Recently, a large facility contacted us. They are considering installing waterless urinals and wanted to know if we could address some of their questions.
Because many of these questions are similar to what we hear from other organizations, large and small, we decided to publish the questions and our answers here.
Below is the gist of the call:
Besides the apparent water savings, are there any other benefits to waterless urinals compared to the traditional style?
Yes, there are. No more mechanical parts to repair or replace—this also means a lower parts inventory. Plus, they are invariably less costly to install than traditional urinals because no flush vales or special plumbing is needed. This also means no more urinal overflows. Waterless urinals are more hygienic due to dryness (less or no bacteria growth), and as no water is used, sewer charges are often reduced. Vandalism, if any, is minor.
What are the downsides to a waterless urinal when compared to the traditional style?
Honestly, the only ones are psychological. Sometimes users just like flushed urinals better.
What type of maintenance, and at what frequency, is required for these products? And do these urinals suffer from a build-up of uric salts?
We know the build-up in drain lines on flushed urinals comes from the combination of water and urine. With no water present, these hard encrustations will no longer occur when no-water urinals are installed. What is left in the line is soft sediment, which can be flushed out when the cartridge, which sits at the bottom of the urinal, is changed.
Before installation, the drain lines should be snaked/cleared to ensure a clean flow. Plumbers prefer clearing the drain when a waterless urinal is installed. If there is a blockage, there is no longer a need to remove the urinal to access the drain line for snaking. Remove the Eco Trap cartridge at the bottom of the urinal and snakes the drain line. Saves labor and time.
As to cleaning and maintenance, waterless urinals are cleaned the same way traditional urinals are cleaned. Except there is no reason for water or powdered cleaners. Simply spray the urinal, inside and out, with a cleaner and disinfectant. That should be all that is needed.
Is Blue Seal liquid harmful to the environment in any way?
Blue Seal is safe for the environment. It is biodegradable, which means that the ingredients will break down and blend back in with the earth. In most cases, these substances degrade without leaving any toxins behind. Further, the Eco Trap – the cylinder placed at the bottom of the urinal mentioned earlier - is recyclable. Also, on average, Blue Seal is added about two times a month, three ounces each time. This is an insignificant amount going into the drain line.
Can these fixtures support a concentrated high-usage environment?
Absolutely! We have our urinals installed in stadiums, such as the Atlanta Falcons Stadiums, and you can imagine the use for 437 urinals! Also, McDonald’s restaurants have had them installed for years.
What would be involved in replacing a traditional urinal with a waterless style? Could they be swapped out urinal-for-urinal, and how long is the entire process?
Typically, the urinals can be swapped out in 50 percent of our installs. In the other 50 percent, the drain line may need to be lowered. In a simple swap out, the water is turned off; the flush valve is removed and capped at the tile. The urinal is removed, the drain line snaked, and the waterless urinal installed.
For lowering the drain line, if that is necessary, the same removal procedure is followed, then some tile is removed, and with the opening, the drain line is lowered inside the wall.
In most cases, it takes about 45 minutes to remove a traditional urinal and install a new waterless urinal. Add about 15 minutes more if the drainpipe must be lowered.
