Moving to water saving toilets has seen a steady change in the thinking and technology which has led to waterless urinals. Initially, a large amount of water was sent through the system to clear an individual’s urine, which usually amounts to far less than half a liter. Over time, facilities were re-designed and introduced so that the flush of a urinal would use less water. Nevertheless, there are still a range of bad odors that can be expected, especially in busy bathrooms filled with a set of urinals.
What Is the Smell?
You cannot be alone in wondering why many urinals present a dreadful smell that can linger across the entire bathroom. Urine, by itself, is virtually odorless. The poor smell that is associated to the standing urinals is a result of air mixing with the water within the urine. This generates an ammonia gas, which is the dreadful smell we all associate to those bathrooms.
For decades, water flushing urinals have use the P trap, just below the urinal and virtually out of sight, so much so, you may never have noticed it. The P trap holds a pool of water and almost certainly, some urine deposited before the previous flush. As this liquid stands, it will give off the smell of the poor odor.
As the unit flushes, again, wasting further water, the water and air mixes with the urine and sends more ammonia gas into the atmosphere.
Water saving toilets can reduce and potentially eliminate those bad smells because the chemical reaction cannot take place because water is not used to flush the urinal. Without this chemical interference, there are no odors to produce.
An airtight seal allows the urine to pass straight through and prevents any pooling of liquids.
Poor Bacteria Smells
Bacteria enjoys growing within a moist environment. When you reduce the amount of water either partially or totally by using water saving toilets, there is less opportunity for the bacteria to grow. Bacterial smells and poor odor from their growth is reduced or removed when waterless toilets are installed.
