How do I remove a urinal? A step by step guide (2023)

I used to think it was impossible to clog a urinal. But then it happened in my own bar, with a place full of beer lovers - I don't need to explain what it meant to my business that night.

And so I learned to unclog a urinal. Turns out it's easier thanclogging of a toilet- You just have toUse a toilet plunger, drain auger, or muriatic acid. After that, it's all about following a few simple instructions.

Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to unclog your urinal.

What clogs urinals?

Most urinals can last forever without clogging, which is why it is mostly found in public restrooms. But there's nothing mysterious about a clogged urinal - it can only happen for one of three reasons.

Cleaning up physical objects

As the name suggests, the urinal is used to dispose of urine. Sometimes people forget this simple fact and throw other items down the drain. This includes items such as cigarette butts,Because, and chewing gum.

Although small, all of these objects are large enough to block a thin drain line. If you keep throwing them in the urinal, sooner or later it will get clogged.

uric acid crystals

Urine is a saline solution with a high concentration of uric acid crystals. This gives urine its characteristic color and smell, but it's also the reason it partially forms clogs over time.

Uric acid is especially bad if you don't clean your urinal regularly - it sticks to the surface of the drain, forming wrinkles and debris. However, we must say that uric acid crystals cannot clog a urinal on their own.

Urine salts are too small to form large balls of waste, but they build up to thin the sewer pipe. If uric acid builds up in the urinal, even a tiny object can clog it. Also, they do theirtoilet smells like urine.

hard water deposits

Hard water minerals can also build up in the urinal. These minerals form unsightly sediments that ruin the smoothness of porcelain walls and plastic pipes.

In the worst case, they can rust and attack the metal parts. Like uric acid crystals, hard water deposits cannot form blockages on their own.

Instead, they make the drain line thinner and prevent larger objects from coming out of the pipes. This leads to slow drains and a clogged urinal.

How to unclog a urinal in 3 quick steps

The nice thing about clogs in smelly urinals is that you can clean them up quickly. We recommend one of the following solutions.

Solution 1: Use a toilet plunger

a regular customertoilet plungeris the first thing to try before moving on to more complicated methods. It can solve most cases of minor urinal clogs, eliminating the need for drilling with a drain drill.

Before you start, remember to pack your personal protective equipment. This includes a pairrubber gloves, a shirt with long sleeves,Cups, and a face mask. You can also open windows and activate themexhausted fanto remove the bad smell.

This is enough to protect yourself from the unpleasant smell of urine and stains. So let's see how to use a plunger.

• Remove hard elements from urinal - splatter, urinal cake and debris
• Remove the drain cover by loosening the screw that secures it to the urinal.
• Turn the screw counterclockwise with a screwdriver
• If there is no screw, use a flathead screwdriver to remove the drain cover.
• Place plunger against porcelain to create a tight vacuum seal
• Pump at least ten times - you will feel the internal pressure increase
• If you hear water gurgling, you have unclogged the urinal.
• The only thing left is to remove the plunger and flush the urinal to test it.

Solution 2: Drill with a Drain Drill

Drain augers are tools used to unclog toilets and urinals. However, keep in mind that toilet drills are not the same as urinal drills - the former have a much longer stem, making them difficult to use when cleaning urinals.

Odrain snailit has a drum with a handle that facilitates the turning and sliding of the drill in the urinal. In addition, there are two types of drills - electric and manual.

The difference between them is that the electric one has a motorized battery that does all the work for you. Hand drills require you to turn the handle, but they last longer and don't vibrate as much.

Electric drills are also more expensive, so we'll focus on cleaning the urinal with a manual drain drill handle. That's how it works:

• Remove the drain cap and insert the cable into the drain tube.
• When auger retracts, turn barrel handle counterclockwise
• As it continues down the urinal drain, the auger will break up the dirt and sediment.
• Upon reaching the clog, the dewatering auger cable stops momentarily
• It's time to push a little harder because it's the only way to clear the clog.
• As you do this you will find that the drill is free to move forward again.
• Now it's time to extract the bit by turning the barrel handle clockwise.
• If it is outside, you must clean the cable with a damp cloth.
• Test the urinal by flushing it a few times - it should work normally

Solution 3: pour hydrochloric acid

If you're looking for a more elegant solution to unclog your urinal, you can try pouring hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid is one of the strongest acids that you can dilute to use as a cleaning agent.

Our advice is to avoid it, as the substance is dangerous and toxic. If you still want to try it, remember to cover your face, hands, eyes and skin. After that, you can follow these steps to fix the clogged urinal:

• Find a plastic bucket and pour a cup of muriatic acid into it.
• Add 10 cups of clean water to dilute the acid
• Leave the substances in the bucket for a few minutes to allow them to mix.
• Pour the solution into the urinal, being careful not to spill
• Leave on drain surface and urinal for 10 minutes
• Hydrochloric acid mixed with water should unclog clogs during this time.
• Flush the urinal a few times to see if it works
• Remove bucket and clean with hot water and your favorite detergent

How to prevent urine blockage

When removing urinal clogs, you should do what you can to prevent future clogs. It must be hard - all it takes is a proactive mindset and an occasional cleanup. Here are some tips:

clean regularly

Clean the urinal regularly. A fortnightly or even monthly cleaning should be enough to keep the urinal in good working order. You can deodorize smelly urinals and clean them with your standard detergent.

It was intended to protect white colored porcelain, preventing the accumulation of uric acid and hard water. Also, don't neglect the urinal by allowing users to block it with hard objects.

Install the splash guard

Splash guards are simple devices that prevent urine from splashing onto the floor. They can be made of different materials, but we recommend installing a stainless steel protection.

This tool not only prevents splashing of urine, but also prevents hard objects from entering the urinal. This way, you can take out whatever is in the urinal and clean it up effortlessly.

Stop rinsing hard objects

Another important tip is to stop using urinals as wastebaskets. If you want to dispose of cigarette butts,Cotton swab, and other things do not do in the urinal. However, small, hard objects will eventually clog the urinal.

One way to change this nasty habit is to keep a trash can near the urinal. That way you can see and use the trash every time you feel like throwing something in the urinal.

Put up a warning sign

If you have children, customers or employees who think they might use urinals as bowls, put up a warning sign. Explain why they should never throw hard objects into the urinal - it will likely be enough to ward off careless pitchers.

the end result

So how do you unclog a urinal? We suspect that now that you've read our article, it doesn't seem like much of a challenge - just use a toilet plunger, drain snail or muriatic acid.

Any of these solutions will help you get rid of annoying clogs in your urinal. After that, just prevent and keep the urinal clean.

Common questions