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Plant-room
Your plant-room is the heart of your clinic. This site will provide you a guide to the key issues surrounding succesful plant-room design. Feel free to call our Tech Team at any point on 03 9484 1120 if you would like to discus any part of your plant-room design or construction.
If you would like to talk about any aspect of your plant-room, feel free to call our Tech Team at any time on 03 9484 1120. We're always happy to discuss and assist the design or construction of your plant-room.
Temperature
The temperature of your Plant Room is critical to reliability and longevity of your equipment. Taking some basic steps to control the temperature is the best way to protect against breakdowns and ensure a long life of your equipment.
Having a sealed Plant Room fitted with a dedicated air-conditioner is by far the most affective way of controlling the temperature. As well as controlling the temperature, having an air-conditoner means that no vents are required for ventilation, through which the majority of noise escapes.
Above: example of an air-conditioner fitted to a sealed plant-room.
Other considerations for Plant Room temperature control:
- The inside of a Plant Room or enclosure should not increase in temperature more than a few degrees due to sunlight (for example, if and enclosure is to have direct sunlight, it should be of material that will not allow that heat to be transferred through to the enclosure).
- Preferably, other heat sources (i.e. how water system) should not be in your Plant Room. If they are, extra provisions should be made for temperature control, such as a larger cooling fan or air-conditioner.
Above: Example of a cooling fan used to ventilation Plant-Rooms.
Below: Example of an outdoor Plant-Room (CAPS), sealed and fitted with air-conditioner.
For more information on controlling the temperature of your Plant Room, contact your local Cattani dealer or contact our Tech Support Team on:
Australia
+61 3 9484 1120
New Zealand
0800 68 22 88
What's The Issue?
Plant Room equipment produces air pressure, be it positive pressure in the case of a compressor, or negative pressure in the case of a suction system. Where we produce air pressure we also produce heat, with more pressure generated resulting in a greater heat output. In the case of a suction system, this means that the greatest heat output the machine will have is when there is only one operator using the system.Unfortunately, as well as producing heat these machines can be damaged by excessive temperatures (i.e. greater than 40 degrees).
The heat caused by other factors (i.e. sunlight onto steel boxes, etc.) also needs to be taken into account when planning your system.
What does a high Plant Room temperature do to my equipment?
The compressor: dental compressors have no oil-lubrication in the piston/cylinder. Rather than using oil (which can make its way through to your handpieces and patients) metals such as graphite and telfon are used. These materials offer long-life provided they do not get excessively hot. High temperatures will reduce the life of the compressor head, and greatly excessive temperatures may cause the compressor to seize in a short time.
From our experience, we have noted a strong correlation between the temperature at which a dental compressor operates and its lifespan. For example, a compressor that operates at an average of 35 degrees ambient temperature may last for 15,000 hours. If the temperature increases to 45 degrees it may last for 10-12,000 hours. If the temperature is 55 degrees it may last for only 8,000 hours, at 65 degrees you may only get a few thousand hours out of it, and wihin a few years you need to completely overhaul or replace your compressor.
A high plant room temperature can also compromise the effectiveness of your compressor's drying system.
The suction system: in the case of your suction unit, high temperatures lead to premature wear of bearings (generally the only mechanical part that wears on your suction motor), requiring an overhaul much before it should. Greatly excessive temperatures can lead to the turbine in the suction motor to completely seize, as well as melting components such as suction tubes.
How do I ventilate my Plant Room?
Listed below are the three main ways to ventilate your Plant Room.1
SEALED and AIR-CONDITIONED PLANT-ROOM
The ideal way to control the temperature of your Plant Room is to fit a dedicated air-conditioner to the room or enclosure. As well as giving your Plant Room a low and constant temperature, it has several other benefits, the main one being that you do not need to have any air vents, through which noise escapes. Important notes on ensuring these setups are affective:
-A separate air-conditioner should be used for the Plant-Room only. Using the clinic's centralised system will not work (i.e. in winter it will heat the room, not cool it as is required).-An air-conditioner that will retain its temperature setting when turned off should be used (so that when power is turned on to the clinic in the morning the unit is activated and works to maintain the preset temperature).
