Service Depot :: Creating a Better Plumbing System
Like creating a famous painting, installing a plumbing system is a work of art. If you are interested in learning the trade of plumbing, installing your own plumbing system, or creating a better plumbing system, this guide will help get you on the right path. Of course, the way a plumbing system is installed can directly affect how well a plumbing system works. In addition, how well a plumbing system works can prevent problems that can cause water damage to your home and to your belongings. Proper installation can also help to save you money on your water bills, so taking steps to install your plumbing properly has a number of great benefits.
When you are doing a small project, being careful not to do unnecessary damage is the first thing. Great care must be taken when unscrewing or cutting old pipes. Sometimes old pipes are fragile, and when you put a wrench on them, they crumple and break. If this happens, it might actually be a good thing, because the pipes really were weak, and you are fixing them when you have time. It always seems that, when left on there own, the pipes will break on Christmas, New Years, or Thanksgiving. But there are some tricks to minimizing damage. Always use two wrenches, so one holds the fitting, the other the pipe, and you only turn the one joint you want to work on. Pull the wrenches carefully, and if you feel it crumbling the pipe, you can stop and re-evaluate. Sometimes a plumber will even heat the fitting with a torch, if it is iron, but only if he can do it safely, and not start a fire. If you ever use a torch, have a fire extinguisher and a spray bottle of water handy. The flame you see can light things maybe 4 times as far as what you see. Insulation is often very flammable, and old wood can hold hidden embers, and keep burning even though you can't see it.
When you are installing plumbing for a major project, with water and drain lines, most plumbers prefer to start with the drain lines, because they are bigger, and they can't go up and down the way water pipes can. Each area of the county has it's own codes and practices of how to install plumbing. The size of pipes are different, the venting is different, but here in Washington, the rules do help make good plumbing systems. If the rules are followed, the house should work well.
If you want to work on your own system, follow the guidelines of the Uniform Plumbing Code. The University Bookstore has copies. It is hard to read, at first, but has everything you need in it. There is even an illustrated guide.
Since gravity is the way sewage flows, all the waste pipes and most of the vent pipes slope down. Usually, the minimum requirement is ¼ inch drop per foot of run. The more slope, the better it runs.
Toilets take 3 or 4 inch waste pipe, and at least 2” vent pipe.Showers and bathtubs, kitchen sinks and laundry take 2” waste pipe and at least 1 1/2” vent pipe.Bathroom washbasins take 1 1/2” waste, and the vent usually run in 1 1/2”.
Old houses usually have smaller drains for everything except the toilets, and that is one reason they plug up a lot. Usually, if you replace the existing piping with the same layout, but bigger pipes, it will work and be legal, but not always. It used to be possible to vent with short turn tees (“sanitary tees”), but jurisdictions are moving more toward wyes, “combo's”, and long turn tee wyes. A long time ago, waste pipe was put together with lead pipe, and the main waste had the toilet stub coming out, and the tub or shower and washbasin drain going into the toilet stub. Now it has to go into the main drain below where the toilet stub goes. Sometimes I've seen plumbers do repairs by just reproducing the existing, and it works, but it would never pass inspection. Also, lead is very hard to patch or connect to. We use rubber couplings with full stainless steel sleeve, in a size that would work correctly, and often put something inside the pipe to keep it rigid.
Tip #1 Vents are a necessity
Installing vents near drainage pipes are a necessity and a step that should not be skipped in an effort to save money. There are building codes, which dictate how close the vent should be installed to a drain. The vent helps the water speed down the drain and keeps water in your traps, to prevent sewer gas from coming into the house.
Tip #2 Shutoff the valves
Make sure the water is shut off to anything you are working on. Also, if you are cutting waste pipes, turn the water off. If you make a mistake and cut a water pipe, or if someone runs water, you won't have a mess. It is even good to flush the toilets, once the water is off, if you think someone might flush on you
Tip #3 Limit Water Usage
Limit your water usage to what you need. This can be done by installing a plumbing system properly. There are also conservation efforts you and your family can take to conserve water. The first step is to turn off the tap. Only run water when you are using it. You can also install toilets and faucets that use the minimum amount of water needed, so even when you have the tap running or flush the toilet, only a certain amount of water is used to achieve the same outcome. Use a quality fixture, like Toto or American Standard, for the toilets. They work better.
Tip #4 Type of Pipes
Over the years, many different types of pipes have been used. From cast-iron and brass to PVC, copper and cross-linked polyethylene (PEX), all of these types of piping has the same affect – it brings water into the home and flushes used and dirty water out of the home. We like ABS pipe for waste piping, and PEX or copper for water piping. PVC is also a good waste pipe, but don't use it for water in the house. CPVC is approved in the house, but it is fragile, and I hate to see it inside a house. PEX is a little more forgiving for freezing than copper, but they both are great water pipes. Copper looks better, installed.
Tip #5 Plan and Understand
The key to installing an effective plumbing system is planning and understanding. It is important to plan the installation of a plumbing system that is quiet and efficient. It is equally important to plan on installing the pipes and valves in a way that allows for easy access for maintenance purposes. It is very important to install the right sizes of waste and water pipe, and the UPC tables give minimum sizing. If your pipes are too small, the drains won't drain as well, and plug up more often, and the water pipes will not deliver as much water as you need, or there will be big temperature swings in the sinks when the toilet is flushed, or the other fixtures are used.
click here http://www.goodservices.com/plumbing101.php