The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
How To Design And Install Plumbing
Inspection And Test
Testing the Plumbing System. The plumbing system must be subjected to a rigorous test once the roughing in of the soil waste and vent pipe system has been completed. This practice assures the consumer a safe plumbing system and, to a large degree, certifies the plumber's installation. To permit a drainage system to be enclosed in building partitions, without the formality of testing it, is too great a risk for the plumber to assume. There are always the possibilities of faulty workmanship (sometimes unavoidable) and defective materials, which appear when the plumbing system is put in operation. The plumber, regardless of who is to blame for error or poor workmanship, is the person responsible, and he may be held liable for the damage.
Inspection of the Plumbing Installation. Not only should the drainage system be tested, but inspection by some person of authority who is familiar with plumbing practices is essential. The individual best suited for this responsibility is one who has had previous plumbing installation experience and who possesses complete knowledge of the physics principles involved in plumbing systems. Often the responsibility of inspection is placed in the hands of building inspectors—men whose knowledge of building crafts is general rather than specific. These men, when inspecting a plumbing installation, look for leaks and other obvious faults and do not recognize mechanical defects. The consumer is not properly served by inspection of this character.
Some states have established plumbing divisions, which are directed by competent plumbers who are responsible for sanitation standards. Field men who are responsible for designated areas are employed, and it is their duty to make inspections and offer installation advice in their territory.
Larger cities often employ a staff of full-time plumbing supervisors, and it appears that this practice is a most efficient one. It is hoped that in the near future a universal plumbing code specifying minimum standard practices will be established—each state adopting a policy of inspection to be carried out under local supervision. Wisconsin has enjoyed a policy of this kind for nearly twenty-five years and the beneficial results of this program cannot be measured. All mechanics under the Wisconsin plan serve bona fide apprentice-ships, are registered and indentured with state commissions, receive technical training by compulsory school attendance and are required to pass a rigid state examination. Once the apprentice passes this test he is licensed by the state to operate within its boundaries, and he may suffer revocation of his license to practice for any serious violation of the code.