Below are our recommendations for sizing an air-conditioner for a Plant-Room:
Up to 4 surgeries - 2.5 kW 6-8 surgeries - 4.5 kW4-6 surgeries - 3.5 kW 8-10 surgeries - 5.5 kW
2
FAN FORCED VENTILATION
To assist convection ventilation of the Plant Room, a fan can be fitted to one of the vents of the enclosure. This is typically easy to achieve, and can be very affective. For Plant Rooms on the inside of the dental clinic, a ceiling fan can be installed (vented to outside the building) can be fitted, with a vent on a door.Important notes on ensuring these setups are affective:
- Our general recommendation for fan size is 100 m3/hr (of ventilation fan capacity) per kW of Plant Equipment. For example, a Plant Room with a 1.2 kW compressor and 1 kW suction unit should have a fan with at least 220 m/3hr capacity.
- There must be a vent to allow air to enter or exit the enclosure (depending on which way the fan is setup). This total area of this vent/s should be around four times the surface area of the ventilation fan.
- The fan can be either at a high point of the enclosure extracting air from the enclosure, or at the low vent forcing air into the enclosure (whichever suits the room better).
- Where vents can only be made at the same height (i.e. both at a low point of the enclosure or both at a high point) ventilation ducting (large foil flexible tube) should be used to carry the vent to the appropriate height (i.e. the vent at a low point connected to a fan sucking air out is connected to the ducting, which is then positioned so its opening is at a high point.
- Fans can be setup to run in several ways; to run whenever the suction unit is running, to run whenever there is power to the plant-equipment (i.e. throughout the working day) and/or whenever the temperature reaches a certain level (detected and activated by a thermo-switch).
Limitations of this means of temperature control:
- Where air being drawn into the enclosure is itself too hot (i.e. on a 40 degree day drawing air into the enclosure will not have much cooling affect as the air is already very hot). If air can be drawn in from an air-conditioned environment, such as from the clinic itself, this problem can be avoided.
- If noise around the Plant Room is a concern (close to neighbours, etc.), having vents for ventilation also allows noise to escape. Achieving a balance between good ventilation and noise control can be difficult, and can be a good reason to opt for a sealed Plant Room with dedicated air conditioner.
3
CONVECTION AIRFLOW
The simplest (but not the most effective) way to ventilate a Plant Room is to allow for convectional airflow. This is simply having vent/s at a low point and high point of the enclosure. When air inside the room becomes hot it rises and exits through the high vent, and fresh air is drawn into the room through the low vent.The plant equipment should ideally be between the two vents, as shown in the diagram above.
Convectional airflow is the bare minimum that can be done to control the temperature of your Plant Room, but in most cases will not control the temperature well enough to get the best out of your equipment (i.e. your equipment will most likely operate at temperatures that are too high, resulting in reduced life-span of your compressor and suction unit).
Variables on how affective temperature control is in such a setup are the temperature of the air entering through a vent (i.e. if it is a 40 degree day and air is being drawn from outside the fresh air will do little to cool the equipment), size of the ventsand location of the vents (larger vents will assist airflow but will allow more noise to escape to outside)
Noise
Between the air compressor and suction unit, the plant-equipment generates a reasonable amount of noise. This noise may be distracting or annoying to yourself, your patients and staff, and may also cause you problems with the council, body corporate, or neighbours.
There are many ways to control the noise level escaping the plant-room, which range from the simple right up to the elaborate. Here we will outline some of the options available.
The most affective way to reduce the noise is to have a sealed Plant Room fitted with a dedicated air-conditioner. Not only will this mean you can seal the room or enclosure to stop noise escaping, but will also give your equipment a constant and ideal temperature, resulting in the longest life possible out of your machines.
Reducing noise
- Mufflers can be fitted to suction motors, which generally take off a couple of dB(A)
- Walls can be internally lined with sound absorbive foam
- When the room is air-conditioned, the room can be sealed to stop noise escaping
For more information on installing your Cattani suction and compressor systems, contact your local Cattani dealer or contact us directly on:
Australia
+61 3 9484 1120
New Zealand
0800 68 22 88
Noise is difficult to control, because often the things you do to stop noise escaping the plant-room are the things that will cause equipment to overheat. For example, the vents required for ventilation (as shown in the photo to the right) are what the majority of noise will escape through. Often a balance between ventilation and noise control needs to be reached.
