The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
How To Design And Install Plumbing
It often becomes necessary for a mechanic to run the soil pipe and its branches between joists or in partitions subjected to cold drafts. The architect's building plan sometimes requires the plumber to place a soil pipe in a cold outside wall. In this case the plumber must be sure to insulate the pipe thoroughly against frost. Even if the wastes do not freeze, the greases and fats which they carry become chilled, thus solidifying and causing stoppage.
Any insulating material of good quality can be used as a protection against cold. Hair felt, mineral wool, or frost proof covering are some which serve this purpose satisfactorily. A circulation of warm air may be provided in some cases by allowing air from the basement to circulate through a partition by means of a register or opening concealed behind a fixture. This has proved to be a successful method to overcome freezing. When installing soil pipes the plumber should put headers between joists and in walls to close off drafts as an additional safeguard against freezing.
The noise caused by water rushing through the soil lines within the walls is still another objectionable feature common to carelessly installed pipe. Soil lines must not be allowed to touch plastered walls or ceilings, for such contact will cause the sound to be magnified. Hair felt or mineral wool packed around waste lines assures a quiet installation. Insulation of soil lines to avoid these difficulties is important and should be considered carefully when the soil pipe is being installed.
Horizontal runs of soil pipe may be subject to condensation in event a fixture flushing device leaks or passes water into the fixture continuously. In a short time the condensation may drip on to a ceiling over which the soil pipe branch has been installed and cause damage. This condition always must be guarded against and may be overcome by applying a good quality of anti-sweat covering to the soil-pipe installation.
Waste Pipe
The waste pipe is that part of the drainage system which conveys the discharge of fixtures other than water closets, such as sinks, lavatories, urinals, bathtubs and similar fixtures to the soil-pipe soil branch or house drain. The waste pipe usually is smaller in diameter than the soil-pipe installation, and the materials suspended in the waste also differ, hence it must be separately classified.
The materials the waste pipe must carry are varied. The suspended materials in the water waste are grease, lint, matches, hair, garbage, and many other substances. Then there are the materials in solution with the acids, salts, and other elements which are soluble in water. Plumbing fixtures are too often misused. Household refuse of all kinds is carelessly disposed of by flushing it through the plumbing system.
