40
PROJECT
Good drainage is about the
air–water ratio. Geberit offers
training to ensure products
are always installed using
the correct methods.
The use of a heat pump
with properly insulated
pipes means that less heat
loss takes place during the
circulation process.
“Two units share one duct. The design and the selection
of material was also a direct fit-for-purpose choice,
which lines up with the SANS requirements.”
The tight spaces forced designers “to move on and
update the current thinking and implementation of
plumbing systems” and resulted in a top-to-bottom
Geberit system installation that is unique in South Africa
in a number of ways. Beginning with the 110mm pipe,
the system uses patented SuperTube technology that
produces a continuous column of air inside the stack by
spiralling the drained water. The discharge rate of the
stack increases as a result of this continuous column of
air, meaning that space is saved as there is no longer
any need to install a ventilation pipe running parallel
to the drainage, allowing the stack dimensions to be
smaller in many applications as well.
“Good drainage is about the air–water ratio, and by
calculating this relative to the smaller flush, we can
optimise the fall and pipe size, thus using the absolute
minimum of space and maximising the draining ability of
the system at the same time,” explains Abbink.
Design of the basic pipes in the SuperTube system
creates a rotating movement in the water that allows the
water to flow along the pipe wall, creating that central
column of air inside the pipe, which is already a massive
breakthrough, but the truly unique part of the system is
the Geberit Sovent fitting. This fitting guides stack flow
around the point of any fitting connection while at the
same time switching the incoming wastewater to the
vertical direction. This means that when the two flows
meet, they are flowing in the same direction, minimising
collision turbulence, reducing the pressures in the
system, and lowering chances of dirt particles and splash
water from entering the discharge pipe.
“Previously, we have always been forced to install a
‘hybrid’ system. For this project to work, it obviously
had to be a full package solution. This gave us the
opportunity to have all the role players for the plumbing
system involved,” says Abbink.
“From a consulting point of view, we ended up discussing
and planning the project not just from a design
perspective, but through to the supply and the installation.
Continued on page 43 >>
January 2019 Volume 25 I Number 1
www.plumbingafrica.co.za