There is one major difference between the bathroom and the other parts of a home, excluding maybe the kitchen, and that is the need for a supply of fresh water that comes into the room and leaves with waste byproducts. Here it is necessary that there are two systems: one to bring the fresh water in and the other to take the waste byproducts away. Theoretically, the system is easy to understand. There are several municipal pumping stations where a supply of fresh water is brought in through pumps. The waste water flows downhill until it reaches a point where pumping stations force the material into a sewage plant. In both cases where the average home is concerned, the system which is referred to as the Drain-Waste-Vent-System ( DWV) is equipped with vent pipes that extend up and through the roof.
The fresh water that comes into your home is usually supplied by a one inch main line. It is then tapered down to other lines for the trip to various other parts of your home. Usually located in the walls of the bathroom are two copper pipes and a single DWV pipe. This is the usual arrangement for a single lavatory arrangement. Remember too, that plumbing regulations vary among different regional areas with regard to DWV systems. While some municipalities require venting at every fixture, others rely on various distances from vents before they require additional vents.
As in all cases where your remodeling requires changes to the plumbing as well as the structure, it’s a good idea to check with your local building department before you start any new construction to ensure that you are abiding by all the local building codes.
It’s good to start out any plumbing project with a design and it’s always great to plan out these designs on paper. This will help you determine how many and which kinds of fittings you’ll need. If you are planning properly, you’ll buy more than you think you might need since it’s always possible that more will be needed than initially planned. You can expect that there will be some problems along the way and routing drain vent pipes can be one of these.
Often you’ll need to use tees and other options to make the pipes fit as they don’t always go through on the predetermined angles that you would like them to. One of the things that you’ll notice when you first set about doing this kind of a project is the fact that one of the constants in any renovation’s success is the ability to improvise. Remember too, that all plastic drain lines and all of their connections must be secured with the proper adhesive.
Latest Videos of The Ins and Outs of Plumbing:
home-inspection
