System

Click here to see a video of the system in operation

RainPulse is best described as a system that operates generally in a gravity (single drop) manner until the rainwater intensity is such that the level of water coming from the roof reaches optimum operating level of between 25mm and 40mm within the gutter.  When the water reaches optimum operating level, the outlets pulse. The pulse is created by the pipes filling with rainwater and creating a full bore pull on the rainwater until the level in the gutter drops below operating level. At this point the outlet reverts back to a basic gravity fed system. Rainpulse is "patent pending"

• Small downpipes with higher capacity
• Up to 70% cost saving
• Rapid Installation
• Less risk

• Large obtrusive high level pipes
• Water running internally
• Expensive

• Large obtrusive downpipes
• Up to 70% more outlets & DP
• Less design freedom

What’s The Difference Between Gravity Drainage and RainPulse?

In a current gravity drainage calculation to BS EN 12056-3: 2000 there is a restriction on how much water can flow due to the design of the outlet and the natural flow of water.  With gravity drainage there is a split between air and water and this split can be 2/3rd air and 1/3rd water.

The Rainpulse outlet is specifically designed to ensure that the water flow is maximised and flow restrictions are taken away allowing where necessary the pipe to be 100% water. In heavy downpours the pipes operate at full bore creating a pull on the water. Effectively the Rainpulse system works at its best under heavy downpour. With a standard BS EN 12056-3: 2000 calculation the system operates efficiently but can be affected by blockage or intensity beyond the design parameters. Effectively a gravity system can work at full capacity under heavy downpour and therefore at most risk to the building

What’s The Difference Between Syphonic and RainPulse?

In syphonic drainage all the outlets are linked together to one common horizontal collection pipe, running internally throughout the length or width of the building. In the RainPulse system the outlet and pipe work are independent of each other. With a syphonic system there is a higher risk of rainwater discharging from the roof and remaining inside the building, throughout the horizontal collector pipe, until it discharges at the end of the building. With the RainPulse system the water is taken straight down the pipes vertically and out the building quickly.

In a syphonic system any outlets or sections of pipe that become blocked will result in the system potentially failing its design requirements and putting the building at risk. If this problem occurs with RainPulse, the overall gutter discharge system will still operate to its design requirements because the outlets operate  and discharge independently, allowing the remaining unblocked outlets to pulse at more regular intervals to meet the increased demand creating no extra risk or capacity load to the gutter system hence reducing potential risk.

RainPulse Breakdown

The system can be broken down into 3 main elements - the rainwater is collected in the gutter which then disperses down the patented outlet and finally is taken away in the downpipe.

For RainPulse to work all 3 elements will be designed specifically as a system and are required to be used - trying to use a different outlet or a different pipe system from another supplier will result in failure and CGL Systems cannot be held responsible

1) The Gutter

CGL Systems have been manufacturing membrane lined gutters since 1981 and we have supplied more than 1000 miles of gutter over this period.  The success of the gutter has established the product as the market leader - we will be promoting our membrane lined gutter as our standard within the RainPulse System.

The gutters can be single skin or insulated and be designed to achieve various ‘U’ values.  Other gutter systems can be made specifically to suit the client / project requirements

2) The Outlet

The RainPulse outlet is specially designed to maximise the efficiency of discharging rainwater from the gutter into the downpipe.  The outlet design also allows the elimination of a vortex which eliminates the pipes filling up with air instead of water.

The outlets efficiency has been tested and its capabilities are incorporated into our design software that allows CGL to design the relevant amount of outlets and pipes to suit each project. The outlets have been tested at the University of Sheffield to BS-EN 1253-2;2003 and complies with BS EN 12056-3 2000

3) The Downpipes

There is a choice of downpipes depending on the project needs.  For plastic we can provide an HDPE BBA Approved pipe system - the HDPE pipe is required to accommodate the flow and pressure of water in comparison to standard plastic pipe systems which do not comply with the necessary efficiencies or specification.

We also offer aluminium downpipes which can be supplied in mill finish or a PPC finish.  All pipes are specifically designed to suit the project requirements