What Is A Waterless Urinal Cartridge?

Most of us take urinal flush for granted. Every pull of the lever results in gallons of water whisking away ounces of urine. However, if you think closely about it, this represents a great wastage of water. Drinkable water is used for flushing waste down the drain. Given the fact that only about 2 percent of the total water supply is drinkable, the wastage of water in this way should be a matter of great concern for everyone.

Fortunately, waterless urinals allow you to save the precious, limited water supply from going down the drain. Even those who are not that environmentally conscious would love to know that waterless urinals help cut down water bills. Less usage of water results in reduced bills. The cost savings is particularly noticeable in high traffic spaces such as shopping malls, schools, and state buildings.

The fact is that waterless urinals are better for the environment and your wallet. They can become part of an integrated drive to conserve precious water resources. Their importance of is especially significant in areas that face severe drought conditions such as California, Arizona, and Texas.

Here we will take a detailed look at waterless urinals. We will also find out how to clean and replace waterless urinal cartridge for proper functioning of the urinals.

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: An Overview

Waterless urinals have continued to grow in popularity ever since they were introduced to the public in the 1980s. The German inventor of the bathroom fixture had received inspiration from a similar fixture that was used in Switzerland in the 1890s.

People were initially skeptical that the new product might create health problems as it did not use water to flush liquid waste. However, later the fixture was proven to be safe and more cost-effective as well as ecofriendly when compared to conventional urinals.

Throughout the 1990s, bathroom fixtures that featured waterless urinal cartridges continued to increase in popularity. The best thing about waterless urinals is obviously the fact that it doesn’t use water to flush liquid waste. Instead, the urinal is able to drain water through its unique design.

The best urinals use a waterless urinals cartridge. Sloan waterless urinal cartridge, Falcon waterless urinal cartridge, and Bobrick waterless urinal cartridges are some of the finest in the world. What’s so great about the cartridges is that they require little cleaning and maintenance. Apart from the cartridges, there is no serviceable parts.

This results in great cost savings in the long run as compared to flush urinals. You can save a lot of money by installing waterless urinals in buildings.

Types of Waterless Urinals

All waterless urinals available in the market drain liquid waste without the use of water, but they do not have the same design. There are many different types of waterless urinals. The two common waterless urinals include hydrostatic float and liquid sealant urinals.

Liquid sealant urinals consist of oil based sealant, as mentioned earlier. They trap the urine and prevent it from flowing outside the bowl. Since the liquid is sealed beneath the sealant, the peculiar odor associated with urines does not permeate the bathroom. Since the sealant is denser than urine, the liquid waste remains trapped underneath.

The sealants need to be inspected and replaced regularly. Most manufacturers recommend that you replace the sealants about after every 1,500 flushes.

Hydrostatic sealant is another technology that is used to trap urine. It makes use of an organic compound that floats above a hydrostatic float. The product collect and seal the urine. Similar to waterless urinal cartridges, the hydrostatic float keeps the liquid inside the unit.

How Do Waterless Urinals Work

Waterless urinals may look like a normal urinal but they are entirely different. The urinals consist of a receptacle that is similar in shape to flush urinals. But that’s where the similarity ends. There is no water supply pipe in case of waterless urinals. Also, the interior design of the waterless urinals is different than flush urinals.

Unlike flush urinals, waterless urinals do not require complex plumbing. There is no need to install water supply line. Also, plumbing is not required for conveying water down the drain. For this same reason, waterless urinals are not susceptible to pipe erosion and leaks that require costly repairs.

Waterless urinals consist of a drain trap and a sealant. The trap collects urine while the sealant keeps it sealed inside the unit. This ensure that the urinal remains hygienic and safe. Most people are concerned by the fact that waterless urinals don’t use water. But the reality is that not using water makes them more hygienic as compared to flush urinals.

