The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

How To Design And Install Plumbing

The circulating pump generally is used on installations that have inefficient circulation. This fault may be caused by building defects which compel the mechanic to trap runs of main piping. When scientific principles cannot be applied to produce circulation, a pump may be used to accomplish this end.

A pump may also be used on systems of the overhead feed and upfeed types. This practice will increase the efficiency of the system. The installation of a pump in such systems has an economic as well as a practical value, because the heated water is returned to the storage unit at a higher temperature. This naturally lessens the fuel expense and assures a faster circuit, giving the occupants a better supply of hot water.

Installation and Location of the Pump. The pump is installed on the circulatine return main as close to the heating unit as possible, as indicated in Fig. 247. The circulating return is connected to the inlet side of the pump, and the outlet side of the pump is connected into the return to the heater. A gate valve must be installed on each side of the pump.

It is advisable to equip the pump with a by-pass, which is done by inserting tees of the same diameter as the circulating return ahead of the valves. The tees are connected and the line is equipped with a gate valve. Should the pump get out of order the control valves may be closed and the hot water will circulate around the pump into the return pipe of the heater. This practice serves as a temporary means of water circulation. When the by-pass is not in use, the valve with which it is equipped must be closed. The valves on either side of the pump must be open at all times when the pump is in operation.

Private Water Correction

Water Softening Processes. Water taken from underground sources usually contains compounds of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) which render it inconvenient for domestic use. Forming its mineral content are calcium and magnesium sulphates, CaSO4 and MgSCO4, called permanently hard water; or calcium and magnesium bicarbonates, Ca(HCO3)2 and Mg(HCO3)2, called temporarily hard water. Water containing these mineral elements reacts with the chemical elements contained in soap to form an objectionable curd, making its use as a cleansing agent practically impossible.