Plumbing System Design Info

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Modern Plumbing Systems are getting more advanced every day. With each passing year, it seems many new plumbing and piping products and concepts are introduced. Plumbing design professionals and engineers must become familiar with these products, systems and concepts. During the design process, the plumbing system designer must perform numerous data collection and design tasks to assure a properly design system. The information gathered during the initial stages of the project will serve as a basis for design decisions later in the design process. Plumbing engineers find that they are asking the same questions on every project and some offices have developed their own questionnaires to make sure they cover all of the bases. The following is are some questions and checklists that could help a project run more smoothly.

Gathering Information
The designer should put together a plumbing project binder, properly identified with the project name and number at the beginning of each new project. All pertinent data such as the project location, address, meeting minutes, memos, calculations forms, etc., should be filed in this binder. All calculations and design data should be placed on standard reproducible sheets in case they need to be faxed or copied for owner review. The engineer should write down all information from project team meetings, phone conversations and names and addresses of code officials and keep them in the design folder. Many companies have developed project preparation questionnaire forms that serve as a checklist for various information to be gathered and tasks to complete. When you receive any correspondence or make and sketches or design calculations make sure there is a date on each piece of paper and file it in the project folder in chronological order.

The following list has items you should gather or obtain and keep in the project file folder:
Locate the building or buildings on the site, including property lines, legal description, project address where applicable. Usually most of this information can be obtained from the site plans which will include the utility drawings and grading plans. Note the size, location and depth of all adjacent available sewers, water, and gas mains. Check for available water pressure including flowing and static conditions and water hardness. If this information is not current, request a flow test from the water department or fire department. If the project is an alteration or connects to an existing building, check existing water & drain services and existing loads, as well as hot water equipment, pumps, ejectors, backflow preventers, etc. Check with the electrical designer regarding available voltages for motors, etc. Check with heating, ventilation & air-conditioning (HVAC) department for the availability of steam or boiler water for heating domestic hot water (ask for steam pressure or boiler water temperature). Check the existence of local and other applicable codes. Check NFPA 14 for fire standpipe system requirements in the building, wet, dry and/or combinations and size and flow requirements. Write it down. Check NFPA 13 for fire sprinkler requirements in the building; what type of system? Wet, Dry, Pre-action, Deluge,Co2, etc. Check the insurance companies requirements. Check with the local Fire Marshal or Fire Inspector. Verify the building construction type with the architect and refer to the proper Building and Fire Codes. Check the need for other piping systems and record the required pressures, temperatures, uses, flow rates or piping material considerations: Storm drains (Rainfall rate) Sanitary drains (material) Domestic Water (pressure available and required pressure) Domestic Hot Water (temperature & flow rate) Natural gas (Pressure and Cubic feet per hour) Compressed air (pressure, CFM, quality: shop air, lab air, medical air) Vacuum (central cleaning, lab vacuum, medical vacuum, dental, anesthesia evacuation) Pure water systems: (Distilled water, Deionized water, Reverse Osmosis water, filtered) Oxygen (industrial, medical) Nitrous oxide Nitrogen (pressure) Carbon Dioxide Acid waste & vent

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Industrial waste (treatment? & pipe material considerations) Fuel oil (grade) Steam & Condensate (pressures, Lbs/hr, Return or waste the condensate? ) Irrigation Obtain a detailed kitchen layout from the food services equipment consultant where applicable. Identify which pieces of equipment and floor sinks will have grease waste. Pipe these items separate to the grease interceptor. Identify which pieces of equipment have large hot water loads. Determine temperature required and flow rate. Most of this information along with utility connection requirements should be found in the kitchen equipment schedule or equipment list with manufacturers catalog cut sheets. Work together with the Architect, HVAC, structural and electrical designers for a coordinated Mechanical room for the chillers, boilers, pumps, heat exchangers, starters and switchgear layouts. Try to leave room for maintenance access, tube pulls, and equipment removal and replacement.

