how do waterless urinals work?
A removable cartridge is inserted into the drain. This cartridge has a built-in trap that contains a layer of sealant that floats on top of both water and urine. Urine, which is heavier than the sealant, passes through the sealant and then out through the trap. The construction of the cartridge allows urine, which is heavier than the sealant, to pass through the sealant. The sediment settles out and is contained in the cartridge, while the remaining urine passes into the drain and into the sewer system. The sealant also forms a seal that prevents sewer gas from leaking out. Personally, I am a big supporter of waterless urinals. Overall, I feel that the time spent annually maintaining waterless urinals versus flush urinals is less. There are no moving mechanical parts to replace, and there are less risks or damage that is associated from breakage, stopped up drains, or vandalism. And then of course there is the water savings. However, as with any new technology, there are some very crit
The two main issues that must be addressed for any urinal installation are odour and blockage. Simply turning off the water to standard urinals should not lead to odour. In fact the lack of lime-scale on the urinal surface can reduce smell. While the stale urine in urinal traps is extremely malodorous, this smell does not normally escape into the room, unless of course the trap is leaking onto the floor. This is perhaps less surprising when sink and basin traps are considered. If these are dismantled the resulting rancid smell is extremely unpleasant and yet we wash our faces and dishes in close proximity without the need for lemon-fresh sink plugs. Despite research indicating the lack of odour from un-flushed urinal bowls, most commercial waterless systems incorporate anti-odour measures such as scented pads, sticks, blocks or mats. These scents may be useful for masking general toilet smells but there is little evidence for their need to mask smells from the actual urinal bowl or tra
Waterless urinals use a buoyant blue liquid (that is biodegradable) that floats above urine and seals out sewer gas from the bathroom. Gravity takes care of the rest. UCSB has over 50 waterless urinals installed and each urinal saves 40,000 gallons of water per year. To make sure that the urinals are properly maintained UCSB recommends that all custodial staff is well trained in how to maintain a waterless urinal. So far the campus has not encountered any major problems and they do not smell if properly maintained. Maintenance time is reduced in a waterless urinal and the replaceable plastic cartridge inside is 100% recyclable. Since there is no water in the urinal there is less bacterial growth; there is also no handle to flush, and no unflushed present from the last user.
Waterless urinals are becoming a fixture in many green buildings because they save 1.5-3 gallons of water per flush. Waterless urinals use gravity, valves and/or fluid dynamics to trap liquid waste and create a seal between urine, odors and sediment and the bathroom itself. Various methods such as a cartridge that holds biodegradable liquid which urine passes through before collecting safely beneath/below or through the use of sensitive valves that unroll as liquid (urine) enters them, then roll up to create a seal. Liquid separation methods create an airtight seal and typically employ a combination of a funnel and pleasant smelling sealant liquids. Similar to traditional urinals, waterless urinals require regular cleaning to create an odor-free environment. The installation of waterless urinals qualifies for LEED WE Credit 2: Innovative Wastewater Technologies. ***NOTE: At the moment, many waterless urinals are prohibited by building code in many major cities, including New York City.
Georgia Tech has a number of waterless urinals on campus. Estimated to save between 15,000 and 45,000 gallons of water per year, waterless urinals use environmentally friendly liquids, instead of water, to carry urine into existing waste lines. The surfaces of waterless urinals are also urine resistant to reduce the amount of liquid required to cleanse the fixture. Georgia Tech also makes a conscious effort to install low-flow urinals when waterless urinals are not an option. More than half of Tech’s urinals use one gallon of water or less per flush.
