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CHEMISTRY 101-Behind the Wall Considerations and Solutions for Reduced Water Consumption Rates of Urinal Fixtures
Reduced consumption and zero consumption rates for urinal fixtures have distinct and potentially profound effects on sanitary piping and drain line carry, due in large part in large part to Chemistry.
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Effects of Reduced Water Consumption on Sanitary Piping
• What are the chemical processes at work? • Water Consuming Urinals• Very Low Water Consuming Urinals• Non Water Consuming Urinals
• What are the best practices to address these?• Installation• Maintnenace
• What are some emerging or new technologies available to address these issues?
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• The coalition endeavors to identify possible unintended consequences of water efficiency and, through applied research, determine best design and maintenance practices for the safe use of water in buildings
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Water consumption by water-using plumbing products and appliances – 1980 to 2015
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Plumbing Code Addresses Build-up in Urinal Drain lines
• Uniform Plumbing Code and Proposed WE*Stand:
• Where nonwater urinals are installed, not less than one water supplied fixture rated at not less than 1 drainage fixture unit (DFU) shall be installed upstream on the same drain line to facilitate drain line flow and rinsing.
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Composition of Urine
Human urine is comprised of approximately 96 percent water and 4 percent other constituents, which include 1.8 percent urea, 1.2 percent mineral salts, 0.06 percent creatinine, 0.03 percent uric acid, and 0.91 percent additional biological constituents
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Composition of Urine
• Urine contains organic and inorganic constituents, with organic constituents representing 58 percent and inorganic constituents represent 42 percent of the total 4 percent volume. The principal organic constituent in urine is urea, representing 99 percent of the organic volume. The principle inorganic constituent in urine is sodium chloride, representing 50 percent of the inorganic volume
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What Happens in Drain Pipes of Water-Flushing Urinals?
• The inorganic mineral sediments found in water-flushing urinal plumbing drain pipes were identified using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and were found to be comprised primarily of calcite (CaCO3)
• Other inorganic mineral sediments were found, such as Hydroxyapatite Ca5(PO4)3(OH) and Struvite (MgNH4PO4.6H2O) but at much lower concentrations
• Note: Hydroxyapatite, also known as Hydroxylapatite or HAP, is a form of calcium apatite with the formula Ca5(PO4)3(OH) but is usually written Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 to denote that the crystal unit cell comprises two molecules
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What Happens in Non-Water Urinal Drain Pipes?
• The inorganic mineral sediments found in non-water urinal plumbing drain pipes were identified using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and found to be comprised primarily of struvite (MgNH4PO4.6H2O) Magnesium Ammonium Phosphate Hexahydrate, also known as MAP
• Other inorganic mineral sediments were found, such as Hydroxyapatite Ca5(PO4)3(OH) and Calcite (CaCO3) but at much lower concentrations
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HARNESSING SUPPLEMENTAL SOURCES OF DRAIN LINE WATER
• As commercial building designs continue to reduce water consumption through the use of high efficiency and waterfree fixtures, the need to maintain proper drain line carry with less water is growing. Independent studies have shown impressive benefits associated with incorporating one or more water fixtures such as sinks or toilets upstream from waterfreeurinals.
• When this option is not available, innovative companies such as Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry have installed a simple system consisting of a solenoid valve, controller and air gap device directly into the main drain line with dramatic results.
• Whenever possible, Falcon recommends these practices to provide a supplemental source of water that minimizes drain line maintenance requirements and provides superior waterfree urinal performance.
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MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & INDUSTRY Chicago, Illinois
Configuration• Two banks of 9 urinals each, installed in the central restrooms on the main
floor• Installed 2007• 3/4” Solenoid Valve on timer upstream of urinal bank where no water
supplying fixture existed• Timer set for 3x per day, 5 seconds of flow, ~1 gallon per cycle
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MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & INDUSTRY Chicago, Illinois
Results• After 7 years of use, the drain pipes remain clean and free of debris, using
only 1,100 gallons per year.
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