Drainage vent systems: Investigation and analysis of air pressure regime

Knowledge of the performance of building drainage vent systems and associated appliance trap seal loss and retention has developed in recent years due to extensive research into the generation and propagation of air pressure transients within drainage networks. This paper demonstrates how data gathered from experimental testing of several single stack systems, considering the influence of a wide range of parameters including stack diameter, roughness, height and applied water flow rate, can be used to provide generally applicable mathematical expressions which assist in determining the pressure regime present at critical points within such systems.