Inside Plant-Rooms
In many ways it is easier to control the noise level of a plant-room that is inside the clinic (provided it is a room, not just a small space). The reason for this is that the room's temperature is easier to control than an outside plant-area, and therefore, there isn't the same need for vents. In a typical plant-area inside the clinic (i.e. a dedicated room in the clinic) an air-conditioner will be controlling the temperature, meaning that the room can be sealed. This, along with some insulation of the walls, can result in an extremely low noise level (in some cases you can just hear compressor and suction unit even when standing close to the room).
In other cases (where there is not a dedicated air-conditioner for the room) there will be a vent at the bottom of the door and large fans installed in the ceiling of the room. Air is drawn through the vent/grill in the door and then evacuated from the room by the fans. This can work well, as the air that is being drawn into the room is relatively cool (i.e. air from inside the clinic). However, some noise is allowed to escape through the vents in the door, meaning this option isn't as effective as having a dedicated air-conditioner for the plant-room.
Outside Plant-Rooms
Options for controlling noise:
1
LINING WALLS WITH NOISE ABSORBENT MATERIAL
There are many products available, such as sound deadening foam that can be used to line the walls of the enclosure. For small plant-areas material such as this (Acoustop is popular brand) is the most viable. For instances where the plant-room is a room in the clinic, walls can be lined with material such as. If you are in the design stage, your builder should be able to soundproof the room fairly easily.
Above right: example of custom-built Plant Room enclosure, lined with acoustop foam.
Above right: example of custom-built Plant Room enclosure, lined with acoustop foam.
2
EXHAUST AIR MUFFLERS
Exhaust air from suction motors can be a large contributor to the noise of the plant-room. Mufflers don't cost a lot, are easy to install, and tend to remove the high pitch that some suction motors have. Several mufflers can be installed for suction motors with excessive exhaust noise.
Right: example of a muffler for a 4 surgery suction unit fitted to the exhaust.
Right: example of a muffler for a 4 surgery suction unit fitted to the exhaust.
3
LOCATION
Choosing a location where people won't be sensitive to some noise (i.e. away from neighbours, patients and staff) is often the best way to manage the noise from your plant-area. Of course, when considering the location of the plant you also need to take into account the distance between the plant-room and the surgeries.
Access
Access to your plant-room, and the equipment in it, is a critical issue in designing your plant-room.
Equipment that is easy to access is easier to maintain, diagnose, and perform any repairs to. Ensuring your equipment can be accessed can save you countless hours of downtime if there is a problem with your equipment.
Checklist
- Equipment that is easy to get to is a lot easier (and faster) to fix.
- You should ensure that technicians can easily access the Plant-Room, and also get replacement equipment in and out, without great obstruction (i.e. making sure that paths aren't overgrown with plants, etc.).
- You should ensure there is adequate lighting in the Plant-Room to facilitate maintenance/repairs by technicians.
- There should sufficient space around the machines to allow technicians to diagnose key componnents and perform any repairs.
For more information on installing your Cattani suction and compressor systems, contact your local Cattani dealer or contact us directly on:
Australia
+61 3 9484 1120
New Zealand
0800 68 22 88
Setting up your Plant-Room for good Access.
The 4 key elements in an ideal and functional Plant-Room in regards to Access are:
Above: example of compressor and suction unit in Plant-Room. The units are installed with enough space around them to facilitate good access for technicians, for diagnosis, repair or maintenance.
1
SPACE AROUND THE MACHINES
Where possible, there should
be space around the units in the plant-room. This allows the technician
to get around the unit for diagnosis and possible repairs.
If
the unit is tucked into a tight spot the first thing they may need to
do will be to move it so they can get to the parts they need to. This
can be difficult, particularly when the unit is plumbed into its
various connections.
In the majority of cases,
changing any part on a machine involves approaching the machine from
different angles. Furthermore, terminal covers on electrical motors
(which need to be accessed to check or replace a capacitor, or to test
the condition of the windings) can be located at many different points.
Sometimes a terminal cover can be located at the rear of the machine
(which is often pushed up hard against a wall). Some space around the
machines makes all of these processes much simpler and subsequently
much faster.
Access to parts that require maintenance and or replacement (such as filters and amalgam cups) should be easily accessible. The control panel of the suciton unit should also be easily accessible.
