The waterless urinals are less costly than the conventional ones and are more hygienic because you do not have to touch the press handle of the flushing system with your hands.
How to Unclog a Waterless Urinal? You can unclog a waterless urinal with a dry or wet vacuum, replace cartridges, warm water flushing, commercial cleaners, plunger, toilet augers, metal wires, citric acid, lemon and vinegar, and carbonated beverages.
The cartridges contain salts, deodorizing chemicals, and enzymes seeping into the pipes and urine. The accumulation of these foreign particles causes blockage in plumbing pipes and their narrowing.
Wet or dry vacuum
Sometimes the clogging of cartridges does not allow the free fall movement of urine into the drains. The clogging issues come when you do not replace them for longer and maintain them.
Regular maintenance is necessary to keep them in a working position. The urine collects in the bowls and does not move into the draining system along with gravity because of clogging issues.
Use the wet and dry vacuum to remove the urine collected in the bowl and inspect the cartridges. Wrap an old towel or cloth around the hose of the vacuum pipes.
Direct the pipe in the center of the bowl and turn them on so it can suck up all the waste products. The vacuum is also helpful in removing salts and urates that are present in highly concentrated urines.
Replace cartridge
Sometimes the leakage in the cartridge seal occurs, allowing the seeping of salts and enzymes into the plumbing pipes. Therefore, it is necessary to replace them every 4 to 5 months.
You can replace them after every 2 to 3 months if these are present in public places and more people are using them daily.
Wear gloves because urine splashes dripping from cartridges come on your hand when you pull them.
Take the old key or metal wire to remove the cartridges. Keep them at their place after loosening to allow dripping of excessive liquid and waste material.
Put the older ones in the garbage bags and throw them outside. Clean the surrounding areas of the bowl and inspect the pipes before installation of new ones.
Install the new cartridges after cleaning and add the seals if necessary.
Warm water flushing
Warm water flushing after one or two weeks is necessary to remove the residues of concentrated urines. In addition, the concentrated urines come in direct contact with copper pipes, making them more vulnerable to rust.
It is necessary to remove their residues and dilute the chemicals with water. However, you cannot pour water directly into these fixtures because it can damage the seals and liquid oil.
Take out the old cartridge seals with metal wire to add water. Boil water in the large bucket until it reaches the boiling temperature.
Slowly pour it into the drains, and it will remove all of the residues that remain in the pipes and are causing clogging. In addition, it can also clear the dried stains from the bowl that usually make them smelly.
Commercial cleaners
Most commercial cleaners are available in the market for cleaning toiletries. However, the chemical composition depends on the type of fixtures present in the bathroom.
Moreover, the chemical composition of these liquids also depends on the type of material of the respective fixtures.
You cannot use commercial bathroom cleaners for them because these can damage their plumbing pipes and produce scratches on the bowl.
The harsh and highly acidic ones produce scratches on the porcelain bowls and erode the copper pipes.
You can use neutral and all-purpose cleaners to unblock their pipes and prevent the bowl from exposure to harsh chemicals.
Remove the cartridge to add these cleaning agents to pipes and remove waste residues.
Plunger and augers
Plungers and augers are the unclogging equipment that people mostly keep to unclog toilets and other draining fixtures in their homes.
The use of plumbers and toilet augers is quite handy because little mishandling produces cracks in plumbing pipes and breaks them, which can lead to the leaking of waste.
The plumbing can suck the urine waste and its crystals from the pipes by creating the vacuuming action. In addition, toilet augers help break them, and you can flush them with water for smooth movement in pipes.
Remove the cartridges from the urinals and insert the toilet auger in them. Move the auger in different directions to scrape the dry urine residues and minerals from the pipe walls.
Metal wire
The old metal wires having lopped end helps in unclogging waterless urinals. Removing the cartridges from the bowls is necessary to insert metal wires.
Take the old metal wires and bend one side with pliers for their better functioning. Insert it inside and move them in a clockwise anticlockwise direction.
You can also use old metal hangers for your cloth by disengaging them. Detach their joining ends with pliers and straighten them.
Do the same procedure as you are following of metal wires. You can use hangers if metal wires are not present in your homes.
Lemon and vinegar
Lemon and vinegar are the cheapest household items and are easy to use. I prefer to use them to drain and unclog my waterless urinals because lemon leaves a fresh smell that can make the space pleasant.
Squeeze the lemons in the small bowl and fill the other half with liquid vinegar. Shake the solution with a spoon to maintain consistency and mix them well.
Take the cartridges from the bowls and add the solution to the draining system. The solution can easily remove the residues of the salts and enzymes in cartridges and cause clogging.
In addition, it helps in the breakdown of dried urates that do not move in plumbing lines. You can also use the citric acid solution in liquid form and mix them with water.
In addition, the juice of lemon, grapefruits, and other fruits contains a high acetic or citric acid content and helps unclog.
Carbonated beverages
Using carbonated beverages is a household-based and cost-effective method to unclog the waterless urinals of your home and public areas.
Most restaurants and hotels prefer these drinks because they are readily available in their refrigerators to serve their guests.
The carbonated beverages contain phosphoric acid, an effective drain cleaner that removes the uric acid residues, salts, and urates from the pipes.
Dismantle the cartridges from the traps of the urinals and add a cup of cola beverages. It is necessary to pour them speedily for their efficient and better results.
Moreover, you can also use other soft drinks that contain phosphoric acids as their active ingredients.
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