The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
How To Design And Install Plumbing
Indirect Pressure Distribution. The indirect pressure method of water distribution usually is employed where the water supply is taken from a drilled well. A vertical screw turbine pump is the most modern elevating equipment employed in this method. It is installed directly over the top of the well and it discharges its water into a storage reservoir erected at a height to assure adequate pressure to serve the needs of the city. In some cases the storage unit is placed on the ground and booster pumps are used to distribute the water into the city mains. In this method of distribution the installation of the water mains is identical with that of the direct pressure method of distribution.
Materials Used For Water Distribution
The water distribution system of a building may be constructed of galvanized steel or wrought, copper, lead, or brass pipe. Cast iron is also used for certain portions of it. The selection of the material to be used for an installation generally is made by the building designer, who is primarily influenced by manufacturers' specifications and their interpretation of the advantages of one variety over the other.
All piping materials are objectionable because of the solvent nature of the water which passes through them, except block tin or glass tube, which are entirely impractical for plumbing purposes. Because of the mineral content of the water, however, no serious effects on health result from the materials commonly employed.
The mineral content in the form of calcium and magnesium salts is precipitated by centrifugal force and adheres to the interior surface of the pipe, forming a protective coat which prevents the water from carrying any of the dissolved metal with it. The chemical process involved in this phase of the plumber's work is interesting, but it would require too much space in this chapter to present fully. As a general rule, the plumber deals only with the installation of the pipe, and the responsibility for a safe supply of water devolves upon municipal authority. In rural communities, however, water distribution is often the problem of the plumber. But serious difficulties are seldom experienced in this situation, because usually the source is a ground water supply that is high in mineral content. It is quite important that the water from these sources be analyzed by a competent commercial or state employed chemist to determine its purity and the possibility of its distribution in the pipe materials to be used on the domestic installation.
