As a business owner, you definitely ruin things when you have clogged urinals. It doesn't look good, it doesn't smell good, and it doesn't reflect well on your business. It's really interesting how these devices can clog as they really aren't designed to handle solid materials.
Nonetheless, urinals do become clogged, and when that happens, you need to know what to do. Today we want to take a closer look at the main causes of constipation as well as the different methods to fix it.
What are the main causes of clogged urinals?
Before we talk about how to unclog a urinal, it's important to know exactly why your urinal is clogged. There are three main reasons why your nose may be blocked, so let's take a closer look.
Accumulation of uric acid crystals
Perhaps the most common cause of clogged urinals is a buildup of uric acid crystals. Urine contains a lot of uric acid, and when this uric acid comes into contact with water, there is a chance that small crystals will form. These are known as uric acid crystals.
These uric acid crystals can become attached to the inside walls of the pipes in the urinal and the drain system. When too many of these uric acid crystals build up, it can lead to constipation. I wrote about dissolving these crystalsHere.
Well, generally speaking, a buildup of uric acid crystals won't completely clog or block a urinal, but it will cause it to flow much more slowly. If this problem is left untreated for a long period of time, it may very well lead to a complete blockage.
accumulation of hard water
The second cause of clogged urinals is hard water. For those who don't know, hard water is water that contains high levels of dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Since very hard water flows through the pipes, these mineral crystals can also get stuck on the walls of the pipes.
These mineral crystals stick to each other and the inside of your pipes, creating large clogs. Hard water accumulations usually look like white spots, although as they grow they can start to look like small white pebbles. Don't think this is your fault because hard water is a regular occurrence, especially if you live in the country and use your own water source.
As with uric acid crystals, a build-up of hard water in the urinal and underlying plumbing does not usually result in a complete clog, just reduced flow. However, if this issue is left unaddressed for an extended period of time, it may very well result in a full ban.
physical objects
The third major cause of a clogged urinal is an actual physical blockage. If your urinal is completely clogged and overflowing, chances are something is stuck in the drain.
Yes, humans can be animals and put all sorts of things like kleenex, cigarette butts, and other miscellaneous objects in the urinal. If you run a commercial business, e.g. B. a restaurant and find that a urinal is completely blocked, there is a high probability that someone has put something in it.
How to unclog a urinal
As mentioned above, there is a difference between a clogged urinal and a urinal that just has a reduced flow. It is important that you check whether or not your urinal is completely clogged as this will determine the first method you should choose to rectify the situation.
Another thing to note here is that this is not going to be a step-by-step guide. Instead, we'll start by giving you the best method for each situation, and if that doesn't work, move on to the next method, and so on, until you find something that works.
Situation #1: Urinal with reduced flow
OK, so if your urinal just has a reduced flow, the problem is most likely caused by a buildup of uric acid crystals or hard water. Therefore, the methods to solve this problem must correspond to the original causes.
using hot water
The first and easiest slow-flow urinal fix to try is to pour a gallon of boiling water into it. Boiling water is virtually free and requires minimal effort. Just boil some water and try pouring it down the drain.
This can be enough to release physical build-up or blockages, although it goes a long way. If that doesn't work, move on to the next method.
use vinegar
The second thing to try to rid your restricted flow urinal is to fill the pipes with vinegar and leave it on overnight. Vinegar has the ability to dissolve hard water buildup as well as uric acid crystals. The catch is that you have to drain the water lines first before you fill them with vinegar.
You need to put about three gallons of vinegar in your water heater or water system so that when you flush the urinals, the vinegar is drawn through them. In fact, doing this regularly is a good thing as it decalcifies your fallopian tubes and keeps uric acid crystals free.
Keep flushing the urinals until you smell vinegar instead of water. Once you smell the vinegar coming out, flush it five or six times to push the vinegar down the drain. Leave it to rest overnight. It should solve the problem, but if not, move on to the next solution.
Use drain cleaner
If vinegar doesn't work, you need to try something stronger, a professional grade plunger designed for use on urinals. Even better than your regular drain cleaner is muriatic acid, a very powerful cleaner with the ability to dissolve all kinds of minerals and crystals.
Mix one part acid with ten parts water, pour it down the urinal and let it sit for about ten minutes before flushing a few times. If this method doesn't work, the cause of the clog is most likely a physical blockage, some tissue, cigarette butts, or similar; If so, read the next section.
Situation #2: Completely clogged urinal
If the above methods don't work, or your urinal is just 100% clogged, use one of the methods below to unclog it.
with a plunger
Just as you would dip into the toilet, you can dip into the urinal. Get a good plunger, hold it over the urinal and make sure you have a tight fit with the drain. Remember that when diving, a vacuum must be created, so there must be a 360 degree seal between the plunger and the urinal.
All you have to do now is slowly lift the plunger and push it down really hard like you would in a regular toilet. Submerge the urinal about 10 times to see if anything happens. If you hear noises, especially gurgles and hisses, the dip job probably worked. If that doesn't work, check out the next method.
Using a urinal snake
If the plunger doesn't work, the next method is available for youuse a urinal snake. No, toilet snakes are not the same as urinal snakes, just so you know. If you happen to have a urinal snake, now is the time to use it.
Unscrew the urinal drain cover and get to work with the urinal snake. Place the snake coil in the drain, then insert the doorknob.
When you pull the lever, it guides the coil down the drain and should push out anything that's in the way. As soon as you meet resistance, you'll know you've moved the lock, and if so, you really want to turn the crank.
If that still doesn't work, you need to contact a professional for help. Yes, you can try playing plumber and unscrewing pipes to see if you can find the problem, but we don't recommend it if you're not experienced.
Mistakes to avoid, tips and tricks
Before we let you work through the issue, here are some tips:
- If you don't know anything about plumbing, don't go around unplugging urinals and unscrewing pipes. It's not worth the risk.
- don't usea toilet queuein a urinal. They're not the same, and in reality, a toilet snake probably wouldn't fit anyway.
- Always wear a face mask that covers your nose and mouth when attempting to clean a urinal. You don't want 100 men's urine splattering on your face. Yes, safety goggles and rubber gloves would also come in handy.
- If you use a drain cleaner, make sure it's urinal-friendly. Not all drain cleaners can be used on urinals.
Summary
There you have it folks, all the causes of a clogged urinal as well as all the methods to get it flowing again. We hope we were able to help you in your need!