Those pipes need to have a slope of at least a quarter of an inch per foot [source: Stumpf]. to be changed periodically along with a normal cleaning routine. "Daily Cleaning." Men use them normally, but the urinals don't flush. Heres how a waterless urinal works. Wired. 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]. "EcoJohn Sr. Propane Incinerating Toilet." Several things can affect the correct functioning of waterless urinals, and you can feel the smell fromyour restrooms. The sealant liquid needs to be replaced every 1,500 uses (two to four times a year) [source: Reichardt]. (April 14, 2011)http://www.waterless.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11&Itemid=78, Waterless. Our patented anti splash pour spout helps ensure cleaner pipes and a cleaner housing. Waterless urinals are typically designed like traditional urinals. (April 14, 2011)http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/03/70329, Davis, Joshua. "Drain Pit." Here is how they work: Waterless urinals are typically designed like traditional urinals. (April 14, 2011)http://old.sandi.net/energy/Page.asp?CategoryID=5&PageID=146, Stumpf, Annette L. "Waterless Urinals A Technical Evaluation." In conventional urinals, urine sits in the trap until flushed away by fresh water. Waste passes through an emissible layer of Sealant, continues through a Siphon Trap System, and flows out through a Patented Baffle to prevent the loss of Sealant. A tool called the X-Traptor must be used to remove the EcoTrap. Check with your local utility for more information. But for now, we want to focus on the trap temporarily holding the urine. Inside the trap is a special chemical liquid (or sometimes gels) that is less dense than the urine. Depending on the brand of urinal, those cartridges need to be either removed and cleaned, or disposed of and replaced. Moreover, this also reduces the electric bills because you do not have to refill water repeatedly to fill cisterns and perform flushing. One difference youll notice is that the waterless version doesnt have a supply pipe since it doesnt need water to flush the contents. According to the EPA, a typical office building that replaces its fixtures with highly efficient waterless urinals can save 26,000 gallons of water per yearor more. 2009.http://www.jenkinspublishing.com/sawdustoilet.html, Jenkins, Joseph. Because these urinals dont use any water, you end up helping to save both the environment and your bank account. After this landmark, waterless urinals were made legal in most parts of the country. Of course, like anything else, there are expensive designer varieties available at higher prices. 2008. The process allows the urine to drain naturally. If looked after properly, waterless urinals actually smell less than flush urinals because in flush urinals, calcium in the water reacts with uric acid in the urine to produce more limescale than with water alone. We must answer: it all depends. The replaceable and biodegradable, liquid-sealed cartridge filters waste so liquids enter the drain and sediments are collected for disposal when the cartridge is replaced after 6,000 to 7,000 uses.Multiplying each use by 1.6 gallons of water (to compare to low-flow toilets) or by 3.5 (to . "Where is all that urine going if you don't flush it?" In 7,000 uses, an old, inefficient urinal could use as much as 35,000 gallons of water. Buildings. The conventional one uses water for flushing these fixtures to make them hygienic. Their outflow pipes connect to a building's conventional plumbing system. (April 14, 2011)http://www.us.kohler.com/onlinecatalog/waterlessurinal.jsp?sect=3§ion=2&nsection=2&nsubsection=2&category=30&nitem=cat30, Reichardt, Klaus. This dome is the trap, a removable cartridge that makes waterless draining possible. "Cost Saving Analysis. When choosing a waterless urinal, you may want to check for details on cartridge life, cost and compatibility. In the center of that reservoir is an open pipe that drains out into the bathroom's waste line, the same waste line that standard urinals use. Waterless Urinal "Cost Saving Analysis" Tool. 1994-2023, W.W. Grainger, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Waterless urinals do not have any sort of flushing mechanism or any moving parts in general, and therefore require less maintenance and are also much less prone to breaking down. "Pissing Match: Is the World Ready for the Waterless Urinal?" These liquids are made of oily and gel-like materials, typically vegetable oils. Once underneath the sealant, the urine rests in a cylindrical well around a raised section of exposed pipe leading to the drainage line for the bathroom [source: Waterless]. "Checking and Adjusting Pitch/Slope." Not all brands of waterless urinals need removable cartridges, though. WES-150 Waterfree Urinal Cartridge Kit from Sloan. A highly efficient conventional urinal certified by the EPA's Watersense program will consume about 3,500 gallons of water. Moreover, unless normal urinals are very well maintained, they generally smell fairly bad. 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. Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: Matt Sailor Although waterless urinals dont need a water supply pipe (they dont flush), they still need to be connected to a sewer (where the urine exits the system). We'll discuss that later, but first let's explain how they work. Sept. 13, 2010. The vast majority of waterless urinal manufacturers design their fixtures to fit with conventional plumbing systems [source: Stumpf]. The other is the integrated trap type which does not contain any cartridge material. "Water Conservation." It is necessary to refill the oily liquid in them according to the frequency of their use and installation site. (April 12, 2011)http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/06/ff_waterless_urinal/, Falcon. Assuming you have two men in the household, a urinal can save about 3,250 gallons (about 12,302 liters) of water per year [source: Wilson]. Call us at (855) 982-2028 or request a job estimate online. In waterless urinals, urine is able to pass through the cartridge and into the drain without the need to flush. With a urinal from Waterless Co., the trap mentioned earlier can last three to six months, depending on use. Waterless Co., Inc is a pioneer in water efficiency. In addition our urinals help retain urine sediments. Waterless urinals usually fit standard 2-inch drainage lines or can be adapted to fit 1.5-inch lines. But actually, waterless urinals are relatively simple. 