Above: example of an outside Plant-Room (CAPS). Outside Plant-Rooms should be easy to access, for both clinic staff and technicians.
2
GETTING TO THE PLANT-ROOM
While the ceiling cavity might seem like a convenient place to put
your plant-equipment, if any work needs to be carried out to the units
you will quickly discover the drawbacks - it can be very hard to
diagnose and work on equipment that is hard to get to.
If
you need to walk along a path (i.e. alongside the clinic) to get to the
plant-room, there should be enough space for a technician/s to get
through with change-over units (i.e. can the technician get another
compressor down the path and into the plant-room). If, in the case of
an outdoor plant-room, ensure that any overgrown bushes or shrubs will
not make getting to the plant-room more difficult.
3
GETTING TO THE EQUIPMENT IN THE PLANT-ROOM
Your equipment should be easily accessible in the plant-room (i.e. a technician should not have to climb over obstructions, through cieling cavities or under floors in order to get to the machines). Machines that are not easy to get to take much longer to remedy/repair and perform maintenance on. Furthermore, in extreme cases several technicians are required whereas only one would normally be needed.
You should also ensure that all components that need regular maintenance, and or replacement, such as filters and amalgam collection canisters, are easily accessible.
You should also ensure that all components that need regular maintenance, and or replacement, such as filters and amalgam collection canisters, are easily accessible.
4
LIGHTING
Ensure that the room has sufficient lighting so that the technician can see the equipment they are working on. It can greatly reduce the time required to diagnose a problem and remedy it. Technicians often work alone, so having to hold a torch while working on equipment can greatly hamper how quickly they can get you going.
location
Location of your plant-room is one of the key elements of your surgery layout. The plant-room location will affect the performance you get out of your plant-equipment, and can have a big impact on your clinic when maintenance or repairs are required.
Advantages of having your Plant-Room inside the clinic.
From our experience, Plant-Rooms that are located inside the clinic (for example, a commited room inside the clinic) as opposed to an external Plant-Room (i.e. enclosure that is accessed from outside) work much better for the clinic and the equipment. It's not always possible to have an inside Plant-Room, but where it is possible we believe it will serve you much better, for much longer. Following are some of the key advantages:
- Clinic staff are generally more likely to performance the maintenance on your equipment when it is inside the clinic.
- The equipment is generally safer.
- The equipment is better protected against the elements,
Above: purpose-built Plant-Room (CAPS) closed and open. When planned for at an early stage in design, outside enclosures can be made by your builder to achieve the key criteria for a successful Plant-Room. In cases of an existing building or premises, and there is little or no space for a Plant-Room inside, a purpose-built Plant-Room such as CAPS can be a good option.
For more information on installing your Cattani suction and compressor systems, contact your local Cattani dealer or contact us directly on:
Australia
+61 3 9484 1120
New Zealand
0800 68 22 88
Choosing Your Plant-Room Location
There are several key considerations to make when selecting where your plant-room will be situated:
1
DISTANCE FROM SURGERIES
If the distance between the plant-room and the surgeries is excessive, suction performance can suffer (both in the airflow/pressure at the tip, and also in the time it takes for suction to reach the tip after picking it up and activating the suction unit). Below is a general guide to the maximum distance from the plant-room to the surgeries (measured between the plant-room and the most distant surgery):
1 surgery - 5 metres
2 surgeries - 12 metres
3 surgeries - 15 metres
4 surgeries - 15 metres
If you are to go beyond these recommended maximum distances, you may need to increase the size of your suction pump to compensate. Speak to your technician or the Cattani Tech Team if you would like to discuss the maximum distance from surgery to plant-room in your clinic.
When designing a new surgery, there is a strong case for locating the plant-room in a room in or close to the centre of the clinic. This can mean that all of the surgeries are close to the suction system (i.e. there is no surgery at the end of the line), and it is also very accessible for clinic staff to access for routine maintenance. Modern sound-proofing materials can render the noise level almost silent. Please note that in these cases a dedicated air-conditioner is required to control the temperature inside the plant-room.
