HEPA Plumbing Filtration

Before Enhanced Systems & Products, Inc. began designing its systems, HEPA wasn’t a word usually associated with sewer vent stacks or other plumbing applications. HEPA plumbing filters can be used in a variety of applications, including plumbing vents, lab waste vents, vacuum systems, compressed air systems, and compressed bottled gas systems.

Each one of these applications may require HEPA filtration based upon individual client need, project design philosophy, and adherence to NIH standards (as found in the NIH Design reference manual for Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories BMBL 2009).

Originally designed to provide filtration for HVAC systems, HEPA filters of these types are not an appropriate product for plumbing applications. HEPA standards are 99.99 of 0.3 microns, but bacteria and other pathogens that can live and breed in plumbing systems can be as small as 0.2 microns.

We immediately saw the protection that these HEPA filters were intended to provide to both laboratory workers and the general public surrounding their facilities, and we designed our systems to meet and exceed the intent of the stringent BSL-2, BSL-3 and BSL-4 requirements of the CDC and NIH. Since it is commonly known that bacteria can be as small as 0.2 microns in size, a more stringent filtration, though not required, must be employed. ESP filters and systems are specifically designed for plumbing applications, not a square HEPA filter stuck in a round pipe. Although our filtration products offer 0.2 micron absolute (100% retention, not 99.99 of 0.3 micron), they are additionally rated (independently tested by a third party) to HEPA standards to comply with NIH/CDC guidelines.

As a result, our unique filtration units handle the infectious microorganisms and biological contaminants encountered in plumbing type systems generated in high containment BSL-2, BSL-3 and BSL-4 type facilities. Subsequently, ESP products have been qualified to meet HEPA filtration standards thus fulfilling the DRM HEPA filtration protocol, while taking into account all plumbing concerns.

As with our decontamination shower containment systems, all of our HEPA plumbing filtration units are custom manufactured per application based on factors such as decontamination protocols, filtration level requirements, certification and quality assurance needs.

Our HEPA plumbing filtration systems are more than just a simple filter housing placed in a line. They are uniquely sized for each application and come complete with valving, pressure or delta-p gauge(s), panel mounting and full system integrity testing, with duplex system types available.

Decontamination and vent ports are provided for sanitization of the filter prior to removal. Care should be taken in trying to discern from the client what microorganisms/pathogens are being handled so that the correct sanitization methods can be considered and reviewed. Systems can include steam-in-place, disinfection with chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide, vaporized hydrogen peroxide or formaldehyde gas, etc. Flexibility is key, since no one agent kills all microorganisms or pathogens.

By choosing ESP, you can be certain that our systems are designed to ensure the safest possible retention of microorganisms/pathogens in these critical applications.

To learn more about our plumbing filters for HEPA bio-waste, sewer vents, soil vents or other plumbing applications, contact us at 215-794-6942. These quality filtration solutions handle everything from compressed air to bottled gases and more. " We know what you need ! "