3. There are oil-based systems,. The more water a building uses in its urinals, the more it can save by switching. That layer of liquid or oil that sits on top of the urine makes for a great odor barrier. These remain dry due to the absence of a flushing system in them. Failure to do so will result in poor urinal performance. 2005http://humanurehandbook.com/downloads/Humanure_Handbook_all.pdf, Kaufman, Joanne. It contains the check valves that allow the seeping of urine into the drain and prevent their backflow. It shows that these do not need this for flushing urine into the P-traps and preventing sewer gasses from coming up. Just think about how much water, and therefore how much money you will save by using a dozen waterless urinals as opposed to ones that waste gallons and gallons of water. That estimate is based on a building with a few dozen male employees each using the urinal three times a day. But there is also a cost factor. Get more great content like this sent to your inbox. The chances of the presence of bacteria are less because these come in a humid environment. 3. Instead, these urinals use gravity to drain the liquid waste into pipes that are connected to your standard building plumbing system. Well, waterless urinals contain a special type of trap, which contains a special type of liquid. To keep a waterless urinal working properly, its important to keep the chemical liquid at the proper level. "Waterless Incinerating Toilet FAQ. How Do These Urinals Work? Not all waterless urinals use the trap cartridge method of evacuating waste. This liquid is specifically designed to be much less dense than urine. Waterless urinals work on the base of gravity principle; the urine moves down by passing through cartridges. (April 14, 2011)http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/03/70329, Davis, Joshua. Just like water flush urinals, Zerodor powered #PeePeePans require periodic cleaning. In the most common design, the waste flows into the trap through the series of circular slits along the top of the cartridge. Replace the cartridges according to their recommended time to prevent clogging of urinals. Removing the need to change existing urinal fixtures . Obviously, only the men in the house can use it, so the potential for conservation is limited. 2023 Reichelt Plumbing. Traditional urinals use between one and three gallons of water per flush. However, FacilitiesNet recommends not installing waterless urinals if the building's drain and vent system uses copper pipes. It depends on how much consumers are charged for water. (April 14, 2010)http://www.buildings.com/ArticleDetails/tabid/3321/ArticleID/10532/Default.aspx, Reichardt, Klaus. Flow testing and reporting. Meanwhile, the maintenance tasks on a typical waterless urinal might consume five or six gallonswhich is as close to zero as it gets. How Waterless Urinals Work Waterless Urinals Don't Smell Waterless Urinals Have Less Bacteria How much water do old urinals use? Our urinals save more than just water: they save time, and money. This trap serves many purposes, including blocking sewer odors from being released into the restroom. The water flushing after urine cleans the bowl and prevents it from yellow stains. This liquid not only forces the urine down and away from the urinal, it seals odor by preventing any odor or urine from seeping back up into the urinal. "Don't they stink?" Efficiency. As it enters the cartridge, the urine filters through the sealant, which stays on top because it is lighter than water [source: Reichardt]. Just like any other type of fixture or appliance, waterless urinals come in all different shapes, sizes, styles and colors. A larger building with one bathroom, three urinals and 120 male employees, could save approximately 237,000 gallons (or about 900,000 liters) of water each year [source: Waterless]. No-flush urinals can be installed virtually anywhere a conventional variety would be used. "How much water do waterless urinals really save?" (April 27, 2011)http://www.falconwaterfree.com/pdf/029-Pitch.pdf, Georgia Aquarium. Since water is not present in the urinal, less bacteria is present. How green is a self -contained composting toilet? Mahoney, Mark. With over 100,000 installations in the UK . 1. When you compare traditional urinals with waterless urinal systems, there are many points to consider. "Falcon Flows into the Mainstream." Internal components create speed and direction for exit flow, helping to keep your housing and pipes cleaner. (April 12, 2011)http://www.zeroflush.com/how_it_works.php. "Water Conservation at Georgia Aquarium." What things make waterless urinals different from conventional ones? Our fixtures have helped our clients save millions-of-gallons of water, which is good for both the environment, and their finances. A similar process happens in the trap . As more and more men come and use the urinal, the old waste flows out and the new waste flows in. Today, waterless urinals still haven't quite broken through to the mainstream. "Ecotrap." Review our simple maintenance instructions. When the urine flows through this trap, the liquid displaces the urine, forcing it lower into the trap. Green Building Advisor.com. Most urinals in use today use somewhere between 1 and 3 gallons (3.7 to 11.3 liters) of water for each flush [source: Reichardt]. All Rights Reserved. A discussion of waterless toilets wouldn't feel complete without covering waterless urinals. Wired. The information contained in this article is intended for general information purposes only and is based on information available as of the initial date of publication. 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). How the Zerodor trap works. Toll-Free 800.244.6364 Local 760.727.7723 info@waterless.com, Waterless Co. Inc., 1050 Joshua Way, Vista, CA, 92081, United States. Waterless urinals offer an environmentally friendly and sanitary alternative to traditional fixtures. The surfaces of the urinal bowl are urine repellent and smooth. April 22, 2021 / By Victor M. Brown Waterless urinals are pretty affluent and simple to use. July 15, 2021 If you go to a men's bathroom, a urinal is always one of the first things that you will see.