Installing bathroom piping

Step 6: Installing The Appliances There are many plumbing fixtures that will now need to be installed. One is the toilet. Connecting the toilet takes skill, the last thing anyone wants is a misconnected waste pipe spewing sewage onto your new bathroom floor, and then having that seep through to the floor below. You also want to make sure that the toilet bowl is level — a lop sided commode is not comfortable. After attaching the tank, the water line will need to be connected.

To install the sink, you would need to secure the sink stand to the floor. This requires a lot of drilling and a precise hand to secure it to the floor. Once the stand is in place you will need to connect the hot and cold-water lines to the sink and attach the handles, stopper, and drain.

If this is not all done professionally, you will have a leak on your hands that will become a costly affair to fix. Finally, the bath tub or shower will need to be installed and connected to the drain line and pipes. Yet again, this is another area where unskilled hands could really cause a costly mess.

For all your plumbing needs the licensed plumbers at Art Plumbing, AC, and Electric are here to help. General Plumbing. Next, you'll need to hook up the shower or tub faucet. This task doesn't require many steps and takes just a few hours. In following our instructions, you'll learn how to assemble the faucet and copper pipes onto a cross brace.

If you're doing this project on your own, be sure you're comfortable with operating a handheld propane torch used to sweat the pipes. You don't need to go to a five-star spa for a relaxing afternoon. Spoil yourself at home with a whirlpool tub. Some whirlpool tubs or spas have a finished side or two, so framing and finishing the side panels are not required. Others require a bit more prep work, but are totally worth it.

We'll walk you through the steps of installing a whirlpool tub from the pipe work to tiling to hardware installation. Think wisely when picking out a shower for your new bathroom. A one-piece unit is the simplest shower to install, though you may have a limited choice of colors. A corner shower involves building one wall, while a middle shower requires two new walls. Whatever you choose, we have the steps necessary for installing the pipes, hardware, and more.

Plan to work on this step for two to three days. With the huge array of bathroom innovations in recent years, there are countless ways to add luxury to a shower—power showers and shower towers which are actually panels , multiple shower jets, footbaths, waterfall showerheads, steam generators, sauna accommodations, heated towel bars, and more.

However, these mood-altering improvements have more complicated technical requirements than normal baths. If you are seeking a spa-like experience, take a look at our steps for adding luxury to your shower. A wet wall is needed to build a new bathroom, half-bath, shower unit, or laundry room in your basement. Almost 3, of these scald burns come from tap water in the home. The three high risk groups are children under the age of 5 years, the handicapped, and adults over the age of 65 years.

Tap water is too hot if instant coffee granules melt in it. Young children, some handicapped individuals, and elderly people are particularly vulnerable to tap water burns. Children cannot always tell the hot water faucets from the cold water faucets.

Children have delicate skin and often cannot get out of hot water quickly, so they suffer hot water burns most frequently. Elderly and handicapped persons are less agile and more prone to falls in the bath tub. They also may have diseases, such as diabetes, that make them unable to feel heat in some regions of the body, such as the hands and feet. Antiscald devices for faucets and showerheads to regulate water temperature can help prevent burns.

A plumber should install and calibrate these devices. Most hot water tank installations now require an expansion tank to reduce pressure fluctuations and a heat trap to keep hot water from escaping up pipes. Types of Water Flow Controls It is essential that valves be used in a water system to allow the system to be controlled in a safe and efficient manner. The number, type, and size of valves required will depend on the size and complexity of the system.

Most valves can be purchased in sizes and types to match the pipe sizes used in water system installations. Listed below are some of the more commonly encountered valves with a description of their basic functions. Shutoff Valves. Shutoff valves should be installed between the pump and the pressure tank and between the pressure tank and service entry to a building. Globe, gate, and ball valves are common shutoff valves.

Gate and ball valves cause less friction loss than do globe valves; ball valves last longer and leak less than do gate valves. Shutoff valves allow servicing of parts of the system without draining the entire system. Flow-control Valves. Flow-control valves provide uniform flow at varying pressures. They are sometimes needed to regulate or limit the use of water because of limited water flow from low-yielding wells or an inadequate pumping system.

They also may be needed with some treatment equipment. These valves are often used to limit flow to a fixture. Orifices, mechanical valves, or diaphragm valves are used to restrict the flow to any one service line or complete system and to assure a minimum flow rate to all outlets. Relief Valves. Relief valves permit water or air to escape from the system to relieve excess pressure.

They are spring-controlled and are usually adjustable to relieve varying pressures, generally above 60 psi. Relief valves should be installed in systems that may develop pressures exceeding the rated limits of the pressure tank or distribution system. Positive displacement and submersible pumps and water heaters can develop these excessive pressures. The relief valve should be installed between the pump and the first shutoff valve and must be capable of discharging the flow rate of the pump.

A combined pressure and temperature relief valve is needed on all water heaters. Combination pressure and vacuum relief valves also should be installed to prevent vacuum damage to the system. Pressure-reducing Valves. A pressure-reducing valve is used to reduce line pressure. On main lines, this allows the use of thinner walled pipe and protects house plumbing.

Sometimes these valves are installed on individual services to protect plumbing. Altitude Valves. Often an altitude valve is installed at the base of a hot water tank to prevent it from overflowing. Altitude valves sense the tank level through a pressure line to the tank. An adjustable spring allows setting the level so that the valve closes and prevents more inflow when the tank becomes full.

Foot Valves. A foot valve is a special type of check valve installed at the end of a suction pipe or below the jet in a well to prevent backflow and loss of prime. The valve should be of good quality and cause little friction loss. Check Valves. Check valves have a function similar to foot valves. They permit water flow in only one direction through a pipe. A submersible pump may use several check valves. One is located at the top of the pump to prevent backflow from causing back spin of the impellers.

