Urinal blockages are caused by the build-up of uric scale, which is formed when urine mixes with water, as this causes the salts found in urine to dissolve within the water.
As the water evaporates, salts are left behind, forming uric scale which ultimately leads to narrowing of the internal structure of the drainage pipe, resulting in significant blockages over a period of time.
The reason why the salts cannot simply be dissolved by the flowing water within the pipes is because the salt structure that forms uric scale is only sparingly soluble, meaning that a relatively large amount of water is required to dissolve a relatively small amount of uric scale. The reason for this is a product of inter and intra molecular forces at the molecular level.
By reducing water flow within a urinal system, the effect of uric scale build-up is actually increased, as both water and urine remain, but at smaller, much more concentrated levels.
The process of salt dissolving in water happens because of the charges possessed by H20 – where the oxygen molecule has a slightly negative charge and the hydrogen molecule has a slightly positive charge – and the relationship these charges have with the salt ions. Positive charges attract negative charges, and negative charges attract positive charges. However, positive charges will repel other positive charges, and negative charges will repel other negative charges.
In regard to the relationship between water and salt, if the charges in water are strong enough to ‘pull’ the salt structure apart, the salt will dissolve. This is the expectation of a normal frequent flushing urinal system without any additional flush-saving device installed.
Heat also helps this process because the energy possessed by heat will cause the bonds in the salt structure to break, meaning less ‘force’ is required by the charges in the water to ‘pull’ the salt structure apart.
By mixing urine with water, the salts in the urine dissolve only if the flushing process is frequent and of significant volume.
Once the water evaporates, the salts remain in the pipe work. As a relatively large amount of water is required to dissolve a relatively small amount of salt, the uric scale continues to build up.
By decreasing water flow and not removing it totally, urine salt deposits continue to build up as the lower volume of water present within urine evaporates, which in turn causes foul smell and blocked urinals that will then ultimately overflow and require maintenance.
With a correctly installed Smarti Envrionmental water-free urinal system, we ensure all pipework is replaced within the washroom location where such build-up is already present, and use an environmentally friendly dosing enzyme-based pipe pod to breakdown any remaining biofilm within all sewage outlet pipework.
Our unique Vortex triple seal valves and dosing system then continue to break down urine once it enters the urinal bowl, ensuring no future biofilm or salt build-up, as there is no water present to cause the molecular reaction detailed above.
Our patent pending system actually lubricates the internal pipes and the formulation present within our Vortex triple seal valve and integrated pipe pods work to breakdown all remaining urine to a PH neutral position, making the whole system totally water-free, significantly more hygienic by removing the risk of airborne bacterial and viral spread, carbon-reducing and environmentally friendly, with no additional maintenance required.