Waterless urinals work by saving a lot of water and are more environment friendly, as they do not consume water for flushing. They are sanitary, and their maintenance cost is less as compared to conventional urinals.
Are Waterless Urinals Sanitary? Waterless urinals are sanitary because they do not need flushing, handles, or buttons and are touch-free, which prevents cross-contamination. They avoid the reaction of ammonia in urine and water, which causes mineral buildup and ammonia volatilization. The presence of liquid sealant makes them more hygienic and reduces the chances of bacteria and mold growth.
Less water usage makes them more hygienic. They do not need an abrasive and harsh cleaner for a more hygienic environment because it can affect the fixture’s performance.
Why are waterless urinals sanitary?
These urinals are more sanitary than conventional ones because of the following reasons.
No flushing
Conventional urinals have a bowl and strainer that collects the waste, and the flushing valve sends water with high pressure to draw this waste into the drains and sewage.
They are more prone to pathogens and germs spreading in the air due to flushing and contaminating the air.
The microbes can cause health problems when inhaled because they can disperse throughout the bathroom and on nearby surfaces.
You can get germs and bacteria from these surfaces when coming in contact with your hands and clothes.
Theey do not operate with water, and the chances of getting germs decrease because the urine and water splashes do not drop on the walls, floor, and clothes, which makes them more hygienic.
No handles and buttons
The traditional urinals have handles or buttons to press when you want to flush out the waste down the sewage pipes.
These handles and buttons can cause germs to spread when a lot of people touch them with dirty hands.
You can touch other objects with dirty hands, and bacteria can transfer to these objects, which causes them to spread in the restroom and make the environment unhygienic.
They do not have any handle or button to flush out the urine into the drain pipes, as it works by gravity and uses a sealant that remains on the top.
They are touch-free, with fewer chances of cross-contamination when you do not touch the handles and buttons with germs.
In addition, research showed that waterless urinals are now becoming more famous among people for more sanitary reasons than traditional ones.
Ammonia and water
The urine contains ammonia and bicarbonate, causing ammonia volatilization and limescale buildup on the plumbing fixture and inside the drain pipes when it combines with the water.
Conventional urinals are more prone to mineral buildup due to the presence of water and urine in the bowl, which makes them less sanitary.
In addition, the ammonia mixed with water causes an unpleasant smell due to the bacterial reaction on this compound and makes the environment unhygienic.
These urinals do not use water. Therefore, the chances of mineral buildup, corrosion, and ammonia volatilization are less, which makes them more hygienic and easy to maintain.
Liquid sealants
The liquid sealants seal the harmful sewer gases and allow the urine to flow down the drainage.
In addition, they obstruct the smell-causing bacteria from rising into the restroom and use deodorizers to make the environment more sanitary. It helps to get rid of the smell from these urinals.
The liquid sealants suppress the nasty odor from the urine, and the cartridge over it blocks the dirt particles that can cause the clog inside the drain pipes and make the plumbing fixture unhygienic.
The traditional urinals do not use any sealant or cartridge, allowing foreign particles to clog the pipes.
Moreover, they can cause more smell due to the absence of any deodorizing liquid in the bowl.
No chances of bacteria and mold
Bacteria and mold grow and survive in water and moist places, which allows them to multiply into hundreds.
In addition, the traditional ones uses excessive water to operate, which allows more bacteria and mold growth there and causes unsanitary conditions, such as foul smell.
They remain dry, and the risk of bacteria and mold in this plumbing fixture is less, which makes them more hygienic.
They do not find any wet breeding ground to survive there, and regular cleaning causes any bacterial and mold presence to vanish.
Many green buildings are now installing these products with no water consumption because they provide more hygiene and less water usage.
They are not only hygienic for the restroom and bathroom but also for the environment.
Why do some people consider waterless urinals non-hygienic?
People have been using these urianls for a long time. However, the concept of the waterless urinal is not common among people who love old methods and techniques and do not want to experience new innovations.
Some people consider these plumbing fixtures unhygienic, compared to the traditional urinals, because of no water usage in flushing the urine.
However, they remain conscious of flushing the water to flow the urine down the drain pipes to make this fixture more sanitary.
They might think that the urine remains in the bowl and will cause germs and smell after some time, which is not true.
You cannot use water to clean the plumbing fixture, making them think they are not sanitary.
Less water use in the drains causes concentrated urine and sewer gases to accumulate due to clogging. You have to remove the cartridge to unclog it and replace the liquid sealant.
The urine splashes on the rim and bowl can cause mineral buildup over time if you do not clean them regularly because the splashes cannot flush away with water, as in traditional urinals.
How can you make waterless urinals sanitary?
Waterless urinals are more hygienic as compared to conventional ones.
You can make them more hygienic by cleaning and maintaining them after regular intervals.
In addition, you can use urinal mats, caps, and tablets to reduce the unpleasant smell inside the plumbing fixture.
It is better to apply a disinfecting spray once a day to remove the bacteria and stingy odor that remains on the surface after using a cleaner.
In addition, it can stop the growth of mold and mildew inside the bowl and around the rim.
It can reduce the risk of germs spreading in the air, but you can use the disinfectants recommended by professionals to prevent damage on the surface.
In addition, proper maintenance is necessary to make them more sanitary because the damaged cartridge and sealant cannot work well to avoid the smell and pathogens.
Replace the sealant and cartridge after three to six months.
You can use expensive, high-quality liquid sealant to make them last longer.
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