Why Waterless Urinals Might Be a Good Fit for Your Facility
With sustainability continuing to be a dominant focus in building design and management, one of the major areas receiving attention is plumbing and plumbing systems. Water is not always an abundant resource, especially in states that frequently experience droughts. When designing a truly sustainable building, it’s essential to factor in a building’s water usage.
Imagine a large public building – perhaps a courthouse or a sports stadium. With the large volume of daily traffic through the building and its restrooms, thousands of gallons of water are used in service of flushing. This is unavoidable for the toilets in women’s and men’s restrooms, since waterless alternatives are not available. But for urinals, waterless options DO exist. Here are some reasons why waterless urinals might be a good fit for your facility:
- Incredible Water Savings
Clearly, a ‘waterless’ urinal doesn’t rely on the use of water to function. But, just how much can one waterless urinal save? According to Facilitiesnet, one waterless urinal can save up to 40,000 gallons of water per year, compared to a standard one-gallon per flush urinal.
- Manageable Maintenance
A waterless urinal is not maintained the same way as a traditional urinal, but maintenance requirements are still reasonable. Buildings.com recommends wiping down urinal surfaces with a neutral or all-purpose cleaner (while taking care NOT to pour soiled water down the trap/cartridge, since this will flush out the sealant). Sealant in the urinal cartridge may also need to be replaced up to twice a month and the cartridge should be replaced around four times per year, depending on usage. It is also important to flush the drain with hot water once the cartridge is removed or replaced.
- Reduced Spread of Bacteria
Since waterless urinals have no flush handle, they eliminate one of the major surface sources of bacteria. In environments where preventing the spread of bacteria is essential, the lack of a handle is a useful consideration.
Unfortunately, not every jurisdiction permits the installation of waterless urinals. According to Facilitiesnet, the International Plumbing Code (IPC) “requires all plumbing fixtures to have a water supply, when required for proper operation, and that water provides the trap seal.”
It is important for building managers to check with local officials before replacing standard urinals to determine whether waterless urinals are code compliant. If you make the decision to upgrade to waterless or are looking for supplies to maintain your waterfree urinals, www.shopmarketnet.com has you covered! We stock premium cartridges from Sloan and Falcon. Our team is happy to answer any questions you may have. Don’t hesitate to give us a call at 866.700.CLEAN (2532) to learn more.
