Installed correctly: The lifting station challenge
Key components in the installation of a sewage lifting station are the so-called backwater loop, which protects against water ingress from the sewer, and a ventilation pipe for aeration and ventilation of the lifting station.
According to DIN EN 12056-4, the backwater loop is the section of the pressure pipe that extends above the backwater level. Based on the principle of communicating vessels, provided the pipe is correctly elevated, this prevents wastewater from entering the building even in the event of backwater from the sewer.
The correct design of a backwater loop is of crucial importance in ensuring reliable protection against backwater. Aeration and ventilation in accordance with DIN EN 12056-4 are also of crucial importance in preventing operational faults in the lifting station or odour problems.
An overview of the issue
In practice, backwater loops and ventilation pipes present problems for designers and fitters in new-build projects and, above all, in refurbishment works:
- Encountering an existing building situation that makes the installation of a backwater loop or ventilation pipe difficult or impossible (e.g. due to ownership issues, structural constraints, acoustics, structural engineering, heritage protection or fire safety)
- High construction costs for ceiling penetrations and risers, as well as measures for fire and sound insulation
- Loss of floor space
- Difficulties in precisely determining the effective backwater level
- Risk of inadequate property protection if the backwater loop is not installed above the backwater level
The solution
To install a black water lifting station in accordance with the relevant standard, a block of flats requires a separate ventilation pipe running over the roof, which means five ceiling penetrations (Situation 1). Instead, a CleverVent ventilation valve can be installed, which also complies with the standard but requires absolutely no ceiling penetrations (Situation 2). This means that the property is protected against backwater even without a backwater loop – without losing any living space whatsoever. At the same time, this solution is up to 70 per cent cheaper than a ventilation pipe with multiple ceiling penetrations.
A compelling combination
If a separator with a blackwater lifting station is installed in a restaurant, a separate ventilation pipe and a backwater loop were previously required (Situation 1). Here, a CleverLoop system isolator and a CleverVent ventilation valve can work together to ensure safe ventilation of the lifting station and the separator (Situation 2). The restaurant is reliably protected against backwater whilst also gaining additional commercial space.
The operating principle
The CleverVent ventilation valve is installed in the same room as the lifting station. Its design allows air to circulate freely. It also contains a floater inside. If backflow occurs, the floater is lifted by the water. The ball above the floater then opens the passage for aeration and ventilation via the activated carbon filter into the room. During normal operation, the filter remains dry and unused, which extends its service life and ensures it functions correctly.
The ventilation valve is available with sockets and spigots in the nominal sizes DN 90, DN 100, DN 125, DN 150 and DN 200. The modular design allows quick and easy access to the interior of the unit, thus enabling simple, tool-free maintenance.
No more ventilation pipe across the roof: aeration and ventilation for the lifting station are connected via the ventilation valve on the manifold.
The ventilation valve ensures that aeration and ventilation are maintained even below the backwater level.
Installation examples for planners
If a lifting station for sewage is installed, a ventilation pipe is required. Conventional solutions often involve additional work, such as cutting through the ceiling and routing pipes up through the roof.
The CleverVent ventilation valve offers an innovative alternative. It is fitted directly in the room where the lifting station is installed and allows air to circulate freely. This eliminates the need for additional building work, making installation particularly cost-effective, tidy and quick.
Suitable installation location
The CleverVent ventilation valve is installed in the same room as the lifting station – for example, in the cellar or in the plant room. It is fitted directly onto an exposed drainage pipe or a gravity drainage system (in horizontal collection pipes). As, in the event of a backflow, ventilation takes place temporarily via the activated carbon filter directly into the installation room, the room should have adequate natural ventilation (e.g. a basement window or a ventilation system).
The unit is intended exclusively for installation in exposed pipes. It is mounted on load-bearing walls or the ceiling. These must be able to safely support the weight and the forces exerted and must be checked in advance for load-bearing capacity.
The ventilation connection to the lifting station is designed for DN 70 as standard. Integration into the exposed collection pipe can be flexibly adapted to pipe diameters ranging from DN 90 to DN 200. Suitable accessories, such as sockets and spigots, are available.
Sound insulation
As the ventilation valve is fitted directly to the wall or ceiling, the transmission of vibrations and operating noise as structure-borne sound to the masonry must be prevented.
The fixing and soundproofing kit contains sound-absorbing wall plugs, special hanger bolts, as well as soundproofing nipples and washers. These components provide mechanical decoupling of the unit from the wall, ensuring that operating noise is not transmitted into the building as a disturbing hum.
TÜV-certified safety
New product developments are expanding on traditional construction methods. The CleverLoop system isolator and the CleverVent ventilation valve ensure that the requirements for backflow prevention and ventilation set out in EN 12056, DIN 1986-100 or ÖNORM B 2501 are reliably met.
The CleverLoop system isolator and the CleverVent ventilation valve have been extensively tested and positively assessed by recognised research institutions such as Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, Steinfurt University of Applied Sciences and the Technical University of Berlin.
Extensive type testing carried out by TÜV Rheinland has demonstrated the products’ practical suitability and safety. The structural approval from the Austrian Institute for Building Technology (OIB) documents the suitability and applicability of both products, which also bear the Swiss Qplus Swiss Quality mark. Furthermore, compliance with DIN SPEC 3615 confirms the quality and safety of the products.
This evidence from external experts, combined with the manufacturer’s declaration from KESSEL SE + Co. KG, thus confirms the verified safety of CleverLoop and CleverVent.
