Chapter 25. Plumbing
One of the most important features of the modern house is the plumbing. Without good up-to-date plumbing a house can never be satisfactory. The kitchen sink is probably the first fixture in importance, followed closely by the bathroom and the laundry.
The floor plan should show the exact location of each plumbing fixture, and give the size of the fixture where there is a choice of sizes. In laying out the piping of the drainage system it is usually best to start at the place where the drain line leaves the house and run a 4" soil pipe (in some localities a 3" soil pipe is permitted) in a straight line to the water closet farthest from this point, then continue on to an outside wall where you will place a 4" cleanout.
A 4" vent must be carried straight up through the roof from a point as near the water closet as possible. The 11/2" vents from the other fixtures in this bathroom will join the large vent at any point at least one foot above the water level in the highest fixture in this bathroom. Often the vents are joined above the ceiling if it is not convenient to do it at a lower level. Do not let too many vents go through the roof, as it is expensive, invites leaks and is unsightly.
If there is another water closet in the house run a 4" pipe from it by the shortest route to the 4" drain first laid out. Then run 2" soil pipe from all the other fixtures to join these main lines. Place a cleanout where each line starts, so that all lines can be cleaned if necessary.
Do not let galvanized pipe come within six inches of the ground, and use "durum" or cast iron fittings to a point above the highest fixture.
Drainage pipes should go as directly as they can with as few turns as possible, and a cleanout should be provided at all important changes of direction.
One vent in the building must be of the same size as the main house drain, but the vent from the second water closet may be 2", while the vents from the sinks and lavatories can be 11/2" or sometimes 11/4". Vents permit air to circulate in the pipes, and make it so the traps are not siphoned out when the flow of water in the pipes is heavy.
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The expression "soil pipe" means cast iron pips that is fitted together with lead and oakum joints. The joints are made by fitting the end of one piece of pipe into a bell on the end of the next piece and "caulking" the joint by packing "oakum," a kind of tarred rope, into the joint, then pouring melted lead, hammering it down, pouring in more lead, then taking a caulking tool, a kind of chisel, and packing the lead tightly into the bell. Do not hammer too hard on the lead, as this may crack the pipe. See illustration.
Galvanized pipe is steel pipe that is coated with zinc. It must not be used within six inches of the ground, when used as drainage pipe. Cast iron fittings must be used on galvanized pipe to a point a foot above the highest fixture in the plumbing system.
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Galvanized pipe can be connected to cast iron soil pipe by inserting the end of the galvanized pip= into the bell of the soil pipe, and caulking the same as if soil pipe were used.
The three common sizes of soil pipe used in houses are 4", 3" and 2". The 4" size is used for water closet drains. In some places 3" is permitted for this purpose. The 3" size can also be used where two or three 2" lines come together. The 2" size is the smallest soil pipe used and is for sink, bathtub, lavatory, and floor drain connections.
The galvanized pipe most used for drainage is the 11/2" size, which can be used for sink and laundry drains. The 11/4" size can be used for lavatory drains. Where two or more drains come together, the 2" size should be used. The 2" pipe can be used to vent a second toilet, while the 11/2" size is correct to vent a sink, bathtub, or laundry fixture. The 11/4" size can be used to vent a lavatory.
By means of what is called a tapped tee, the galvanized vent pipes can be screwed directly into the soil pipe stacks or vents.
In placing drainage pipes, care should be taken to make sure that all parts of the line slope in the right direction and have a fall of 1/4" to the foot. Too steep a fall is not good; better keep the pipe to the standard slope and make it perpendicular where more fall is needed to make the connections.
When the drainage system is complete, it is tested by plugging all the outlets, filling the vent pipes to the top, and letting the water stay in the pipes all night. If the pipe is still full in the morning, obviously you have a good tight job of pipe fitting. Some shrinkage will result because of the contraction of the water due to cooling during the night, but if the system is again filled in the morning, the normal expansion from the heat of the day should keep the system full all day, even if one or two minute leaks may exist.
