Air gap apparatus

Air gap apparatus for connection between the waste water outlet conduit of a reverse osmosis unit, and an air gap outlet conduit of a drainage system, the air gap apparatus comprising:

• a housing having an outer wall and an inner wall defining a pair of adjacent, elongated, open ended left and right chambers;
• an inlet fitting having an inlet passage mounted within the lower end of the left chamber, and an outlet fitting having an outlet passage mounted within the lower end of the right chamber, the inlet fitting being adapted for coupling to the waste water outlet conduit of the reverse osmosis unit, and the outlet fitting being adapted for coupling to the air gap outlet conduit of the drainage system;
• a closure mounted within the upper portion of the housing and overlying the upper ends of the left and right chambers, the closure and housing defining a connecting passage providing fluid communication between the upper ends of the left and right chambers;
• a nozzle fitting mounted within the upper end of the right chamber and having a nozzle passage in fluid communication with the connecting passage, the nozzle fitting including a depending splatter shield;
• and
• the outer wall of the housing including an air gap adjacent the splatter shield to vent the right chamber to atmosphere and prevent back siphonage into the right chamber of waste water from the outlet fitting, the outer wall further including an inwardly and downwardly directed deflector wall located below the lower terminus of the air gap, and also including a backflow opening located adjacent the deflector wall and opening into the right chamber to direct out of the backflow opening any waste water which backflows upwardly against the deflector wall from the outlet fitting.