Design Procedures
The following is a list of procedures and tasks for the design of the plumbing work and the preparation of the plumbing drawings. 1. Determine that the proper number of fixtures are present per chapter 4 fixture requirements in the applicable plumbing code. Count the plumbing fixtures and total the equipment loads and estimate the following: Sizes of the building drains and sewers based on drainage fixture unit values. Size the water service based on water supply fixture unit values. Size of the gas service based on connected load in BTU's per hour converted to Cu Ft/hr. Hot water load (tank size and recovery). 2. Determine if sump pumps or sewage ejectors are required for basement area drainage. 3. Determine if the domestic water service has adequate water pressure. If the pressure is not sufficient for the required pressure, determine the type of pressure booster system is required. Determine if the water service is from a municipal supply or will it be from a private well. Determine the type of backflow preventer needed to protect the municipal water system. Determine if a pressure reducing valve is necessary, Test the water quality and determine is a water softener or iron filter is necessary. Determine the type of pressure booster pumping system. Determine if constant speed or variable speed pumping is appropriate for the domestic water system. Determine if a hydro-pneumatic tank is needed to allow the pumps to cycle off. 4. Locate roof drains, leaders, fire standpipe risers, main stacks, sprinkler alarm valves and risers, etc. Verify space requirements for equipment tube pull clearances and maintenance clearances. Check the architectural drawings for plumbing chase wall thicknesses to verify that plumbing fixture wall supports or fixture carriers will fit in the chase wall space. Check structural drawings for beams under floor outlet fixtures and across plumbing chases. Check structural drawings for bottom of beams and girders to assure adequate ceiling clearances. Check structural drawings for cross bracing that can interfere with mechanical systems. 5. Prepare preliminary site plan, locating any known existing utilities and locations of new routing, etc. 6. Note the absence of sufficient service sinks and drinking fountains or water coolers, or other fixtures and check with the architectural designer. Coordinate the electric water cooler type with the architect to make sure the style matches the intended design. Give the electrical info to the electrical designer. 7. Document all conversations in writing or a confirmation e-mail to the design team and keep records of your correspondence in the project file. 8. Review the floor plans and look for adequate plumbing wall chases. Verify shaft sizes to see if the plumbing risers will work with ductwork, electrical conduits, and chilled/heating water piping systems. Note the lack of proper pipe chases and wall thickness for plumbing work and meet with the architect to solve plumbing wall & pipe chase needs and other trades to coordinate conflicts with other trades. 9. Notify the electrical designer of the electrical requirements of the plumbing equipment. Ask the electrical designer for available voltages and make sure to schedule or specify the proper voltages for plumbing equipment selections. (Pumps, water heaters, electric water coolers, controls, solenoid valves, irrigation controllers, fire alarm panel, flow switches, tamper switches, etc.) 10. Notify the HVAC Designer of the heating requirements of the plumbing work. (domestic water heating requirements if steam or hot water is used, if gas fired equipment, they will need combustion air requirements) 11. Check with the HVAC Designer for the make-up water requirements for the chilled & heating water system and gas to boilers & unit heaters. 12. Check the structural drawings for space conditions affecting the plumbing work. Check for footings, grade beams, girders or beams under plumbing walls, etc. 13. All plumbing work should be designed in accordance with the appropriate codes. Make sure that you get a copy of the local codes for your project and ask for the latest amendments also. 14. All fire standpipe and sprinkler work should be designed in accordance with the local Building & Fire Codes if one exists, and also in accordance with the Fire Marshal, insurance carrier's installation standards, and the National Fire Protection Association standards. 15. Plumbing piping should not be installed in transformer vaults, switchgear rooms or telephone rooms unless absolutely necessary. If drains or pipes from above have to be installed in an electrical room provide drip pans, sheet metal shielding or protection of the electrical equipment. 16. Check with the HVAC designer and electrical designer regarding space conditions for risers, fire hose cabinets, etc. 17. Check local code requirements for floor drain minimum requirements. Make sure there are floor drains or floor sinks provided in rooms with the following equipment: Floor drains should be located near pumps, refrigeration compressors, air compressors, vacuum pumps, condensate coolers, boilers, tanks, water heaters, air conditioning equipment, reduced pressure principle backflow preventer assemblies, pressure vacuum breakers, or any other equipment with a drain. Floor sinks should be located In kitchens near dishwashers, steam kettles, large refrigerators as required (refer to kitchen equipment technical manuals). In toilet rooms as specified by the code or a good design practice has been for all public toilet rooms with two or more fixtures using flush valves (verify with the owner if not required by local code). 18. In general, pressure reducing valves should be provided for domestic water lines where the static pressure exceeds 80 pounds and as required at various pieces of equipment such as: commercial dishwashers, spray systems, steamer tables, to assure proper operation. 19. Water services should be provided with a main valve and drain. All fire standpipe and sprinkler services should be provided with indicating type main shut-off valves with tamper switches, backflow preventers should be installed to meet the required hazards at the point of use and at the building water service entrance as required by local code and the authorities having jurisdiction, fire department Siamese connections should have a check valve and ball drip drain connected to the fire sprinkler system downstream of the main shut-off valve. 20. Verify the type of approved backflow preventers, for both domestic and fire services their type and location. 21. The Domestic hot water system should be provided with a domestic hot water circulating pump and insulated return piping, unless the distance between the heater and the furthest fixture is less than about 40 feet or as required by code. Hot water systems with long runs shall be provided with a circulating pump with 7 day 24 hour timer on projects with 8 hour shifts. The character of the building use should determine the use of more than one water heater and circulating pump. If a thermostatic mixing valve is installed on a recirculated system, the return piping after the circulating pump must be split and routed to the cold water inlet of the water heater and the cold water inlet or recirculation connection on the mixing valve to prevent temperature control problems. 22. Plumbing fixtures on floors below grade, if drained to the sewer, should be provided with backwater valves. Sewage ejector pumps should be used only where absolutely necessary. When a sewage ejector pump is used, the discharge piping should have a check valve, shut-off valve and it should be routed at least one foot higher than the horizontal drain it connects to. The drain it connects to should be of adequate size to accept the pumped discharge. 23. Wherever possible, all water supplies should be from above the rim of the fixture to provide an air gap between the water supply system and the drainage system. All submerged connections to refrigerating compressors, boilers, or blow-off tanks, hose end faucets, water heaters, etc. should be provided with

