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

How To Design And Install Plumbing

Fig. 79 illustrates an earth-cooled basin and gives minimum dimensions. Water-cooled Basin. The grease catch basin illustrated in Fig.80 is water cooled. It is constructed of cast iron and is provided with a hollow jacket through which cold water is permitted to circulate.

The inverts are both submerged and possess cleanout plugs to make the inlet and outlet accessible.

This type of grease trap is used for kitchens where the earth-cooled basin would be impractical. There are many designs of water-cooled grease traps, as each manufacturer incorporates some unique feature which supposedly makes the trap more efficient.

Air-cooled Grease Trap. The air-cooled grease catch basin is illustrated in Fig. 81. It is constructed of cast iron and provided with a series of baffle plates to increase grease separation. It is used on small kitchen installations, usually on single fixtures, and is an efficient grease interceptor provided it is cleaned frequently.

Storm Drainage

The storm drain is that unit of the plumbing system which conveys storm water to a satisfactory terminal. The disposal of surface and storm water, up to a few years ago, was accomplished by discharging it into the drain which served the plumbing fixtures of the installation. This practice was considered satisfactory, because the public sewer was drained into a river, lake, or natural drainage basin, and the discharge of a large volume of clear water waste did not create a serious problem. As cities grew in population, the need for sewage treatment became more apparent. At present many large municipalities maintain sewage disposal plants. One of the processes of sewage treatment is the liquidation of suspended organic materials. Rain water passing through a disposal plant affects this process, hence it is advisable to separate the clear water from the water-carried organic waste before it enters the plant for treatment. Storm water is relatively pure and may be discharged into some natural drainage terminal without material effect. Most municipalities have constructed storm sewers which serve privately owned buildings, and the connection of storm drains to them is compulsory. This practice is a good one, for it eliminates the discharge of rain water leaders into gutters and over sidewalks where it may become a nuisance to pedestrians.