Don’t meet your Waterloo
July 1st 2005

If a urinal flushes 4-6 times per hour this can equate to an average water consumption of over 150 000 litres per annum. With Enviro-Fresh’s Sani-Sleeve, flushing is only required 4 times-a-day. This results in savings of up to £250 per year in a single bowl urinal on top of the savings that can be achieved through reduced chemical use for scale removal or odour problems. This is all good news for washroom managers but cleanliness and hygiene are also improved, Cleaning Matters takes a look at how the Sani-Sleeve works If you were told that a simple retrofit device on urinals could solve the problem of urinal smells, stop chemical use, reduce blockages and maintenance costs as well as water costs you would probably be very interested. However, many people neglect urinals thinking that the smell is just one of those things and that flushing them regularly is a necessity to keep them clean and operational. Enviro-Fresh’s Sani- Sleeve lines the waste outlet and trap down to the water level creating an odour lock. The formulation of bacteria and associated enzymes in the Sani-Sleeve allow breakdown of the bio-film and uric sludge, without giving off bad smells. Any bio-film and scale build-up will form on the plastic sleeve, which is replaced quarterly.

Traditional urinal systems have more blockages due to a combination of uric sludge and limescale in the waste system and also urinal blocks, which reduce in size while exposed to the air, fall down the waste trap and then stop shrinking when submersed in water.

Other objects such as cigarette ends are also prevented from falling down the waste trap.

Kelvin Hall, technical director of Enviro-Fresh believes that “the key to the system is the odour lock. When this is correctly installed there is no smell and then the uric salts are broken down and flushed away, leaving no possibility of odours.” It may seem that a better option with regard to saving water would be a waterless urinal which would save even more water, however, Kelvin disagrees, “water less urinals work but they do need a lot of maintenance. The oil barrier systems need the oil topping up and other systems do require a regular clean with water which necessitates a person going to the urinals and putting water down them, when the Enviro-Fresh system just flushes automatically”.

One big advantage for the whole washroom and not only the urinal is the effect that it has on cleaners and their attitudes towards men’s toilets.

When the whole toilet area has no foul smells from the urinals it makes the place more pleasant to work in and a better job is done. If the washroom stinks the cleaner tries to spend as little time as possible in the room and gives everything a cursory clean whereas when it has no such odours the job is done more thoroughly.

From a hygiene point of view the Sani-Sleeve lines the waste trap connection point, which is where leaks traditionally occur, preventing seepage from here. In this way hygiene is increased by reducing the places where harmful bacteria can be harboured.

Case study – Wetherspoon JD Wetherspoon believe they have found the answer to a problem that has troubled publicans for centuries: the stale, sour smell that obstinately clings to urinals. A pilot scheme set up to introduce the Sani-Sleeve system into selected Wetherspoon houses around the country has proved extremely successful. All the pubs chosen reported a very significant improvement in the washroom environment, a considerable reduction in customer complaints and a saving in both staff time and water usage. The entire unit is replaced every three months, never allowing the build up of uric salts that cause the obnoxious odour.

With these advantages JD Wetherspoon is extending the initial pilot scheme to cover other houses in the chain to the benefit of staff and customers alike. No more smells, fewer blockages, reduced maintenance and water saving are a powerful combination.

On the water usage side alone it has been estimated that if and when Sani-Sleeves are installed in all Wetherspoon pubs there will be a staggering saving of 600 million litres a year.

Some key points to remember to obtain best results from the Sani-Sleeve:

• Pipe work, both primary and secondary must be cleaned or replaced
• Gradients to be relatively good
• Vent to be clear with positive pressure running in the right direction
• Flushing must be correct The above will ensure the urinal product works at its best.

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