Bacteria formation occurs when urine is exposed to air and water. As a result, the urinal does not serve as the breeding ground for the pathogens. Due to the same fact, the urinal is odor free. The foul smell that we associate with dirty urinals is not that of the urine. The smell is of ammonia gas that is released when the urine comes into contact with the water.

A waterless urinal consists of two main important parts. The plastic mold that is the actual urinal and the drain trap that consist of the sealant waterless urinal cartridge, and connection with the sewage system. The urine flows down the trap passing through an oil based sealant. The sealant is less dense that the liquid waste. As a result, liquid passes through the sealant and remain sealed inside the urinal. Due to displacement, the urinals go down the drain without the need to flush it with water.

What’s the Function of Waterless Urinal Cartridge?

The most part of the urinal is the waterless urinal cartridge. Many people are not familiar with the next generation of sanitation technology. They don’t know why the urinal even have a cartridge.

The urinal cartridge performs a number of important functions. The cartridge present in the waterless urinal acts as a funnel. It allows the liquid waste to flow from the bowl to the drain pipes. In addition the sealant present inside the cartridge acts as a barrier preventing liquid to flow backwards. The liquid waste remains inside the unit and is not exposed to air and water. This prevents foul smell associated with urine to permeate the bathroom.

Another important function of the waterless urinal cartridge is that it filters uric sediment from the urine. As a result, waste deposits that might cause blockage inside the plumbing fixture does not occur. In addition, the cartridge also stores the liquid inside after which it is flushed down the drain pipe.

The cartridge acts similar to a filter. It eliminates all sediments before sending urine down the waste pipe. Water that comes out of the urinal is grey in color. This water when sent to the sewage plant requires less processing. Waste water processing results in emission of a harmful greenhouse gas known as carbon dioxide. Thus, using waterless urinals allows you to make a positive impact on the environment.

A key locks the cartridge into the waterless urinal. This results in the formation of an airtight barrier between the waste urinal and the washroom. As a result, the foul odor won’t permeate the rest room. The cartridge consists of bio-degradable oil that prevents the urine from flowing out. The end result is an odor loss urinal that conserves water and helps save cost.

Waterless urinal cartridges are built by different companies. They have different build and quality. Quality waterless urinal cartridges include Falcon urinal cartridge, Bobrick urinal cartridge, and Sloan urinal cartridge. These cartridges are built to last the maximum of 6,500 to 7,000 uses. Low quality cartridges, on the other hand, last only 1,500 uses before requiring a replacement.

Most of the cartridges are not that expensive. The price of the cartridge starts at around $30 and can go up to $90. At this point it is important to note that low price does not equate to a value purchase. It’s important that you go for reputable brands instead of prices.

Why Install Urinals Consisting of Waterless Urinal Cartridge

Waterless urinal cartridge is the most effective in keeping the bathroom odor less. The urinal’s unique design ensure that urine does not come into contact with water or air. As a result, chemicals that release the particular odor associated with urine does not form. The urinals represent a great advancement over the traditional flush urinals.

The urinals conserve a lot of water. It is estimated that installing the urinals can save anywhere around $400 to $800 in water bill. Waterless urinals don’t use any water to flush urine down the drain. The bathroom fixture makes use of displacement principle to dispose liquid waste. Urine passes down the less denser oil sealant and remains trapped underneath. From there the urine slowly empties to the drain.

The cost savings due to less need for plumbing repairs and reduced water bills makes investing in the urinals a smart choice. However, it’s important to note that you always but reputable brands. Not all the urinals provide the same cost saving efficiency. You should consider buying waterless urinals made by reputable brands.

Always check out and compare the reviews of different waterless urinal brands before making a purchase decision. Make sure that the waterless urinal that you purchase has earned mostly positive customer reviews who had given the product high stars. Consider buying a product that has at least four stars. While a few negative reviews about the product is nothing out of ordinary, if majority of the customers have left a negative review of the brand, it should raise a question mark.

