Air in Dentist Office Water System

[Buddy Rabon]

I'm having an issue with air getting trapped in the potable water system at a dentist office I service. Ive been a commercial plumber in new construction and service for 25 years but I have never plumbed a dentist office from the ground up therefore I do not know how the system works as far as the air and water being connected. I know the dental equipment used is connected to filtered water and air via an air compressor. This air is backing back down the water line and into the water system causing sink faucets, toilets, and hose bibs to "spit" water and air. Has anyone had an issue with this before and can point me in the right direction to find the source of the problem. Thanks

 

[Reach4]

A water softener air check valve failure could add air to the water system during regeneration.

Is the water for this office from a private well? Some water treatment systems, such as for iron removal, can cause air to be introduced. In addition, a well running short of water can bring in air via the pump.

If this is city water, and if the water pressure is not known to be higher than the air pressure, you could add a spring-loaded check valve on the water supply of each device that gets supplied with water and compressed air. This could be viewed as a workaround or a redundant system.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

I've plumbed many dental clinics. Typically you have your drains and vents, potable water, compressed air, vacuum and Nitro and Oxy. The air compressor air is not hooked up to the potable system for any purpose, it only runs the tools

One unique thing about dental clinics, and Im not 100% certain that everyone is done this way, but every one that I've worked on has a shut off valve that gets turned off at night. If as Caorrymase suggests.. that could allow air backwards in if there were a leak that allowed water to drain down creating suction.

 

[Michael Young]

I'm having an issue with air getting trapped in the potable water system at a dentist office I service. Ive been a commercial plumber in new construction and service for 25 years but I have never plumbed a dentist office from the ground up therefore I do not know how the system works as far as the air and water being connected. I know the dental equipment used is connected to filtered water and air via an air compressor. This air is backing back down the water line and into the water system causing sink faucets, toilets, and hose bibs to "spit" water and air. Has anyone had an issue with this before and can point me in the right direction to find the source of the problem. Thanks

go outside and access the backflow device to see if its discharging.

 

[Ronnyvagh]

You might want to check if there’s a backflow preventer in place and if it’s working properly. Sometimes, if a check valve is faulty or missing, air can get into the water lines, causing that spitting issue you mentioned. Also, take a look at the shut-off valve. I’ve seen situations where air gets in if water drains down when the system is turned off at night.If you need more advice or want to talk to someone with experience in this kind of setup, you could try contacting jeffreygrossdds.com. They might have some good tips or know someone who’s run into this problem before.