26 PROJECT
Burgess Plumbing
The cistern is approved by Agrement SA and is an integrated air and water system.
“This is because some people don’t wash their hands
thoroughly, or dry them, and then touch the door handle.
GIBS was very aware of this long before the coronavirus.
“We employed a builder, Reuben Gouws, with whom we have
a close relationship for all the construction work based on
our design. From a plumbing and electrical point of view,
pre-planning is essential to ensure everything is plumb and
heights are all correct, as that makes the finishing easier.”
Water-saving Propelair toilets
For the client, the main attraction of the design was the
Propelair toilets, says Brainin: “Water saving was one of
the major requirements of the project, with more than
200 people going through their bathrooms every day. We
installed our Propelair UK toilets with sensors for flushing
(for which Burgess is the sole distributor in South Africa)
which flush just one and a half litres in each of the 13
toilets, using new technology which employs both a water
pump and an air pump in the cistern. This forces the waste
from the bowl when the lid is closed, creating a vacuum
in that bowl. The outlet pipe is also reduced from 110mm
to 60mm which forces everything through. Agrément
standards have now been written for the product and we
have an Agrément certificate that it has being tested.”
“This product is relatively new in South Africa, as we have
been distributing it for just over two years. It is currently
only viable in commercial buildings which have a high
throughput – they are too costly for the occasional use of
a private residence. It is typically concealed in a bathroom
behind a false panel or in a duct because unlike a traditional
cistern it has electrics associated with it and therefore
requires power to a battery which ‘trickle charges’ it. The
battery lasts up to three days and so continues to work
even during load shedding and access to the internal
components for servicing is critical.
“The product is gaining traction among businesses that
are environmentally sensitive, but it also saves money
through reduced water consumption. The payback time
entirely depends on usage but can be anything from one
to two years. PA
“The client asked us to source
a basin in which the water
wouldn’t splash all over the
users as they wash their hands.”
www.plumbingafrica.co.za @plumbingonline @plumbingonline @PlumbingAfricaOnline October 2020 Volume 26 I Number 08