You should also compare the price of the waterless urinal cartridges when conducting a research. The cartridge needs to be replaced regularly. So, it’s important to make sure that the cost of replacing the cartridge is within your budget. As mentioned previously, the cartridges of quality brands will last for up to 7,000 uses, while low quality brand cartridges will last for less than 1,500 uses. So, you must select a urinal wisely.

How to Clean and Replace the Waterless Urinal Cartridge

Waterless urinal cartridges are easy to clean and replace. The cleaner should regularly clean the cartridge. To clean the cartridge, you should pull out the trap and empty four gallons of water inside the cartridge. Afterwards, you should use a soft bristled brush and move it up and down the cartridge. The sealant must be replenished after cleaning the cartridge.

In case the cartridge require replacement, make sure to buy one the meets manufacturers’ specification. An important thing to keep in mind is that the sealant need to be replenished after replacement of the cartridge.

A disinfectant should be used after cleaning the cartridge. While the urinals are more hygienic and have less bacteria formation as compared to flush urinals, a disinfectant should still be used. This will ensure that no bacteria thrive inside the urinal. However, there is no need of using a urinal cake to remove odor as is the case with traditional urinals.

Bad odor associated with urine occurs due to exposure of the liquid waste to water and air. This is more common with flush urinals. The urine in the P-trap is exposed to air and water. A chemical reaction takes places that results in the formation of ammonia gas. This results in the formation of bad odor that is commonly linked with urine.

Waterless urinals prevent foul smells as the urine is sealed inside the unit. The sealant avoid urine to get in contact with the air or water. Air bubbles rise to the top as the urine passes through the oil based sealant. As a result, there is no bad foul in the case of waterless urinals. Any smell near the urinal is due to spilling of the liquid waste on the floor or walls. Cleaning the floor and the walls of the bathroom will eliminate any odor problem.

An important point that you should note regarding waterless urinal is to keep a notebook recording the time that the cartridge or sealant was replaced. You should also note down the specifications of the cartridge and sealant bought for the urinal. This will make it easier to know when to schedule the next cleaning and replacement. Also, it will allow the cleaners to know what brand and type of cartridge to buy for the urinal.

Conclusion

Waterless urinals help in conserving water. They require no water to flush urine down the drain. This results in greatly reduced water bills. The urinals are very easy to clean and maintain. The only things that require attention include the waterless urinal cartridges and sealant. You should always use a cartridge and sealant that meets the manufacturers requirements.

The urinals are ecofriendly and help you to reduce your carbon footprint on the environment. The urinal only pass urine down the drain. No water is used to drain the liquid waste. As a result, less waste flows to the sewage plant for treatment. Treating the waste water results in release of carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas. The harmful gas pollutes the environment and create climatic problems. You can play your part in reducing the carbon footprint by switching from flush urinals to waterless urinals. Since less water is passed to the sewage plants, less harmful greenhouse gas is released in the atmosphere.

Probably the best part about waterless urinals is that they require very little cleaning and maintained. Installation of the urinal is significantly easier as well as compared to installation of flush urinals. They are particularly recommended for new constructions as less pipework will be required to install the unit. The unit does not have any pipes for water supply. This saves costs in installing the urinal.

Waterless urinals are best suited for commercial areas. Public schools, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, parks, and state buildings benefit the most from installation of waterless urinals. The urinals help in conserving a large amount of water. This will result in savings in water bills. Also, the fact that the urinals require much less water as compared to traditional flush makes them a smart choice for public and commercial buildings. With regular maintenance, the urinals can last for a long time.

In the end, it’s important that you keep the waterless urinal in good condition. Always, clean the cartridge and replace the sealant at regularly intervals. The waterless urinal cartridges should be replaced about every 7,000 uses for high quality urinals and 1,500 uses for low quality urinal cartridges. Knowing how often to replace the cartridge will ensure proper functioning of the urinal. It will prevent odor problems and ensure that the urinal lasts for a long time.

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