This cartridge collects sediment and directs the flow of liquid waste to the drain while blocking odors. The integrated-trap design does not use a cartridge. Instead, it uses a liquid sealant that separates the waste from the urinal bowl through a fixed basin trap or a trap built into the urinal body. Yet another type of waterless urinal does not require a liquid seal to operate. This urinal uses a flexible silicone diaphragm or elastomeric, expanding check valve. Typically housed in a removable cartridge, the diaphragm or check valve allows liquid waste to pass through and then seals, preventing sewer gases from entering the restroom.
Visit our trade show ». Each month, new resources will be available to help facility professionals advance their careers, save their organizations money, and tackle key trends facing the industry. See what's in it for you. The Path to Zero Energy Facilities ». View All ». Job Board. Post Your Jobs. Product Press Releases Updates and releases of facilities products from top manufacturerss Press Releases By Company Case Studies Analysis and demonstration of products and services for the benefit of commercial and institutional facilities Vision Award Winners.
For example, a model manufactured in Australia uses solid blocks packed with microbes to neutralize bacteria and filter urine downward. A Swedish version uses bursts of compressed air to push out the waste [source: Stumpf ].
Just the phrase "waterless urinal" sounds like some kind of smelly malfunction, not something you would actually want to use or live with. Controlling unpleasant smells was actually one of the main problems in the development process for waterless urinals [source: Davis ]. Sewers are full of all kinds of odors, and even gases that can be health hazards if they escape.
One of the main purposes of the sealant that floats on top of the urine in waterless urinal trap cartridges is to keep any foul odors from escaping through the pipes [source: Waterless ]. The sealant stays floating on top of the urine in the trap at all times. The seal that it creates also keeps the smell of urine that is sitting in the trap for long periods of time from escaping.
Also, since no flush is needed to empty out the urinal, there is no chance that urine will pool in the bowl. Waterless urinals have ultra-smooth bowls designed with a steep enough slope that all liquid will flow directly down into the reservoir without pooling up [source: Waterless ]. At the point that it leaves the body, urine is mostly sterile. In a normal toilet, it is actually the mixing of urine and water , not the urine alone, that encourages bacteria to grow and spread [source: Reichardt ].
Once the particulates and minerals in urine react with the minerals and chemicals in water, bacteria begin to thrive. Since there is no water introduced in a waterless urinal, there is less bacteria growth. The sealant in a urinal also keeps it from being exposed to air, where bacteria travels and spreads. Flushing urinals can also send small water droplets into the air, which can spread bacteria throughout the bathroom and even onto your hands or clothes [source: Waterless ].
Waterless urinals don't create that problem. Still, like any bathroom fixture, you need to clean waterless urinals regularly to make sure they stay clean and bacteria doesn't find a place to latch on and grow. Cleaning them is relatively simple: You can use a household cleaning solution and a sponge or cloth to wipe down the exterior surfaces [source: Zero Flush ].
Waterless urinals are truly waterless. They don't use some water , or a little water. They use no water. So the amount of water you can conserve by installing one is essentially equal to the amount of water used by the urinal it replaces.
Most urinals in use today use somewhere between 1 and 3 gallons 3. That variance is so large because older urinals use a lot more water, and newer ones tend to use less because of an increased focus on conservation.
Urinals produced during the s and '00s use closer to 1 or 1. Some extremely low-flow fixtures use even less. Older urinals can use closer to 3 or 3. Other variables include the amount of use the urinal gets. A urinal in a busy office where plus men work will use more water than one located in a small restaurant or gas station. Taking all of the variables into account, a single urinal in a workplace with a few dozen employees can save about 45, gallons about , liters of water per year [source: Stumpf ].
The vast majority of waterless urinal manufacturers design their fixtures to fit with conventional plumbing systems [source: Stumpf ]. Many large fixture producers, like Kohler and Sloan, even have their own waterless toilet lines. Of course, it makes business sense to keep them adaptable since waterless urinals can be a tough enough sell as it is, for some. Specifically, waterless urinals usually fit standard 2-inch drainage lines , or can be adapted to fit 1.
Since they don't need any water for flushing, they don't need to be hooked up to a second line for potable water supply. If you've ever seen a waterless urinal, you might have noticed a pipe protruding from the wall above it, with apparently no purpose.
That pipe is the unused water supply line, which needs to be capped when waterless urinals are installed to replace traditional urinals. Since waste water won't be flushed out with a fast moving stream of water, the pipes leading from the urinals to your waste line need to be sloped enough that waste can drain out easily.
Those pipes need to have a slope of at least a quarter of an inch per foot [source: Stumpf ]. If the lines aren't sloped enough, they will have to be modified, which involves replacing the few feet or less of pipe leading from the bottom of the urinal to the main waste line [source: Falcon].
Waterless urinals allow you to do away with unnecessary pipes and gaskets used by flush urinals. This frustrates plumbers. Worldwide, plumber unions have come together to keep them illegal. That situation is, however, changing as we speak.
I am glad you feel this way. If because of any reasons you feel otherwise, do let me know in comments. You can follow us on Facebook and help us spread the word around.
We publish 1—2 posts a day, based on our experiences and those of our friends in the community. Check it out. If you know someone who might be interested in considering waterless urinals for their office restrooms, send them over to this page. Till next time! Humane, Hygienic and Sustainable Sanitation Solutions that…. Social Scientist. Often all of it together.
Sign in. The men restrooms are undergoing a new revolution. This is a chronicle of how the revolution has come to be and why is it needed. Aishwarya Chaturvedi Follow. Better Sanitation for More People Follow. Written by Aishwarya Chaturvedi Follow. More From Medium. CSCP Office. How to live with less plastic even during a pandemic.
0コメント