For most of us, a plumbing network is something that brings water to the faucets that we use and takes away the wastewater from the basins, drains, and toilets. The plumbing system is an intricate network of pipes that is installed while the house is being constructed. If you are building a new house or are curious about how the plumbing installation process takes place, here is a complete guide from Garden Grove Plumber on components of the plumbing system and how they are installed.
Plumbing Installation Tipps from Garden Grove Plumber
Rough-In Stage
The plumbing system is one of those systems that start getting installed in stages starting as soon as the home construction begins. The sewer line is placed before the foundation is poured.
The rough stage begins when the walls are constructed and the basic frame of the house is ready. At this point, the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing lines are laid out. Before the drywalls are framed, the entire system of plumbing is installed including the following components.
Large Fixtures Are Placed Early
Most large fixtures such as bathroom tubs, Jacuzzis, shower glass panels, and other large plumbing fixtures are installed before the walls are finished because once the walls and doors are in place, these fixtures might be too big to be carried inside.
To avoid cement, paint, or other chemicals falling on them, they are covered in cardboard or plastic sheets. Afterward, the room is built around them and drywalls are finished.
Main Supply Line is Connected
The main supply line brings freshwater into the house. The main supply line is placed below the ground to prevent abrasion, corrosion, and impact. To avoid pipes from frost in extreme winters, the pipes are covered by an insulative material and placed in the ground to avoid the impact of extreme weather.
This mainline splits into two further lines of hot water and cold water. The cold-water line provides water directly to the faucets, showers, etc. of the house while the hot water line takes water to the water heater from where it is distributed to faucets, showers, etc around the house.
However, some houses have a control panel that can be used to turn off the hot water or cold-water supply to a certain part of the house. With the control panel in place, instead of one mainline providing water to the entire house, there are individual lines that are connected to the control panel and carry water around the house. The main purpose of a control panel is to be able to shut off the supply to a part of the house in case of leaks or other problems, instead of turning off the main water supply.
Drainage Pipes
The drainage pipes carry the used water and human waste back out of the house. The largest drainage pipe is the sewer line that takes wastewater from the vent-and-soil stack and throws it into the public sewer lines. The vent-and-soil stack is much smaller than the sewer line but is around 4.5 inches wide that carries all the wastewater of the house.
On the ground floor and all the other floors, all the drainage pipes are connected to the main vent-and-soil stack. The primary sewer drain is also buried inside the ground to avoid frost, impact, corrosion, and abrasion.
Vent Pipes
Vent pipes are installed to keep the water in your drains moving by allowing air to escape out of them. Drains when empty is filled with air, when a lot of water is flushed down the drain quickly, the air trapped inside the drainpipe pushes it up. This is called an airlock, and such locks are avoided by installing vent pipes that release the excess gas that accumulates in the drain pipes.
One end of a vent pipe is connected to the drain pipe and the other end opens up into the open air usually near the roof to let out the gas or water. Poorly vented drain lines can cause problems in wastewater moving out of the house and lead to overflowing drains, backed-up toilets, and slow drainage. Depending on the plumbing layout of the house, plumbers choose the number of vent pipes required. Some spaces only need one vent pipe for the entire house. However, drains that are far from the main vent pipe require separate vent pipes.
Create Traps and Install Small Fixtures
Instead of joining pipes with straight joints, U-shaped or L-shaped pipe joints are used that create 90-degree or 180-degree angles to create traps. Traps are small U-bends in pipes that are created to trap in something that accidentally falls into the drain or sink. It helps you get back a ring or earring that might fall into a drain pipe.
Small fixtures refer to the sanitary items that we see in a bathroom or kitchen such as faucets, basins, showers, and other small fixtures. Fixtures also include outdoor hose fixtures and hookups for dishwashers and washing machines. These fixtures are installed as part of the finishing works when the house is 90% ready.
Bottom Line
A plumbing system can look very intricate and it might seem impossible to comprehend what goes where in a plumbing system but this guide has covered most essential components of a plumbing system that join together to form the plumbing system of a house.
Knowing about plumbing systems can help you better understand plumbing system problems and get an idea of how a plumbing system will be installed if you are constructing a new house. As a homeowner, you need to be aware of how things work in your house and how a plumber will install the system.
Lastly, the effectiveness of your house’s plumbing system depends on the professional you choose for the installation of the plumbing system. An expert and honest plumbing professional like Garden Grove Plumber will avoid cutting corners and ensures that your plumbing system stays intact for decades to come.