2
NOISE
If the plant-room is to be close to the surgeries, for example in a dedicated room inside the clinic (and this can be the best option in many cases), measures will need to be taken to control the noise escaping the room. This is most affectively done by sealing the plant-room, and having it soundproofed (for a new clinic, this can be easily done when it is being constructed, for existing clinics this can be done by lining the walls will sound proofing material). This can only be done however if the plant-room has a dedicated air-conditioner, to maintain a cool temperature.
If the plant-room is to located outside the clinic (i.e. alongside the building, in a box, or shed) considerations should be made to what affect the noise will have in that particular area. Proximity to neighbours' residences can be particularly problematic. If the location is to be close to a neighbour, measures can be taken to reduce the noise level (mufflers on suction motors' exhaust, lining the enclosure with sound-proofing material) however, this cannot be done at the cost of the ventilation of the enclosure, which is often very difficult. If you have an existing enclosure that you would like to reduce the noise of, please get in touch with the Cattani Tech Support Team so they can advise on what might be done to improve the noise level without compromising the ventilation.
3
SPACE
You should ensure that the location has enough space for not only the plant-equipment to fit, but also for a technician to be able to work on the machine, and change key components. For example, there should be enough room for a technician to change the head on a compressor, or access a circuit board on a suction unit. The more easily a technician can access these key components, the more quickly they will be able to diagnose and remedy an issue and get you working again. If they first have to move equipment around (sometimes requiring plumbing connections to be disconnected first), time taken can be greatly increased, and sometimes the quality of diagnosis affected (in extreme cases).
If the area you have is tight, one option is to install the compressor on a stand that sits over the suction unit. Cattani can supply such stands (known as 'Vento').
4
ACCESS
Clinic staff should be able to access equipment easily to perform routine maintenance (i.e. cleaning the suction filter at the end of each week, replacing compressor filters every 6 months). It is our experience that plant-equipment located inside the clinic is usually much better maintained by clinic staff than equipment located outside of the clinic (which is often forgotten about until something goes wrong). Likewise, technicians should be able to access the plant-equipment easily and without obstruction. If the equipment is to be installed alongside the clinic, you should ensure that they can get to it easily, also allowing for any replacement equipment to be brought through without obstruction (i.e. if there is a gardened area near a path, measures should be taken to ensure bushes and plants aren't overgrown, obstructing paths).
Often, a potential location for your plant-room will satisfy some of the key areas, but be very poor in another. Understanding the key issues however will help in understanding what is most important in your clinic and help you decide which is most important in your case.
Working with a technician in selecting the most appropriate location is highly recommended. You can also contact the Cattani Tech Team to discuss any part of your plant-room location. Often if you can supply a layout of the clinic, together we can find a location that will suit both you, your staff and your equipment.
security
Quick Checklist
Here are some quick things to consider:- Make sure your Plant Room is connected to the clinic's alarm system.
- Consider the location of your Plant Room in regards to security.
- Consider CCTV cameras to act as a deterant, particularly for outside Plant Rooms.
- For outside Plant Rooms, ensure that the room or enclosure is securely locked.
For more information on how to make your plant-room secure speak to your dental equipment supplier, or contact the Cattani Tech Support Team directly.
Australia
+61 3 9484 1120
New Zealand
0800 68 22 88
Theft Prevention
Guarding against theft of your plant equipment is important as thieves know that dental clinics have compressors. Here are some basic things to consider:
1
WHERE IS THE PLANT-ROOM?
The vast majority of cases of plant-room theft occur when the plant-room is outside the clinic. Probably the best way to protect against theft is by having the plant-area inside the clinic. If this isn't practical, then extra precuations should be taken to make it hard for theives to get to your equipment (particularly the compressor).
2
SECURITY SYSTEM
If the plant-room is outside the clinic, consider connecting security switches to the door (so that if the door is opened when the alarm is on it will trip) or a sensor in the area. CCTV systems around the building are cost-effective nowadays and can act as a good deterent when fitted around the Plant Room (i.e. covering the backyard, or side area of the building, or in the general area).
NB: We also strongly recommend that a smoke alarm be fitted inside the plant-area and wired into the central alarm.
3
LOCKS
If the plant-area is outside it should be designed to protect against thieves breaking into it, and also locked securely. Ensure that a key is kept in a designated area in the clinic, with back-ups (it does happen that people can't access the equipment for repair or maintenance because keys can't be located).
REPORT!
