When you repair your home or remodel the project, you will be advised to stick or adhere to the plumbing code. Most people think that the plumbing code is a ploy to keep people happy, but this is not true. Plumbing codes are essentially set up for the protection and health of the family or homeowners.
When you live in a country you will have to abide by their rules. In the building profession, there are a number of approved and denied facts. These are known as the building code and every country has its own code with respect to this. These codes keep on evolving because of the new building processes, innovations, and techniques that require a dynamic set of rules.
This means that everyone who works in the building sector has to know about the building code. Thus, everyone who works as a journeyman plumber in the plumbing sector needs to know about the plumbing codes applicable in their state.
Most homeowners have no idea how complicated health issues may arise from having a low-quality plumbing system. The most basic issue is clean water that most people address. However, there are greater issues that most homeowners are not aware of. For example, sewage and wastewater movement in the home. This is managed by how the drainpipes are pitched to prevent fumes sipping into the home and contaminated water resting in the plumbing fixtures.
A quality water filtration system helps prevent waterborne diseases and foreign materials from accessing the water. The plumbing profession has advanced and introduced many ways that can promote health in the plumbing system. Adhering with the code, helps plumbers be up to speed with the new techniques and technology that is in the plumbing sector.
Most provisions in the code are set up to protect the homeowner from suffering the effect of poor plumbing. For example, underground soldered joints that are used because it is a cheap and fast option. However, it is a key aspect of unethical plumbing. However, the homeowner still incurs the same bill and gets poor quality work done. The codes protect the homeowner form such practices.
Plumbing is a very complicated aspect of kitchen and bathroom projects. If you are trying to start a project, make sure that you ask for the local plumbing codes from the building department. Make sure that the plans are approved before you start laying down the foundation. Make sure that the plan is detailed and it contains all the needed information.
The Common Codes from the National Plumbing Code
Most of them focus on venting because they acknowledge that pipes that are not vented run slowly and are bound to release toxic fumes into the home. These are among the most important codes to consider as you embark on your project.
- Make sure that the fixtures are not too close together especially for bathrooms that have premium space.
- Make sure that you have ascertained the right pipe size in terms of supply lines, vents, and drains.
- Make sure that you have ascertained the right pipe materials. Most inspectors tend to accept PVC when it comes to draining lines and rigid copper wire when it comes to supply lines.
- Make sure that the water pressure is adequate. If it is not, then you might want to replace the globe shutoff valve with a gate or full-bore ball valve that does not affect how water flows. You may want to sue a booster pump to increase the water pressure. On the other hand, when it is high, u may use a pressure-reducing valve.
- The structure of the house shouldn’t be weakened by the plumbing installation. The inspector might direct that you reinforce the joists to give the pipes more room. Other things you might need to do is to place protective plates on the pipes and use fire calking around the pipes.
- Make sure that the pipes are correctly sloped to at least a quarter an inch in terms of running foot. Make sure that you properly calculate the slope when you run your drains through a room that lacks a crawlspace or a basement. The codes instruct that the slope of the pipes are about an eighth an inch of a foot. Some of the codes allow the vents to be level, thus make sure that you consult the code prior to embarking on the project.
- Make sure that you use a purple primer when you join the PVC pipes. This will make the inspector be aware that the pipes are primed and thus, are less likely to leak like their counterparts that are glued.
- Make sure that you get the right fittings by listing them on the plan so that you can ascertain that you got the right ones. You should sue the fittings that are specifically made for the drain like the closet bend to make sure that the wastewater flows smoothly and faster. The inspectors have varying fitting requirements for different fixtures.
- Make sure that your notches are not cut into joists as it weakens it. Alternatively, just bore holes on the joists. Make sure that you exercise great care as you do this so that the pipe slopes. Reserve the double joists for the long spans that can do bores and notches.
- Make sure that you install the clean-outs. The codes instruct the clean-outs to be placed at specific points so that the drains cannot be affected even in case a clog develops. Unless a clean-out is already nearby, make sure that you uninstall it when you tap into a drain line.
- Make sure that you check for leaking pipes when the drain lines are assembled. An inspector will test them to make sure that they do not leak by simply pouring water through the pipe and examining it from the outside. Others will instruct you to plug the line with an inflatable drain plug and fill the entire system with water.
- Make sure that you install an access panel that is mostly located behind a shower or tub. It harbors the compression pipe fittings, clean-outs, fixture controls, and valves.
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