The water is commonly distributed through the house in galvanized pipe. The 3/4" size is used for the main lines, while the distribution lines to the individual fixtures is usually 1/2" pipe. Care should be taken to use as small a pipe as will carry sufficient water for the hot water lines, to avoid wasting too much water waiting for the hot water to come from the tank to the faucet.
Copper tubing is coming into general use for water pipes, as it is less subject to corrosion than the galvanized pipe and is said to last much longer.
Galvanized pipe is put together with screwed joints. The principal tools needed to install it are two pipe wrenches, perhaps 14" and 18" sizes, 1/2" and 3/4" threading tools, a pipe vise and a reamer to clean the inside of the pipe at the ends where it has been cut. For small jobs the pipe can be cut with a hack saw, but a pipe cutter should be purchased if the job is large. The screwed joints are made watertight by applying an oily liquid called pipe joint compound.
Copper tubing is put together with soldered connections. The only tools necessary are a hack saw and a good soldering torch. In some places copper tubing is also used for the drainage systems where the building codes permit its use. It would be easier to install for a person not accustomed to making the leaded joints in the cast iron pipe.
The water pipes should be so placed that all the water can be drained from them, so the system will not be in danger of freezing and bursting the pipes when the house is left unheated in the winter time.
A shut-off valve should be placed near the point where the water line enters the building, and at the wall where the pipe comes out to supply each fixture. This would mean two valves or angle cocks for each lavatory or sink, and one stop cock for each water closet. A valve should also be placed in the line supplying the hot water tank.
Plumbing Fixtures
A kitchen sink made of cast iron and coated with glass-hard white enamel is preferred by many housekeepers, but stainless steel, pressed sheet steel, and clay are also used. Sinks vary in size from 18" x 24", through the popular 20" x 30" to the large double size sinks 22" x 38". A sink with a drainage opening 31/2" in diameter is to be preferred, as this makes possible the use of basket strainers in the drain. If a garbage grinder is desired, it can also be installed in a 31/2" opening. The double sink is preferred by most people who have used this type.
The white enameled cast iron bathtub is preferred by many, but colored tubs are also available at a slightly higher price. Pressed steel tubs are also made which seem to be fairly satisfactory. Lengths of tubs vary, but the 5' and the 51/2" sizes are usually preferred. A tub is about 21/2' wide. For those who want something different, a tub that is approximately 4' square is sometimes used. The cost is higher, but this tub might fit better in some bathrooms.
Water closets are nearly always made of china, either white or colored. A seat with a plastic coating is usually better than a painted or varnished one. These fixtures should be of good quality, but not necessarily of the highest price. A study of a catalog will show the various styles. The water closet should have a space 31/2wide and a clear area in front of it of at least 18".
A lavatory should be from 32" to 34" high. A working surface and cabinet in conjunction with the lavatory will be found to be very convenient. Tile back of the lavatory and on the top of the adjacent cabinet will make a more satisfactory job than painted surfaces.
The shower bath is often nothing more than a shower head over the tub with a curtain around the tub to keep the water off the floor. Where there are children in the family, a separate shower will usually be more satisfactory. The shower stall should be not less than three feet on a side, although smaller ones are sometimes built. Tile will make the most satisfactory shower floor and walls. Where economy is a prime consideration, use ceramic tile on the floor and cement plaster or waterproof imitation tile over cement plaster on the walls. Doors of glass are to be avoided because of the hazard of injury from the probable breaking of the glass, unless the glass is reinforced with wire. Plastic is probably safer for shower doors. Be sure to arrange things so that the water from the shower does not get out on the floor of the bathroom.
An important part of the plumbing is the hot water tank. The 30-gallon size is widely used, but for a large family a 40- or 50-gallon tank would be better. Many of the better tanks are glass lined. Water can be heated in a variety of ways. Where gas is available, the automatically controlled hot water tank is easy to install; oil or kerosene fired tanks also do a good job. Coils in the kitchen stove or in the furnace will often produce hot water very economically without too much bother.
Hose bibs or outdoor faucets should be provided at places where they will be handy for washing the car and watering the lawn. In cold countries these faucets should have shut-off valves inside the house that drain the faucet and pipe automatically, to prevent freezing.
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