BLANKE DIBA FLEX-LINE
Would you like to know more about the BLANKE FLEX-LINE?
We explain the advantages and differences to other channels and drains. As the name suggests, our BLANKE FLEX-LINE is particularly flexible. It can be adjusted in length and there are suitable drains for every flow direction! Here is the information about the DIBA FLEX-LINE with the composite seal:
A perfect process
No showering pleasure without water. If the water cannot drain properly or not at all, trouble is inevitable. For a five-minute shower, that's at least 75 liters, which usually occurs in an area of one square meter. Over the year, a family of three consumes 82,125 liters. These large amounts of water “stress” the shower floor and the drain equally. For this reason alone, special attention must be paid to functionally reliable drainage. In practice, this is not always easy. Wherever a prefabricated shower tray is not used, a tiler is required when it comes to drainage. Because with walk-in or threshold-free showers, the drain is part of the job. Ideally, the specialist is consulted during the planning phase of a new building. Unfortunately, this almost never occurs in real construction. Rather, the tiler has to “come to terms” with the local conditions, which often differ from the specifications in the plans. It becomes even more challenging with subsequent conversions or renovations. This is where the BLANKE FLEX-LINE is ideally used as a drain.
Requirements for drainage channels
First of all, the facts: The linear drainage not only has to function technically flawlessly and permanently, but it must also be integrated into the existing or installed waterproofing. Floor drains or gutters must be drained in such a way that water cannot accumulate on the sealing level. A second drainage level is required here. Point or linear drainage systems with factory-applied sealing flange are recommended. This means security is particularly high. In addition, it is important to ensure that the flange is dimensioned sufficiently large. Especially when installing a linear drainage system in the immediate vicinity of a wall, it is difficult to connect the gutter body to the existing seal if the sealing flange is too small. Ideally, the drainage systems are part of the waterproofing system.
Leak-free connection
The connection of the shower channel to the drainage system must function absolutely leak-free. For this purpose, it is imperative that the drain connection, including its dimensions, is matched to standardized wastewater pipes for the shower drain area in accordance with DIN 1986-4.
Sufficient drainage performance
In addition, there is the necessary drainage capacity at a defined accumulation height. Due to the design, this is significantly lower in floor-level showers than when using classic shower trays. In addition, the drainage performance also depends on the diameter of the connected drain pipe. The drainage capacity that is actually necessary also depends on the average flow volume of the shower fitting. This is usually around 0.15 to 0.2 l/s for standard shower fittings. For larger shower panels or shower heads with a correspondingly high water flow, this must be taken into account when choosing the drainage unit. Drainage takes place via cover grates that are precisely tailored to the respective pre-assembled system. Only in this combination can the specified expiry performance be provided. Of course, the openings of slotted gratings and the surrounding inlet slots must be suitable for barefoot use.
Benefits at a glance
Based on the practical experience gained, a flexible drainage channel is available on the market that combines the advantages of a “narrow” point drainage unit with the attractive appearance of a linear drainage system. For this purpose, the drainage unit and design cover were separated from each other. The drainage unit, which is compactly enclosed in a polystyrene block with an integrated siphon and a factory-fitted sealing flange, is available with a side water drain to the left or right or to the front or back. For easy installation, additional polystyrene plates are included for height adjustment. The polystyrene block also serves to soundproof the drainage unit. The “narrow” drainage unit can be neatly connected to the surface sealing on the floor and on the adjacent wall area using the sealing flange, which is already installed at the factory to ensure that it does not leak. Since there are no recesses or folds, the sealing bottle lies cleanly and flatly on the unit. This affects the connection to the existing seal because there are no wrinkles or waves.
Flexible grate cover
There is also a stainless steel cover with different design inserts that can be adjusted in length to suit the construction site situation. In addition, the “drainage channel” is extremely flexible not only in length, but also in height. It can be variably adjusted to the covering from 10 mm to 18 mm and is laid and aligned with the tile covering. The stainless steel cover is available in lengths of 90 and 120 cm and can be cut to millimeter precision to suit the respective construction site situation. The special geometry of the cover with an integrated slope ensures that water is drained quickly and safely into the drainage unit. The stainless steel cover also has additional inlets for drainage on the second sealing level to sustainably prevent dirt or mold formation.
A process that adapts to the house
The flexible linear drainage is available with an installation height of 56 mm or 75 mm, suitable for renovations or new buildings. Accordingly, the respective system has a drain in DN 40 and a drain rate of 0.4 l/s or DN 50 with a drain rate of 0.6 l/s. The water seal height for the system with the lower installation height is 30 mm; for the system for new buildings it is 50 mm. Especially for practical use, the flexible linear drainage system is equipped with an extremely practical installation aid: a construction protection cap. The construction protection cap protects the integrated sealing flange after the drainage unit has been installed. At the same time, it serves as a stop for removing the screed, which should be installed with a gradient of around 2% to the drainage unit. Once the screed has hardened, the building protection cap is turned over and acts as a building protection cover to prevent the unit from becoming dirty during tiling. During use, the siphon can be easily removed for cleaning the base body, making the housing easy and quick to access. With the flexible linear drainage, which can also be shortened asymmetrically, visually appealing and technically perfect drains can be installed in floor-level showers, even in cramped conditions.