high level alarm interlocks
TRANSCRIPT
High Level Alarm Interlocks Peace of Mind for Alternative Plumbing Solutions
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In Australia, the commercial office sector is in flux. Reports show that in the vast majority of industries, companies are looking at reducing their floorspace from 2020 and beyond. Companies are shying away from long-term leases in favour of shorter term leases that provide the ability to quickly adapt in an uncertain economic environment. Combined with the rise of shared working spaces, the market is shifting towards a focus on downscaling and flexibility.
Against this backdrop, commercial refurbishment projects are sure to increase albeit with more constraints around budget, time and available space. Refurbishing existing office spaces, particularly relocating or building new kitchenettes, bathrooms and other similar services that require plumbing and waste management, can be challenging and expensive. The use of pumps, macerators and lifting stations in commercial refurbishment and retrofit projects is an effective and often cost-saving way to achieve increased design flexibility in existing buildings by eliminating the need for core hole drilling or cutting through concrete slabs when adding and relocating kitchenettes and bathrooms.
The increased demand for alternative plumbing solutions means that architects, designers and specifiers must turn their attention to the key issue – how to deliver peace of mind while using a mechanical pumping solution. Pump failure due to lack of servicing or power outages can stop the pump’s ability to drain the waste from the fixture it is connected to such as a kitchen sink or staff and public use toilets. This can result in devastating and costly flooding that impacts multiple storeys in the building.
Peace of mind comes in the form of advanced high level alarm interlocks. A high level alarm interlock detects when a pump chamber becomes flooded through the means of ball floats or magnetic finger float switches. Once flooding is detected, the alarm interlock will emit an audible siren along with shutting down the water supply to the sink or fixtures attached and even turn off the power to a dishwasher connected to the pump. Some high level alarm interlocks even have leak detection probes to detect water in the base of the cupboard.
In this whitepaper, we take a closer at plumbing design for commercial refurbishments and the benefits of high level alarm interlocks at addressing the most common concern when installing mechanical pumps: pump failure and flooding.
INTRODUCTION
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Commercial refurbishments pose a unique design challenge for several reasons. Multi-storey commercial buildings have particular needs in the design of their sanitary and drainage systems. The ability to add new services that require plumbing and wastewater systems can be limited by the infrastructure and piping already in place. At the same time, wastewater systems, sewage systems and drainage in multi-storey commercial buildings must be designed to accommodate a larger and more consistent flow of greywater.
For commercial repurposing projects, cost and design flexibility has made pumps, macerators and lifting stations attractive solutions to avoid core hole drilling or cutting through concrete slabs. Most commercial buildings are brick and concrete structures, so it is extremely costly to relocate or extend sewer pipes. Below are several plumbing solutions that enable relocation of kitchenettes and toilets without direct access to a sewer point.
Greywater Pumps
Greywater pumps are small, on-demand pumping solutions that enable installation of a sink, dishwasher, washing machine, shower or bath in rooms without plumbing access. The heavy-duty pump can push wastewater away from these sources
upward or horizontally to mains. The compact design means the pump can fit comfortably in tight spaces, such as a kitchen cabinet.
Lifting Stations
Lifting stations are larger commercial-type greywater pumps for combined use applications and designed for multiple connections including a basin, bath, shower, sink, dishwasher and washing machine. When the wastewater enters the tank, the pump starts and expels the greywater into the main pipes. Lifting stations are similar to standard greywater pumps but are specially designed for busy commercial and domestic environments.
Macerators
A macerator pump connects to a toilet and breaks down solid waste so that it can be pumped more effectively. The term “macerate” means to soften or break up. As wastewater (including any solid waste and fluids) flows into the unit, it is chopped up by macerating blades and converted into a fine slurry. It is then discharged through pipework into the existing sewer connection.
PLUMBING SYSTEMS FOR COMMERCIAL REFURBISHMENTS
When using plumbing solutions dependent on mechanical pumps, hydraulic consultants will ask the question – what happens if the pump fails? The key issue associated with mechanical pumps in multi-storey commercial redevelopment is safeguarding against flooding if there is a power failure or if the pump stops working due to lack of servicing. Water damage caused by flooding can be extremely expensive to rectify and create significant disruptions to business operations. In multi-storey buildings, the storeys below where the flooding occurs can also be impacted.
