Oftentimes, owners of commercial premises will decide to install a waterless urinal instead of one that flushes. That is a huge mistake, says Rick Hedge, owner of The Plumber’s Plumber in Southwestern Florida. Unless they are maintained properly – and they rarely are – they will smell to high heaven, he says.
Waterless urinals are just that, urinals without water. Our experiences with them have been not positive. That is, unless they are maintained properly. And unfortunately, few are.
The problem you have is that if you put in a waterless urinal in a commercial premises, and it is not treated with the urinal treatment that comes with it, then the urine will fill up. That will create not only a foul smell but it will also solidify in the drain, thus restricting the drain, and ultimately, it will stop the drain from draining.
A poorly maintained urinal has probably the most disturbing odor you can imagine. It is not pleasant at all, and it is not pleasant when you have customers using the urinal who are assaulted by that odor.
If you use these waterless urinals, the solution is that you have to follow the directions religiously according to the manufacturer’s specifications. If you don’t, the waterless urinal will be a major problem for you in years to come.
I would recommend that commercial premises put in urinals that have water in them. The difference is clear: One has water, done doesn’t. One flushes, one doesn’t.
Urinals that use water are a lot less likely to get clogged and they smell a lot less. They also require a lot less maintenance and therefore are easy to keep smelling pleasant. And you don’t have to rely as much on regular maintenance to treat the urinal and keep everything working nicely.
