How Does Vacuum Plumbing Work?

Learn more about how our system works to provide water savings and future-flexibility, while opening up design possibilities.

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How Vacuum Plumbing Systems Work

Toilets

When the toilet is flushed, the vacuum valve opens and positive air pressure moves into the bowl, carrying wastewater vertically into overhead waste piping, which leads to the vacuum center.

Sinks, Showers and Other Fixtures

Waste from sinks, showers, and other fixtures drains into an accumulator. As waste fills the accumulator, it sends a signal to the controller to open the extraction valve. When the extraction valve opens, air is pulled into the accumulator and vertical piping, pulling accumulated waste out. The incoming air vertically carries the wastewater into the overhead piping and then into the vacuum center.

Vacuum Center

The Vacuum Center is at the heart of the system. Vacuum pumps create negative pressure in the waste line, drawing waste into the collection tanks, which are discharged to sanitary sewer lines.

Key Benefits of Vacuum Plumbing

No Cutting or Trenching

Vacuum plumbing installs overhead, meaning there is no need to cut or trench flooring to access plumbing lines.

Water Savings

Toilets use as little as 0.26 gallons per flush, saving up to 68% over standard gravity toilets.

No Leaks

Air is drawn into the pipe instead of letting water out.

installation flexbility, retrofitting, and future redesign benefits of vacuum plumbing

Future Flexibility

Plumbing fixtures can be placed and relocated in a fraction of the time and cost with vacuum plumbing.

Comprehensive Healthcare Solutions

AcornVac is a Morris Group International^® Brand. We work with fellow Morris Group International Brands, such as Whitehall Manufacturing, to bring you comprehensive healthcare solutions.

BestCare^® Suite and Dignity Suite^® Packages

Whitehall Manufacturing offers BestCare^® Suite and Dignity Suite^® packages of ligature-resistant restroom fixtures and accessories. BestCare^® products are designed with patient safety in mind. AcornVac vacuum plumbing systems can provide increased infection control and hygiene to these suites because toilet flushing with AcornVac produces no flush overspray that can spread germs.

Bariatric patient suites with vacuum plumbing

Bariatric Suite

Bariatric Suites are designed with the needs of bariatric patients in mind. The fixtures are designed durably to hold more weight and can pair with a vacuum plumbing system to handle waste from toilets, sinks, showers, and more.

Surgical Suite

Plumbing is required in surgical suites to handle waste from scrub sinks. These fixtures can easily pair with a vacuum plumbing system, which also offers future flexibility should fixture needs change.

Rehabilitation healthcare environment with vacuum plumbing

Rehabilitation Environment

Rehabilitation centers will have plumbing needs similar to other healthcare facilities, including waste from toilets, sinks, and other plumbing fixtures. Vacuum plumbing systems can work with all these fixtures at any volume needed and can offer future flexibility if needs change at a later date.

ADA Compliance for vacuum plumbing systems

ADA Suite

ADA bathroom suites have fixtures built specifically for the needs of users with disabilities. AcornVac vacuum plumbing systems can work with these restroom fixtures to provide a clean, efficient, and future-flexible plumbing solution.

MGI ConTrols BASyC electronic water monitoring for vacuum plumbing

MGI ConTrols^® BASyC^® System

For added temperature control and monitoring of your plumbing system, consider a BASyC system from MGI ConTrols. BASyC provides distributed control and monitoring of MGI ConTrols^® MV17 mixing valves and various temperature, pressure and flow sensors.

Customer Testimonials

“I’ve looked at hundreds of buildings trying to figure out how to fit medical into them and one of the first things you look at is the plumbing system and you can cross it off and move on. With vacuum plumbing it doesn’t matter what the building is, you will be successful.”

- Randal Brand, MBA, RA, Healthcare Facilities Strategy Consultant

“[Vacuum Plumbing] opened the possibilities for design because vacuum is vertically lifted as opposed to gravity sewage, so it really changed how that system could be installed -- you can put a toilet in virtually any location because it’s going into the ceiling.”

- Stephan Selbert, Maintenance Superintendent, East County Detention Facility, County of Riverside, CA

Stephan Selbert AcornVac Vacuum Plumbing Testimonial

See More Success Stories

The AcornVac^® system uses differential air pressure to transport waste from plumbing fixtures, such as toilets, urinals, sinks, and showers, through a piping network to a central point from which waste is discharged into the facility's sewer or waste treatment plant. The vacuum center is the heart of the system. It controls the vacuum pumps to create vacuum pressure in the waste piping, allows incoming air to assist in drainage from the toilet when it is flushed, and empties accumulator tanks that collect wastewater from other sources. For more on how vacuum plumbing works, visit the What is Vacuum Plumbing? page

With vacuum plumbing, a constant vacuum pressure in the waste piping system draws air into the toilet when flushed; this eliminates any splash or flush plume from the bowl as the wastewater is pulled into the piping system, thus reducing the spread of germs. NSF^® testing confirmed no detectable overspray with AcornVac vacuum plumbing systems. For more on this and other health benefits of AcornVac vacuum plumbing systems, visit the Health, Safety and Welfare page.

When the toilet is flushed, the vacuum valve opens and positive air pressure moves into the bowl, carrying wastewater vertically into overhead waste piping, which leads to the vacuum center. For more on how vacuum plumbing works, visit the What is Vacuum Plumbing? page

As waste drains from the fixture, it is temporarily collected at the accumulator. This accumulator can be designed inside of a standard 4” wall with 16” stud spacing or inside a fixture or fixture cabinet. As waste fills the accumulator, it sends a signal to the controller to open the extraction valve. When the waste valve opens, air is pulled into the accumulator and vertical piping, pulling accumulated waste out. The incoming air vertically carries the wastewater into the overhead piping and then into the vacuum center waste collection tank for discharge by gravity to the sewer system. For more on how vacuum plumbing works, visit the What is Vacuum Plumbing? page

Plumbing fixtures can be placed and relocated in a fraction of the time and cost with vacuum plumbing. Vacuum plumbing runs waste up and over rather than down and under your finished floor. This gives you unlimited freedom in space layout and design, reducing construction time and costs. See more on our Construction Benefits page.

Common Questions

Vist our FAQ page

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