Are there any standards for Drain Vents in a food factory?
We are designing a new building and our design consultant is adding vents into the factory drainage system, similar to the vents installed in the domestic and sewage systems to prevent vacuum. For the floor drain lines installed in a food factory we don't believe that is needed and could create issues as the vents wouldn't be cleanable. Does anyone have previous experience around this? Are there any standards which would advise against these vents?
Thanks
From SQF...
11.2.2 Floors, Drains and Waste Traps
11.2.2.1 Floors shall be constructed of smooth, dense impact resistant material that can be effectively graded, drained, impervious to liquid and easily cleaned.
11.2.2.2 Floors shall be sloped to floor drains at gradients suitable to allow the effective removal of all overflow or waste water under normal working conditions.
11.2.2.3 Drains shall be constructed and located so they can be easily cleaned and not present a hazard.
11.2.2.4 Waste trap system shall be located away from any food handling area or entrance to the premises.
I've never seen vents for production floor drains...wait, they aren't wanting to connect the sanitary pluming with the industrial pluming, are they? They SHOULD NOT do this.
There's no reason to have vents on those production floor drains if the system is separate, and it should be separate.
I've never seen vents for production floor drains...wait, they aren't wanting to connect the sanitary pluming with the industrial pluming, are they? They SHOULD NOT do this.
There's no reason to have vents on those production floor drains if the system is separate, and it should be separate.
No, definitely not connecting one to the other... just following same principle of design of sewage/sanitary pluming I guess... and I am still trying to understand why would that be.
Thanks
It sounds like the plumber is following code for sanitary sewers and doesn't understand the differences between sanitary and the industrial waste effluent. The main concern, which a vent is installed, is a vacuum developing during drainage. If you have a trap in the drain line you can develop this without proper venting. However, MOST industrial waste systems in a food plant have no traps because there is no concern over sewer gases; thus, a vent is completely unnecessary.
No, definitely not connecting one to the other... just following same principle of design of sewage/sanitary pluming I guess... and I am still trying to understand why would that be.
Thanks
A lot of small facilities share drain systems where pre-tretment of your industrial waste does not need to occur (think very small establishments or restaurants).
In that case you want the air vents to be sealed and located downstream of any exposed trench drain, no one is cleaning the inside of their entire wastewater drain system, just the exposed areas and potentially foaming the outflow points to keep biofilms from reentering the trenches.