Dental suction and compressor equipment are not common items. You should keep records of all serial numbers so that these can be reported to the police in case of theft. You should also report any theft to the importer of the equipment, along with the serial numbers, so they can put an alert on that unit (for example, if it is ever sent back for repair, etc.).
tech info
Technical and Installation Info
Listed below are some points that should be taken into account when setting up your Plant-Room.
We're here to help.
The Tech Support Team at Cattani are here to help you with any part of the design of your Plant-Room. You can give us a call to discuss something, send us plans or photos of the areas you are looking at, and we'll do all we can to assist you in creating a Plant-Room that works for you, your staff and the equipment.
Call us on:
Australia
+61 3 9484 1120
New Zealand
0800 68 22 88
EXHAUST AIR
Exhaust air from suction systems MUST be vented outside the Plant-Area, into a non-populated area (typically this means above the roof-line of the building).There are two reasons for this:
- The exhaust air is laiden with bacteria, and will be drawn into the inlet of the compressor and returned to your surgery and other patients' mouths via the air-driven instruments.
- Exhaust air is extremely hot, and will cause the Plant-Room to overheat very quickly, severely damaging your equipment.
Where the exhaust air cannot be vented into a non-populated area, a bacterial filter can be fitted. These are available for all size suction units, and are 99.9999% efficient.
POWER
You should ensure that you have sufficient power to run all of your Plant-Room equipment (double adaptors, powerboards must not be used).
The compressor and suction unit generally operate at the higher side of a powerpoint's capacity (i.e. close to 10 Amp)
piping
Correct design of your suction system pipeline is critical for good
operation of your suction system and continuous delivery of suction to
your suction tips. Pipelines that are badly designed can create pools
of fluid in the line, resulting in poor and fluctuating performance. However, correctly designed pipelines will keep fluids moving towards the Plant-Room, while providing you with uninterupted suction.
For more information on how to make your plant-room secure speak
to your dental equipment supplier, or contact the Cattani Tech Support
Team directly.
Australia
+61 3 9484 1120
New Zealand
0800 68 22 88
SUCTION SYSTEMS - Pipeline design
Design of the suction pipeline should be done in consultation with the equipment supplier, and performed by plumbers experienced in dental suction system pipelines. You can refer to Cattani manuals for more detailed information at www.cattani.com.au
Below are some key points to be followed for semi-wet systems, such as the Turbo SMART:
The suction connection and plumbing in the Plant-Room
The suction system should be connected to the pipe coming from the surgeries with a length of flexible tube. Typically, the suction pipe from the surgeries enters the Plant-Room through the floor, as can be seen in the above diagram. In these cases, the lift from the bottom of the pipe to the ground level should be kept as low as possible, and no greater than 500mm.The final rise of the pipe into the Plant-Room, as shown in the above diagram, is the only point at which there can be any lift in the suction pipe. There should also be a minium 1 degree slope in the suction pipeline towards the Plant-Room, to assist fluids moving along the pipe and to the suciton unit.
Drain Connection
The connection to drain must be done in compliance with all local regulations (your plumber will be able to advise what is required). All connections must be secured, with the use of hose clamps, as fluids are pumped out under force and can pop off under pressure, spaying contaminated fluids around the room.
Pumping up to drain
Where there is only a drain connection at a high point in the room, some suction systems will be able to pump the fluids up to this height. For example, the Turbo SMART can pump fluids up to 1.5 meters. However, when this system is fitted with its amalgam retention system (the ISO-18 Hydrocyclone), the waste must gravity drain. This means that if you were to install amalgam retention at a later stage, you may need to change the configuration of the Plant-Room or drainage to suit.Exhaust air
Exhaust air must be vented outside of the Plant-Room (to a non-populated area, typically above roof-height). The exhaust air connections must be secure (i.e. hose clamps where flexible hose connects to piping) as if an exhaust hose blows off it will heat the room very quickly, potentially damaging your suction unit and compressor and causing you downtime. Flexible hose should be heat resistant (i.e. resistent to 100 degrees) to ensure that it doesn't melt.
