Ventilated sanitary plumbing systems

Abstract

A system for forcibly ventilating a multi-story building connected to a main sewer line includes at least one generally vertical sanitary stack in gaseous communication adjacent the top thereof with atmosphere and adjacent the bottom thereof with a ventilating pipe. The ventilating pipe is in gaseous communication with each stack (below the lowermost sanitary inlet to the stack) for receiving the gaseous content from adjacent the bottom thereof. A stack fan in gaseous communication with each stack adjacent the top thereof forcibly and continuously blows air down the stack to the ventilating pipe, and a pipe fan in gaseous communication with the ventilating pipe adjacent the exhaust end thereof forcibly and continuously exhausts off the gaseous content of the ventilating pipe to atmosphere at a location remote from the stacks.

1 . A system for forcibly ventilating generally vertical sanitary stacks in a multi-storey building connected to a main sewer line, said system comprising: 
 (A) at least one generally vertical sanitary stack in gaseous communication adjacent the top thereof with atmosphere and adjacent the bottom thereof with a ventilating pipe;    (B) at least one stack fan in gaseous communication with each said stack adjacent the top thereof for forcibly and continuously blowing air down each said stack to a ventilating pipe;    (C) a ventilating pipe in gaseous communication with each said stack below the lowermost sanitary inlet to each said stack for receiving the gaseous content from adjacent the bottom of each said stack; and    (D) a pipe fan in gaseous communication with said ventilating pipe for forcibly and continuously exhausting off the gaseous content of said ventilating pipe to atmosphere at a location remote from said stacks.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said ventilating pipe is also in gaseous communication with a main sewer line.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said ventilating pipe is generally horizontal along a major portion of its length.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein a plurality of said stacks are in gaseous communication with a single ventilating pipe, and said single ventilating pipe is dimensioned to receive the aggregate gaseous content being received from each of said plurality of stacks.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein each said stack has a respective one of said stack fans.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein each of said stack fans is disposed adjacent the top of a respective stack.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein each said stack fan provides for its respective stack a positive air pressure downwardly at least sufficient to overcome the frictional loss of the air being blown downwardly through and in contact with the interior of the respective stack under a maximum frictional loss condition.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the positive air pressure downwardly is neutralized, by the maximum frictional loss under a no waste load condition, at a neutral point adjacent the bottom of the respective stack, and the pipe fan provides a negative air pressure within said ventilating pipe at least sufficient to overcome the frictional loss of the air passing through and in contact with the interior of the ventilating pipe under a maximum frictional loss condition.  
   
   
       9 . A method for forcibly ventilating generally vertical sanitary stacks in a multi-storey building connected to a main sewer line, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (A) providing (i) at least one generally vertical sanitary stack in gaseous communication adjacent the bottom thereof with a ventilating pipe (ii) a ventilating pipe in gaseous communication with each stack below the lowermost sanitary inlet to the stack for receiving the gaseous content from adjacent the bottom of each stack, (iii) a stack fan for each stack, and (iv) a pipe fan for the ventilating pipe;    (B) causing each stack fan to forcibly and continuously blow air down its respective stack and into the ventilating pipe; and    (C) causing the pipe fan to forcibly and continuously exhaust the gaseous content of the ventilating pipe to atmosphere at a location remote from the stacks.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein a plurality of the stacks are in gaseous communication with a single ventilating pipe, and the single ventilating pipe is dimensioned to receive the aggregate gaseous content being received from each of the plurality of stacks.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein each stack has a respective stack fan disposed adjacent the top of the stack.