Some systems use another check valve and a snifter valve. They will be in the drop pipe or pitless unit in the well casing and allow a weep hole located between the two valves to drain part of the pipe. When the pump is started, it will force the air from the drained part of the pipe into the pressure tank, thus recharging the pressure tank.

Frost-proof Faucets. Frost-proof faucets are installed outside a house with the shutoff valve extending into the heated house to prevent freezing. After each use, the water between the valve and outlet drains, provided the hose is disconnected, so water is not left to freeze.

Frost-proof Hydrants. Frost-proof hydrants make outdoor water service possible during cold weather without the danger of freezing. The shutoff valve is buried below the frost line. To avoid submerging it, which might result in contamination and back siphoning, the stop-and-waste valve must drain freely into a rock bed. These hydrants are sometimes prohibited by local or state health authorities.

Float Valves. Float valves respond to a high water level to close an inlet pipe, as in a tank-type toilet. Miscellaneous Switches. Pressure switches with a low-pressure cutoff stop the pump motor if the line pressure drops to the cutoff point.

Low-flow cutoff switches are used with submersible pumps to stop the pump if the water discharge falls below a predetermined minimum operating pressure. High-pressure cut-off switches are used to stop pumps if the system pressure rises above a predetermined maximum. Paddle-type flow switches detect flow by means of a paddle placed in the pipe that operates a mechanical switch when flow in the pipe pushes the paddle. The inadvertent contamination of a public water supply as a result of incorrectly installing plumbing fixtures is a potential public health problem in all communities.

Continuous surveillance by environmental health personnel is necessary to know whether such public health hazards have developed as a result of additions or alterations to an approved system. All environmental health specialists should learn to recognize the three general types of defects found in potable water supply systems: backflow, back siphonage, and overhead leakage into open potable water containers.

If identified, these conditions should be corrected immediately to prevent the spread of disease or poisoning from high concentrations of organic or inorganic chemicals in the water. Water Heaters Water heaters Figure 9. They consist of a space for heating the water and a storage tank for providing hot water over a limited period of time. The installation port for these valves may be found on the top or on the side of the tank near the top.

This fact alone should encourage individual permitting and inspection by counties and municipalities to ensure that they are installed. Figure 9. This vent should be directed to within 6 inches of the floor, and care must be taken to avoid reducing the diameter of the vent and creating any unnecessary bends in the discharge pipe.

The point is to avoid any constrictions that could slow down the steam release from the tank to avoid explosive pressure buildup. Water heaters that are installed on wooden floors should have water collection pans with a drainage tube that drains to a proper drain.

The pan should be checked on a regular basis. Tankless Water Heaters A tankless unit has a heating device that is activated by the flow of water when a hot water valve is opened. Once activated, the heater delivers a constant supply of hot water. The output of the heater, however, limits the rate of the heated water flow. Demand water heaters are available in propane LP , natural gas, or electric models. They come in a variety of sizes for different applications, such as a whole-house water heater, a hot water source for a remote bathroom or hot tub, or as a boiler to provide hot water for a home heating system.

They can also be used as a booster for dishwashers, washing machines, and a solar or wood-fired domestic hot water system [ 7 ]. Disassemble the parts, apply primer and glue, and reassemble the pieces in order, starting at the existing drain. Slip lengths of 2-inch pipe down through the holes drilled in the floor plate for the tub and sink vents.

Have a helper hold the pipes plumb as you mark the plate below for notching. Cut notches about an inch wider than the pipe to accommodate a fitting. To run a vent pipe through the ceiling, first drill a test hole to make sure you won't bump into any joists in the attic. You might need to move the hole over a few inches.

The top plate can be doubled, meaning you have to drill through 3 inches. You might need to drill with a hole saw first from below shown , then from above. Cut and dry-fit the horizontal drainpipe and the fittings for connecting the tub and the sink drains. A 3-inch horizontal pipe is shown, but your inspector might permit a 2-inch pipe. Insert a street elbow into the Y and hold the other pieces in place to mark for cutting.

Install a reducing tee and a degree elbow or street elbow if you need to save room for both joints. If the pipe will be accessible, install a cleanout on the fitting for the tub; otherwise install a drain elbow instead of a tee.

A shower has no waste-and-overflow assembly, so the rough plumbing consists of a cemented trap that rises to the correct height for the shower base. To plumb the drain for the tub, dry-fit a 2-inch trap onto a length of 2-inch pipe that is longer than it needs to be. Study the directions for the tub to determine precisely where the trap should be located. Hold the trap-and-pipe assembly in place and mark it for a cut.

Dry-fit and check that the horizontal pipe slopes correctly. Once all the parts are accurately assembled, draw alignment marks and prime and glue the pieces together. Your plumbing codes might require the horizontal revent lines be as high as 54 inches above the finished floor, or at least 6 inches above the fixture flood level the point where water will start to spill out. Use a carpenter's level to mark the studs for drilling holes.

Drill holes, cut pipes, and connect them in a dry run using drain fittings. If a medicine cabinet, window, or other obstruction prevents you from running a vent straight up, you'll have to turn a corner for a short distance, then turn again to head upward.

Horizontal runs should be at least 6 inches above the fixture flood level the rim of a sink, for example. Install a sanitary tee facing into the room for the sink trap. The ideal height is usually 18 inches above the finished floor, but check your sink instructions to be sure. Install a piece of 1x6 blocking and anchor the pipe with a strap. In the attic, tap into a conveniently located vent pipe.