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Waterless urinals help in conservation of water. The urinals don’t require the use of water to flush urine. The liquid waste goes inside a waterless urinal cartridge that contains a sealant. Installing waterless urinals allows conserving water and cutting the utility bills. It is the ideal solution for areas that are facing drought problems.
Installing waterless urinals is particularly beneficial in areas that receive a lot of foot traffic. The urinals will help in saving a lot of water when installed in public areas such as rest shops, train stations, cinemas, restaurants, schools, and shopping malls. They can help cut water bills resulting in savings of as much as $900.
Waterless urinals are available in different shapes and designs. All of the waterless urinals flush the urine without the use of water. But, they are different in terms of how the urine is drained. In this article, we will look at the benefits of waterless urinals, and also the functions, uses, and maintenance tips for waterless urinal cartridges.
Usually, the manufacturer’s waterless urinal cartridge works well, but 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.
The Advantages of Installing Waterless Urinals
Waterless urinals are the ideal solution for areas where there is a shortage of water. The urinals can help in conserving a large amount of water. Moreover, using the urinals can result in great cost savings. Installing waterless urinals is ideal in states such as California and Arizona that are facing water shortage issue.
You can save up to $300 to $1000 annually by installing waterless urinals. The exact cost savings depend on the frequency of urinal usage. Even areas that do not receive a lot of traffic can greatly benefit from the installation of waterless urinals.
Apart from water conservation and cost-saving benefits, waterless urinals also entail less plumbing costs. The urinals are less prone to pipe blockages as compared to traditional flush urinals. Water is the main reason for pipe blockages that lead to an embarrassing situation in the bathroom. Minerals in the water used to flush the urine results in scale build-up inside the urinal. This leads to blockage of the pipe. Trying to use water to remove the blockage worsens the problem. It results in an overflow of the liquid inside the urinal.
Since water is not used in waterless urinals, pipe blockages do not normally occur. This results in savings in plumbing repair costs overtime. The urinals are more hygienic as compared to flush urinals. Fewer bacteria formation occurs in waterless urinals since water is not used to flush the urine.
The fact is that the use of water to flush urine does not result in a more hygienic environment. In fact, creates the perfect environment that encourages the growth of bacteria and other pathogens. You should remember that bacteria flourish in moist areas. Harmful pathogens can’t survive for long without water. This is why the area inside the traditional urinals that are in the direct path of water contains a lot of microbial pathogens.
Waterless urinals don’t use any water to flush the urine. This is the reason that they are much cleaner and hygienic as compared to traditional urinals. The bowl of the urinals is made of non-porous material. As a result, the bowl does not remain moist when urine passes over it. The urine passes through the bowl inside the waterless urinal cartridge. Sealant inside the waterless urinal cartridge prevents the urine from flowing back. That’s why bacterial formation in waterless urinals is about six times less likely than in flush urinals.
Another benefit of waterless urinals is that there is much less odor problem. The odor issue with traditional urinals arises because urine is exposed to air and water. More specifically, the odor associated with waterless urinals arises when the uric acid in the urine mixes with water and air. It results in the formation of ammonia gas that produces the particular smell of urine.
Urine is not exposed to either air or water in case of the waterless urinal. The liquid waste remains sealed inside the waterless urinal cartridge. As a result, odor problem does not occur when the cartridge and the sealant are replaced at regular intervals. In most cases, the odor issue around waterless urinal arises due to the spillage of water around the walls and the floor.
Lastly, waterless urinal reduces the load on the local sewage processing plant. When waterless urinal is installed, it results in less liquid waste flowing to the drain. Water is not required to flush the urine. So, the amount of liquid waste is much less. This greatly reduces the load on the sewage processing plant.
Sewage processing plants release harmful carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. The harmful gas is released when the liquid waste is processed. Since waterless urinal reduces the amount of liquid waste, less greenhouse gas is released. So, when you install waterless urinal, you will contribute to reducing the carbon footprint from the atmosphere. Apart from producing a positive impact on the environment, waterless urinal also reduces the sewage bill. In this way, you will be making a positive impact on the ecology and saving money in the long run by replacing traditional flush urinal with a waterless urinal.
Functions and Usage of Waterless Urinal Cartridges
A Waterless urinal cartridge consists of a sealant. The sealant is kept in an airtight seal inside the waterless urinal cartridge. Most waterless urinal cartridges contain oil-based sealants. However, some of the waterless urinal cartridges may contain hydrostatic sealant.
Sealant present inside the waterless urinal cartridge prevents urine from flowing back. It is less dense than urine due to which it floats above the liquid waste inside the urinal. Keep in mind that some urinals don’t use sealant. Instead, a one-way-valve is used that keep the liquid waste inside the urinal. The valve opens when urine enters the bowl, and then shuts close. It prevents liquid waste from flowing back similar to a sealant.
