Good plumbing design considers installation, operation, and maintenance costs. Plumbing fittings are non-standardized, and maintenance should include shutoff valves and vent pipes. Plumbing equipment includes water meters, backflow preventers, and water heaters. Plumbing mapping is important, and copper pipes are the mainstay.
The methods used to install plumbing are as numerous and unique as each home, office, or building that requires plumbing repairs and services. Plumbing design isn’t an exact science, and plumbers almost always have to make some rough estimates, such as estimating how much water usage varies throughout the day or how much the water pressure in the public network fluctuates. For each method, however, one thing is certain: Good plumbing design must consider installation, operation, and maintenance costs.
Whether the primary goal of a plumbing installation project is to install a high volume system or a water and energy efficient system, cost is always a determining factor. A plumbing manual or software can accurately determine the cost of a project based on the desired goal. The type of plumbing equipment and plumbing products depends on the operation and variable costs depend on what you see – the fixtures – and what you don’t see – the pipes and fittings.
Plumbing fittings have been the bane of plumbers for years. For any plumbing installation, many difficulties can arise when installing with fittings, which have non-standardized sizes, shapes and configurations of various components. You can consult a licensed professional, who is more likely to source or do the fitting for the job, but this adds cost to the job.
Maintenance, the third consideration of hydraulic design, takes into account serviceability that extends well into the future. Adding more shutoff valves, access ports, and manifolds can save a lot of time and trouble later on. Proper plumbing installation should also incorporate vent pipes, which essentially replace the air that is vented whenever water flows from a plumbing fixture into a drain pipe. Plumbing equipment includes water meters, backflow preventers, pumps, expansion vessels, filters, water softeners, water heaters, heat exchangers and control systems.
Plumbing mapping is the first step of the installation, and a typical map consists of your plumbing, appliances, fixtures, and sewer. Plumbers should never use smaller than reasonably usable pipes, because undersized pipes invariably lead to clogged drains and poor system efficiency. Copper pipes are the mainstay for the industry, although some companies have developed less expensive pipes in composite materials.
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