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vacuum breakers or backflow preventers. 24. House pumps should be provided with spring loaded, anti-slam check valves instead of the swing checks used elsewhere. (This will prevent the slamming sound when the pump cycles on) 25. All risers should be provided with control valves and drains. 26. Flow diagrams should show water service piping, shut-off valves, meter, backflow preventer and other components, water treatment equipment, water heaters, sump pumps, ejectors, pressure booster pumps, house tanks, etc. Riser diagrams should be limited to congested plumbing chase walls where it would be difficult to show all of the piping in plan. 27. Obtain minimum ceiling heights from the Architectural reflected ceiling drawings and check to see that plumbing work clears the ceiling. 28. Non-Freeze Type wall hydrants should be provided on outside building walls where freezing temperatures can freeze the piping. Verify the wall thickness and specify a wall thickness to allow the wall hydrant space to protrude into the warm part of the building. Provide shut-off and drain valves when necessary. 29. In general, piping should be run as direct as possible. However, except for piping buried underground, all piping should be run parallel to and at right angles to the walls partitions, etc., and shall be neatly grouped in parallel lines in corridors or areas with lay-in ceilings for maintenance access. 30. Roof drains and stacks through the roof should be kept 12" to 18" away from all parapet walls, building offsets, roof openings, etc. to allow for proper flashing. 31. Unless you are requested to do otherwise, use only the standard symbols and abbreviations that pertain to the particular plumbing project you are working on. 32. When sitting in on project meetings, detailed notes should be taken on all items of discussion pertaining either directly or indirectly the plumbing work. (After the meeting a memorandum should be written confirming what was discussed with a copy sent to the other parties present at the meeting. Keep a copy of all correspondence in the project file. 33. In general, piping should be run to clear steel and concrete beams. Where absolutely necessary piping maybe run through beams. Where it appears there is a conflict with beam flanges or you need to run pipes through the web of steel beams or through concrete beams, permission of the Structural Engineer shall be obtained and confirmed in writing, and all such special conditions shall be clearly noted on the drawings, and confirmed in writing to the Structural Engineer. Keep a copy of all correspondence in the project file. 34. All motor controllers, remote control stations, alarm panels, remote alarms, and remote pressure, float or flow switches, and electrode control units should be located and noted on the drawings. Coordinate these items with the electrical department. 35. All information received from or given to the Architect, Owner, etc. either directly or on the telephone should be immediately confirmed by memorandum or e-mail with a copy sent to him and a copy sent to all other departments interested or affected (Check with Department Head). Keep a copy of all correspondence in the project file. 36. Keep standard details of commonly used equipment. The details should be kept in simple one-line format so they can be modified with very little effort. 37. Limit the amount of detail on the plans. For example show a simple box to indicate a piece of equipment. Tag the equipment and schedule it in the specifications or on the drawings. Show the detailed piping, valving, strainers, bypasses, unions,etc. on the one-line details for that piece of equipment. 38. I hope you will find this list useful in designing your next project. Back to the top

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