plumber
01-07-2006, 08:29 PM
Plumbdog created a thread a few months ago regarding waterless urinals. Since the topic evolved to and then stayed on low consumption toilets it seemed prudent to begin another thread on the urinals.
I just attended a four hour continuing education class which is required in my State every year to qualify for licensing renewel. The first two hours consisted of a Sloan factory rep discussing auto flushometers and waterless urinals. Seems most of the inspectors present agreed its a horrible idea but are also stating they think eventual code acceptance is inevitable.
This is great for Sloan as they will have an exclusive patent on the seal formula and cartriges which will need to be changed on a regular basis and require that the urinals be cleaned daily with their particular cleaner with a narrow PH zone. The amount of money this manufacturer will stand to make is amazing. However when asked how the inside of the urinal is to stay clean without being flushed the rep insisted that a once a day HAND cleaning is enough.
Not sure who else on the planet can agree with this. We have all been to stadiums and parks where urinals become disgusting after only an hour or so. We have also been in truck stops where urinals are disgusting even when they are flushed. Unless these public places hire a full time attendent with a dozen bottles of approved cleaner those restrooms are going to look and smell like something from the 1700s. Lets not even mention bars and nightclubs, chewing tobacco and all the other disgusting things commonly discarded or hurled into urinals that will be present all day long until the night janitor arrives. And may god pity the night janitor who is to wipe the thing clean with a rag and approved cleaner. (can you say 1000 dollars an hour)
It would behoove most plumbers who care about health and safety, not to mention sensible standards of cleanliness, to write their State Legislatures across the country and suggest they kick this bad idea out the door before these become common place. The time to stop this nonsense is before it gets going. These waterless urinals are more about a company who wants to make a lot of money more than it is about sanitation in America. Sloan may want to take the water out of plumbing in order to put money in their pocket but lets not let them. :(
I just attended a four hour continuing education class which is required in my State every year to qualify for licensing renewel. The first two hours consisted of a Sloan factory rep discussing auto flushometers and waterless urinals. Seems most of the inspectors present agreed its a horrible idea but are also stating they think eventual code acceptance is inevitable.
This is great for Sloan as they will have an exclusive patent on the seal formula and cartriges which will need to be changed on a regular basis and require that the urinals be cleaned daily with their particular cleaner with a narrow PH zone. The amount of money this manufacturer will stand to make is amazing. However when asked how the inside of the urinal is to stay clean without being flushed the rep insisted that a once a day HAND cleaning is enough.
Not sure who else on the planet can agree with this. We have all been to stadiums and parks where urinals become disgusting after only an hour or so. We have also been in truck stops where urinals are disgusting even when they are flushed. Unless these public places hire a full time attendent with a dozen bottles of approved cleaner those restrooms are going to look and smell like something from the 1700s. Lets not even mention bars and nightclubs, chewing tobacco and all the other disgusting things commonly discarded or hurled into urinals that will be present all day long until the night janitor arrives. And may god pity the night janitor who is to wipe the thing clean with a rag and approved cleaner. (can you say 1000 dollars an hour)
It would behoove most plumbers who care about health and safety, not to mention sensible standards of cleanliness, to write their State Legislatures across the country and suggest they kick this bad idea out the door before these become common place. The time to stop this nonsense is before it gets going. These waterless urinals are more about a company who wants to make a lot of money more than it is about sanitation in America. Sloan may want to take the water out of plumbing in order to put money in their pocket but lets not let them. :(