cartridge that conforms to the requirements of the manufacturers. When you keep this tip regarding how to maintain a waterless urinal in mind, you will not face any complications later on.

After replacing the cartridge, you should consider using a disinfectant spray. While the urinals are less susceptible to bacterial formation, you still should still use a disinfectant to ensure a clean and hygienic environment.

Final Remarks

Waterless urinals require very little cleaning and maintenance. Once you know how to maintain a waterless urinal, you won’t face any problems. Knowing about how to maintain a waterless urinal will prevent overflowing of the urine and pipe blockage problem. Also, when you know how to maintain a waterless urinal, you won’t have to rely on experts. This greatly saves costs on maintaining the urinal.

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