In normal gravity plumbing installations, pump failure is not a concern because the sink, toilet or dishwasher is connected directly to the sanitary plumbing or drainage and operates via gravity. Due to limited knowledge and understanding of pumping solutions by some installing plumbing contractors and specifiers, safeguard measures are overlooked when installing mechanical pumps. Architects and designers are often focusing on structural design and aesthetics, making it easy to turn a blind eye to the intricacies of plumbing design.
To address the risk of pump failure and flooding, a high level alarm is often specified to indicate when the pump has stopped working using a warning light or audible siren. While this provides a degree of protection, standard high level alarms generally lack the additional technology to facilitate the shutdown of the water or power supply to the fixtures the pumping solution may service. This lack of provision in some high level alarms to have the ability to isolate the water and power supply in the event of pump failure can often lead to flooding.
In pumping solution installations where more than just an audible high level alarm is needed, the solution needs to come in the form of what is called an “interlock”. A high level alarm interlock not only has the ability to warn the user in the event of failure, but it can also shut down the water and power supply to a kitchen sink, dishwasher or a toilet and hand basin.
PUMP FAILURE AND FLOODING
“For commercial repurposing projects, cost and design flexibility has made pumps, macerators and lifting stations attractive solutions to avoid core hole drilling or cutting through concrete slabs.”
Due to the increased demand for more advanced high level alarms with interlock technology, some innovative manufacturers in the small-bore wastewater pump sector have developed their own advanced alarm interlock package with a 20mm solenoid valve for water isolation, magnetic float switch along with a power connection for dishwasher or washing machine.
The "plug and play" simplicity of this interlock system makes it easy for the installing plumber to connect the interlock without the need for an electrician. The supplied solenoid valve is installed on the main water supply to the kitchenette which generally supplies water to a boiling, chilling water unit along with an instantaneous hot water service and dishwasher. This valve will be closed by the interlock isolating the water supply in the event of an issue with the pump or power failure safeguarding against flooding.
The interlock can also be connected to the BMS (Building Management System) to alert building and facilities management to the issue.
ADVANCED ALARM INTERLOCK A Design Solution
“A high level alarm interlock not only has the ability to warn the user in the event of failure, but it can also shut down the water and power supply to a kitchen sink, dishwasher or a toilet and hand basin.”
Since 1958 Saniflo SFA, the French inventor of the macerating toilet pump along with small-bore greywater pump and lifting station solutions has provided retrofit plumbing flexibility for both domestic and commercial applications where access to conventional gravity drainage is not possible. These innovative plumbing solutions provide design flexibility by pumping wastewater vertically and horizontally to an existing sewer connection.
Saniflo SFA also offer an innovative high level alarm interlock system that protects against flooding, giving designers, architects and property owners complete peace of mind. The SANIALARM® Interlock has three main functions, whereby it sets off an audible alarm in the event of a high level issue and simultaneously shuts off incoming water supply to prevent flooding while cutting the power supply to the dishwasher or washing machine.
Benefits
• Helps protect against flooding
• Audible and visual alarm
• Easy and quick plug and play installation, no electrician required
• Suitable for new and existing Saniflo installations
• Power interlock for dishwasher or washing machine
• Kit comes complete with magnetic float switch and low voltage solenoid with pre-wired plugs
Technical Characteristics
Voltage 220-240 V/50 Hz
Power consumption 5 Watts
Alarm 80 dB
BMS (Building Management System) connective
Saniflo SFA is a French manufacturer of Greywater and Macerator pumps with Australian Watermark approval. When refurbishing an existing building, conventional plumbing is not always an option or can be too expensive. A Saniflo pump is ideal when there are no drainage line options nearby as these pumps can be used to pump greywater or sewerage to the existing line over long distances and heights.
For more information on Saniflo SFA products, go to www.saniflo.com.au
SANIALARM® INTERLOCK Complete Peace of Mind
ABOUT SANIFLO SFA
