New Restroom Fixtures Have Many Benefits
Driven by growing concerns about germs and
bacteria, increasingly facilities cleaned by building service contractors
(BSCs) have installed automatic, no-touch, low-flow or no-flow fixtures,
including faucets, toilets, urinals, and soap and paper towel dispensers. In
addition to health and sanitary issues, these devices are also being installed
because facility managers find they help reduce water usage and related costs
significantly.
Today, it is a common perception that germs
are pervasive in public restrooms, schools, office buildings, medical centres
and other types of facilities. However, some public health experts question
whether germs and bacteria are really more invasive today than in years past.
These experts believe what has instead changed over the years is that people
are much more (itals)aware(enditals) of how germs and disease can spread, and
it is because of this that they do not want to “touch” anything in a restroom.
And, most public health officials agree that the installation of no-touch
systems is a way to help protect the public from diseases.
A recent survey by Impulse Research
Corporation found that 30 per cent of Americans use bathrooms away from home
“only when they are desperate,” which was similar to other surveys’ findings on
the subject. The same survey found that instead of touching a flush handle,
doorknob or faucet, 66 per cent “employ a variety of maneuvers to avoid
touching anything, many do not wash their hands after using restrooms, which is
the primary cause of infection and cross-contamination.
Because no-touch, low-flow and no-flow
restroom fixtures are fast becoming the standard in public restrooms, BSCs
should understand that health and hygiene issues are not the only reasons for
their widespread adoption. These systems are also providing major cost savings
for building owners and managers, especially when it comes to water usage.
Further, with these systems’ growing acceptance, BSCs need to know what special
cleaning and maintenance requirements these fixtures may require.
Water and Cost Savings
Restroom fixtures that operate only when
hand activated are helping to conserve huge amounts of water in facilities all
over North America. And, because energy in the form of electricity is needed to
pump water in and out of facilities, these fixtures are proving to be a
significant way to conserve energy.
For instance, a small county-operated
nursing home/medical facility in New Jersey installed automatic fixtures in
every room’s bathroom in its 178-room facility as well as the bathrooms in the
common areas. Although the fixtures were considered a major investment, “They
have paid for themselves in reduced water consumption, energy and maintenance
costs,” said Jim Kronemeyer, manager of mechanical services for the county’s
buildings.
Although Kronemeyer said the savings were
“obvious,” not requiring a formal investment analysis, he did review a study
conducted by the Minneapolis-St.Paul International Airport before selecting the
automatic fixtures. In this study, after 500,000 uses of the airport’s water
faucets, the hand activated fixtures used an average of 0.20 gallons of water
per use, compared to 0.65 gallons for the manual faucets. Additionally, after
factoring the costs of energy, sewage and maintenance, the automatic system
decreased water and energy costs by 70 per cent.
As facilities explore ways of reducing
water and energy costs even further, BSCs can expect to increasingly find
waterless urinal systems installed in the facilities they clean. As the name
implies, these systems use no water at all. Instead, according to Klaus
Reichardt, managing partner of Waterless Co. LCC, most waterless urinals in
North America “utilize a removable, recyclable plastic insert or trap inserted
into the urinal’s drain.”
“The trap contains a sealant liquid, which
collects urine and prevents odors,” he said. “Eventually, the urine flows from
the trap insert into a standard drain pipe, just as with conventional urinals.”
A Texas study of waterless urinal systems*
determined that a school with 300 males and eight urinals could save as much as
864,000 gallons of water per year. This considerable water savings translated
to a savings of $4,320 annually in water and sewage costs.
Cleaning and Maintenance
When low-flow/no-flow restroom fixtures
were first introduced, many BSCs assumed that cleaning them would be about the
same as cleaning conventional fixtures. However, they soon learned there are
differences, including what types of cleaners, products, and tools are
required.
Many BSCs discovered that early low-flow
toilets and urinals did not generate enough water pressure to adequately remove
waste. This often resulted in staining in the bowl, increasing cleaning labour
time because of the need to scrub the bowl clean. Additionally, the goals of
using less water and reducing related expenses were defeated because users
would often flush two or three times to try and remove all waste. This problem
has been rectified over the years.
Additionally, the infrared controls on
early no-touch, low-flow units were not always dependable, causing more
cleaning for BSCs. New technologies have improved these systems’ dependability;
however, cleaning professionals should check the infrared systems on a regular
basis to make sure they are operating correctly.
Waterless urinals can often be cleaned
faster than conventional urinals because there are no metal areas to clean, no
water deposits, and no scrubbing. Because waterless systems often have a more
highly polished, liquid-repellent inner bowl surface, harsh cleaning products
or scrub brushes are not necessary and, in fact, should be avoided. This is
because the highly polished surface on a waterless system helps improve the
drainage of the urine and keeps the urinal drier, preventing the build-up of
bacteria, germs or water deposits.
It should be cleaned with a soft cloth,
sponge or Johnny mop using a mild, properly diluted cleaner or disinfectant
misted over the area, and then wiped off. Many times the urinal manufacturer
also produces cleansers specially made to clean waterless urinal systems.
In addition, BSCs are often called upon to
change the inserts every few months as well as replenish the liquid sealant in
the inserts. This procedure is usually relatively quick, and some manufacturers
have developed specially designed tools for refilling the sealant and removing
the insert.
Benefits for BSCs
In addition to improving health and
sanitation, and reducing water usage and related costs, these new fixtures may
help BSCs as well. Many facilities report that after the installation of
no-touch and waterless systems, malodors are less noticeable, helping to give
the impression that the restroom is cleaner and more pleasant. In addition,
with no mechanical parts, vandalism is often reduced.
And, because these fixtures usually have no
handles or controls that need to be touched, routine maintenance involves
cleaning the outer surfaces only, which helps reduce cleaning time and labour.
Reducing water use improves restroom hygiene as well as bacteria counts are
lowered. And, although they were not discussed in detail here, the no-touch
automatic soap and paper towel dispensers have shown that they can help reduce
soap and paper waste. This means they do not need replenishing as often.
Altogether, the advancements in no-touch,
low-flow and no-flow restroom fixtures have helped improve sanitation and
health conditions in all types of facilities, meet the growing expectations of
users who are increasingly concerned about germs and cross-contamination, and
make the arduous task of cleaning restrooms a bit easier for cleaning
professionals.