PIPELINE DESIGN AND LAYOUT
The pipeline should be designed with a main line to which branches connect, as can be see in the above drawing. In cases of large clinics, sub-branches may be needed. The pipeline should work to facilitate the flow or air and fluids back to the Plant-Room, and where posssible should take the shortest route possible between the Plant-Room and the last surgery on the line.As can be seen in the drawing, the size of the pipe reduces the further away from the Plant-Room, according to how many surgeries that section of pipe is serving
ANGLES, BENDS AND JUNCTIONS
Turns in the pipeline should never be greater than 45 degrees. Where a 90 degree bend is required, 2 X 45 degree bends should be used (as can be see in the diagram to the right). Where a branch is to enter the main line, the branch should enter the main line at 45 degrees, as the diagram also shows.
Where a main line is to split into two, a right angled T-junction cannot be used. Instead a configuration as see in the diagram to the right should be used, utilising a 45 degree Y-junction to for the first branch off the main line, and then 2 X 45 degree bends to achieve the second branch.
Air Injection
If fluids stagnate in pipelines they can cause performance fluctuations and decreases. Installation of an air injector facilitates the movement of fluids along the pipeline towards the suction unit.
Air-Injector
When there are only small volumes of air being aspirated into the system (caused by there being few users at the time, or only tips with a small diameter being used or only spittoon waste being aspirated), the flow of fluids in the pipeline slows down and can even stop altogether. At such times, the air injector opens slightly to allow air to be aspirated into the system. This air keeps fluids moving towards the suction unit, stopping fluids from pooling in the line, which can affect performance at the tip.
The below diagram shows a main suction pipeline with air being aspirated through the air injector (in this case fitted in the cupboard at the end of the suction line).
As can be seen in the diagram above, air entering via the air injector valve at the end of the suction line keeps fluids moving towards the suction unit in the plant-room. Without this air entering the system (when there is no other air entering via tips) the fluids can slow greatly and even stop completely.
The below diagram illustrates fluid movement in the pipe when air is being introduced into the system (a), either by an air-injector or through the suction tips, and how fluids become stagnant (b) when no air is being introduced into the system.
Common questions about air-injectors:
Why is air-injection more important for systems with amalgam retention?
A system being fitted with amalgam retention is more likely to have spittoon waste being aspirated into the suction line. In such cases, there is a much greater volume of fluids being aspirated into the suction line. Furthermore, if no air is entering the system (and only fluids from the spittoon) the suction line will fill with fluids. This can greatly affect performance for the next person to pick up a suction tip and also put a large strain on the suction system receiving a large volume of fluids all at once (once air is introduced into the system via a suction tip). Having an air-injector stops this happening by allowing air to enter the system when there is none entering from the tips.
Where should an air-injector be installed?
An air-injector should be installed at the end of a main suction line. In many cases, where there are several main lines (for example, where the plant-room is in the centre of the building and there are several lines running from the suction unit in different directions) there should be an air-injector fitted to the end of each line.
Does the air-injector have to be installed in the dental unit or floor box?
No. The air-injector can be installed anywhere at the end of the suction line, and the suction line can be extended to accommodate this (for example, extra pipe can be run from the last chair to a cupboard space or even a ceiling cavity and the air-injector fitted to the end of the pipe). We recommend, where possible, that the air-injector be fitted in a location other than the dental unit/floorbox in order to reduce the noise.
How noisy is the air-injector?
Firstly, the air-injector will only make noise when it is open and air is travelling through it (i.e. when there is no air entering the system via the suction tips). When the air-injector is open, there is some noise from the air entering the suction line. The noise level depends on how much air is entering, but is generally minimal. In any case, we recommend, where possible, that the air-injector be installed away from the chair (i.e. in a cupboard space or ceiling cavity) to reduce noise levels.
Contact Us
For more information on installing your Plant-Room, please speak to your Cattani dealer directly or contact our head offices in Auatralia or New Zealand
For further information on Cattani products visit the Cattani Pricelist, Cattani Maintenance or Cattani main website.
For further information on Cattani products visit the Cattani Pricelist, Cattani Maintenance or Cattani main website.
Australia
280 Dundas StreetThornbury, Victoria
Australia 3071
Telephone: +61 3 9484 1120
Facsimile: +61 3 9484 4052
Email: cattani@cattani.com.au
New Zealand
P.O. Box 100063NSMC, Auckland
New Zealand 1333
Telephone: 0800 68 22 88
Facsimile: 0800 69 22 88
Email: marcus@cattani.com.au
