Waterless urinals have become famous for the last 15-20 years because they save water for flushing in public restrooms and toilets. Many people find it challenging to clean these urinals. They can operate without using water for the urine to flush out into the drains.
How to Clean and Maintain Waterless Urinals? You can clean the waterless urinals by using a cleaner and wet sponge, rub it on the sides, dry it with a cloth and remove the dust or any foreign object, and pour hot water into the drain. You can maintain them by properly cleaning, replacing the cartridge every 2 to 6 months, checking the leakage, and do not put water in it. You should not use abrasive brushes and harsh cleaners in it.
They are designed in such a way that a vertical trap or cartridge through which the urine flows into a u-shaped chamber.
The cartridge is filled with a biodegradable liquid sealant, which is a mixture of vegetable oils, coloring dye, and fatty alcohol and acts as a barrier for the sewer gases to rise out from the chamber.
How to clean waterless urinals?
Cleaning the waterless urinals is easy and does not require many tools and equipment because of no water consumption in the flushing.
Water can damage the cartridge or other parts of the urinal; therefore, it is better to have proper knowledge about cleaning these plumbing fixtures.
They can last for a long time if you clean them with proper training and correct cleaning agents because they use vitreous china, porcelain, stainless steel, and other materials for their manufacturing. However, slight negligence in their cleaning can damage the urinals.
You should wear rubber gloves and goggles to protect yourself because the bacteria and germs present there can cause different health problems.
Also, remove cigarette butts and other foreign objects from the urinal, as the trap prevents large particles from passing through it.
Take a waterless urinal cleaner, and spray it all around the corners and inside the fixture.
Let it stay for 2-3 minutes, as mentioned on the label card, to kill all the germs and smell-causing bacteria. Then, you can dip a soft cloth, brush, towel, or sponge in warm water.
Wipe the wet sponge all around its sides and then clean it with a dry cloth. You can use an air freshener deodorant or any disinfectant spray to remove the smell around this place.
You can replace the trap and refill the sealant if the regular cleaning does not work to remove the smell and there is sediment accumulation in the fixtures.
You can remove the trap by using a screwdriver or the manufacturer’s metal tool.
Take 1-2 gallons of hot water, pour it directly into the drain without the cartridge, and trap it in the urinal.
You can pour 1-2 tablespoons of cleaner into the drain and flush it out after 2-3 minutes to avoid clogging the drainage.
Place the new trap in it, and pour 12-13 ounces of water and 3-4 ounces of liquid sealant to keep it working for a long time with proper cleaning.
Many manufacturers do not allow trap replacement, but you can remove the trap and clean it with an effective cleaner.
How to maintain waterless urinals?
Maintenance of the waterless urinal is also easy, and you can follow the following points to maintain the fixture from wear and tear.
Do not use abrasive brushes and cleaners
The abrasive brushes and toxic chemical cleaners can cause the smooth fixture surface to be damaged.
They can also cause cracks on the inner sides and pipes, leading to leakage and poor performance.
Some manufacturers allow their special cleaners made for the specific material of the urinal because other cleaners can affect the cartridge and liquid sealant.
In addition, the abrasive brushes cause scratches on the smooth finishing of the fixture and make it look unattractive and rough.
Proper cleaning
Proper cleaning is necessary for their durability, such as cleaning it daily with a soft cloth to remove the urine splashes around the corners and draining the hot water every 30-40 days.
You can replace the trap and refill the sealant, as it can work well for an average of 6000-9000 uses, depending on the usage and traffic in that area.
However, you may need to clean or replace it more often if the average use of the urinal is more as compared to a less traffic area.
Cartridge replacement
You can replace the cartridge after two to six months to maintain the performance of the fixture.
Its cartridge will collect all the dirt and sediments and is more prone to damage if not replaced or cleaned after a few months.
Ensure the cleaning workers know the manufacturing instructions before cleaning or replacing the cartridge. So they can last longer without clogging after 2000-8000 average uses.
Check the leakage
The vent and drainage system installed using copper can cause corrosion and rust on the copper due to the concentrated urine that goes into the drains without using water and the gases produced in the sewage.
The material used in the manufacturing of these fixtures rarely causes any leakage. Still, the use of highly acidic cleaners and urine acid build-up can cause leakage in the drain pipes.
It is better to call a professional plumber if you observe any leakage in the urinal or drain pipes before the problem becomes severe.
Avoid putting water
Since the waterless urinal does not use water for flushing the urine down the drains, it can cause malfunctioning of the cartridge and trap if you use water in the fixture.
In addition, they are designed to keep the liquid sealant floating over the surface because of their lower density than the urine.
The calcium in water mixed with the urine causes limescale deposits, which lead to the blockage of the drainage system.
Why cleaning and maintaining waterless urinals is important?
Cleaning and maintaining these plumbing fixtures is essential because the urine smell and bacteria in the public restrooms can cause an unhygienic and unpleasing environment.
The guests in hotels and restaurants get a bad impression of this place if the bathrooms are not clean.
The cleaning and maintenance are not difficult, as they do not use water, and there are fewer chances of clogging and overflow if you clean them occasionally.
Moreover, they do not need urinal tablets, cakes, or mats and are less expensive to maintain for a long time.
It is better to clean the urinals because the liquid in the cartridge erodes after a few months, depending on the quality of the sealant to select.
This can make the urine flow slowly into the drain pipes, leading to the cartridge’s smell and bacteria.
The poor maintenance of these plumbing fixtures causes inefficient performance, and they stop working soon.
They can cost between $250-$2500, depending on the brand and material quality used in the manufacturing.
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