Urinal cartridges are the main component of the waterless urinal. The urinal cartridge allows urine to pass down the drain without the use of water. It is installed at the urinal base. Oil-based sealant present in the urinal cartridge is biodegradable. This means that it causes minimum damage to the ecology when dumped.
An important thing to remember regarding waterless urinal cartridge is that it requires regular maintenance. The cartridge needs to be replaced after every 2,500 to 7,000 uses. Quality urinal cartridges such as Falcon and Sloan urinal cartridge last a longer duration as compared to others. Every time that the cartridge is replaced, the sealant needs to be refilled as well.
However, the sealant must be refilled more frequently as compared to replacing the cartridge. In most cases, the sealant needs to be refilled after every 1,500 uses. This will keep the urine from flowing backward thereby avoiding odor problems.
Usually, the manufacturer’s waterless urinal cartridge works well, but 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.
What are the Maintenance and Cleaning Tips for Waterless Urinal Cartridges?
Maintenance of waterless urinal cartridge is not that difficult. You can easily clean the urinal cartridge without needing to call a plumber. This results in less plumbing costs as compared to traditional flush urinals.
Here are some of the steps that are required for cleaning and maintaining the waterless urinal.
Step 1. You should spray a cleaner on the bowl. Make sure that you use a cleaning product that is recommended by the manufacturer.
Step 2. Next, you should use a soft cloth to clean the inside of the bowl.
Step 3. Now, use the soft cloth to clean the outside of the urinal bowl.
Step 4. The last step of cleaning the urinal is to wipe the bowl using a wet mop. You should also spray a disinfectant inside and around the bowl to replace any traces of bacteria and other harmful pathogens.
How to Replace a Waterless Urinal Cartridge?
Replacing the waterless urinal cartridge is also not that difficult. You should replace the waterless urinal cartridge regularly to avoid odor issues. Here are some tips for replacing the waterless urinal cartridge.
Step 1. First of all, you should insert the installation key to unlock the urinal cartridge.
Step 2. Next, you should lift the cartridge from the urinal.
Step 3.Afterwards, you should hold the cartridge until the liquid including the sealant and the urine are drained.
Step 4. Next, you should place the waterless urinal cartridge in a bag, and dispose of.
Step 5. The next step is to scrub the urinal by passing nylon brush inside the pipe. The nylon brush should be about one and a half inch in diameter.
Step 6. After you have cleaned the inside of the urinal, the next step is to insert the new waterless urinal cartridge.
Step 7. Next, you should fill the cartridge with about a liter of water until no bubbles appear.
Step 8. After the installing the new cartridge and priming it with water, you should add new sealant and the drain the inside of the cartridge.
Step 9. Now, refill the sealant, and then spray disinfectant on the urinal bowl.
The steps outlined above shows how easy it is to replace the urinal cartridge. An important point to note is that after you have removed the cartridge, you should immediately install the new cartridge. This is necessary to avoid sewage gas from leaking into the atmosphere. If you will not replace the cartridge soon after taking out the old one, you should stuff paper towel to prevent the release of harmful gases.
An important question regarding waterless urinal replacement is how long you should wait to replace the cartridge. The answer depends on the frequency of waterless urinal usage. In case of high traffic areas, the waterless urinal cartridge should be replaced after every two to three months. Low traffic areas such as waterless urinals installed in homes require replacement just once or twice a year.
You will find out how frequent you should replace the urinal cartridge by reading the manufacturer’s instructions. Different manufacturers recommend the different frequency of replacement. The cost of most urinal cartridges amounts to a couple of dollars.
Another important tip regarding waterless urinals is that you should always refill the sealant when replacing the cartridge. The sealant should conform to the requirements of the manufacturer. Apart from replacing the sealant during replacement of the urinal cartridge, you should also refill the sealant after every 1,500 uses as mentioned previously. However, some manufacturers recommend refilling the sealant more frequently. You should read the manufacturer’s instructions to find out how frequently you should replace the sealant.
Regular replacement of the waterless cartridge and the sealant will avoid bad odor issues. Also, it will ensure that the urinal lasts for a long time. Once recommendation regarding urinal maintenance is that you should consider keeping a log book. You should enter the date and time every time the sealant and the urinal cartridge is replaced. This will ensure that you don’t forget about replacing the urinal cartridge and sealant.
You should always install a urinal cartridge and sealant that conforms the requirements of the manufacturer. This is important to avoid any complications due to installing the wrong type of cartridge. It will prevent pipe blockages and bad odor issues.
Final Remarks
Waterless urinals greatly help in saving precious water resources. Using the cartridge based urinal can help save a significant amount of water. What’s more, using the urinal reduces the amount of liquid waste sent to the sewage plant for processing. This not just results in reduced utility bills but also benefit the ecology.
The best thing about waterless urinals is that they are easy to clean and maintain. The only thing that requires maintenance is the waterless urinal cartridge. If replaced regularly, there won’t be any problem with the urinal. The urinals help conserve water, and are much more cost-effective in the long run as compared to traditional flush urinals.