Chances are, if you’ve used a public urinal, you may have already used a waterless system. They’re often found in busy public restrooms, especially in areas that suffer from droughts because they save money on water and sewer and reduce usage.
Waterless urinals may sound a bit strange at first, and you’re probably wondering how do waterless urinals work anyway?
Don’t worry, it will all make sense soon.
If you’re considering installing one (or many if you have a busy restroom), you probably want to understand more about them before you make the leap.
Here’s what you need to know:
Waterless Urinals Use a One-Way Valve and a Trap
Instead of flushing the urinal to get rid of the urine, gravity does the work for you. A one-way valve ensures that urine leaves the urinal and doesn’t come flooding back in. The valve sends the urine into a trap that has a chemical that displaces the urine, making it move further into the trap.
The chemical also seals odors, so it won’t smell like, well, a urinal. The chemical is usually an oil or a gel, and it needs to be replaced based on the manufacturer’s recommendations. The trap collects the urine and once it’s so full, the urine goes into a drain that leads out to the sewer.
Why Choose a Waterless Urinal?
There are many benefits to choosing a waterless urinal. The absence of water in the urinal reduces the number of bacteria in it as well, making the whole setup more sanitary than traditional urinals that use water.
Additionally, you won’t have to worry about maintaining the flushing mechanics, a cistern, or the water supply pipes because none of these things are present without water. This means you won’t have to bother with flooding if a pipe breaks or any other disaster that can happen with water pipes and wearable parts.
You’ll enjoy the cost savings you’ll find on your water bill, too. You’d be surprised how much water is used when you flush a traditional urinal. According to the EPA, an office building may use 26,000 gallons of water a year just flushing urinals.
Don’t have that many urinals you say? Even if you only have a single traditional urinal, you are using anywhere from 1 to 5 gallons of water. With the average toilet, you are using 1 to 3 gallons per flush – and even more if you have an old, inefficient toilet.
When you consider how many times a single person flushes in a day, a month, and a year, all of that adds up quickly and you’ll feel it in your wallet.
Maintenance and Installation
Maintaining a waterless urinal isn’t difficult because you don’t have to worry about all the different mechanisms a toilet or traditional urinal has. You’ll want to keep it clean and replace the chemical cartridge when it is empty, wears out, or doesn’t work any longer.
You should avoid harsh chemicals when cleaning and listen to what the manufacturer recommends when it comes to cleaning your waterless urinal – certain cleansers and chemicals can cause the chemical cartridge that traps in odors to stop working.
Even though waterless urinals don’t use a water supply line because they don’t flush or use water, they still have to be connected to the sewer. Our team of professionals can install your new, efficient waterless urinals with minimal disruption to your daily operations.
If you’re ready to make the switch to waterless urinals, contact us today.
