How to Design Plumbing

The choices you make when you design your house

also affect its plumbing system. An efficient plumbing
system starts with a design that saves water and
energy resources. A good design incorporates short
runs between plumbing fixtures and uses state-of-the
art materials. A plumbing design must include two
systems: the system that supplies water and the
system that gets rid of waste. The drain system also
has vent stacks that allow drainpipes to breathe and
move sewer waste through the sewer pipes.
• Plumbing Codes
• Before you begin designing a house for plumbing, drain, waste and vent systems,
you must follow local building codes to ensure design compliance. Plumbing
codes limit the number of fixtures that can be on a vent stack, on a drain system
in a room, or where supply lines and drains must be placed inside the walls. Local
building jurisdictions provide information as to the codes they follow as well as
giving you the specifics of where they diverge from standard codes. To ensure
that your plumbing design meets code, check with your local building jurisdiction
before you begin to design your home.
• House Design
• Because water supply is one complete system, it traverses between the rooms
that require plumbing. This also applies to the DWV (drain, waste, vent) system,
which usually runs alongside or near the water supply system. To save on
materials and make the system more efficient, consider grouping rooms that
require plumbing closer together. For instance, place a laundry room adjacent to
or near the kitchen, while placing bathrooms in key locations near bedrooms.
When you design rooms that have plumbing fixtures in multiple and opposite
locations around the home, you can expect to pay more for materials and
installation overall.
• Materials and Contractors
• Cheaper material costs and contractors in the beginning will more than
likely cost more in the end. To get the most from your plumbing design,
consider purchasing materials that are highly rated, and only hire
professional contractors who come with good recommendations. An
incorrectly fitted joint or a drain system that is not properly sloped can cost
a lot of money in repairs. Avoid these mistakes by including proven quality
materials and contractor costs into your plumbing design.
• Water Supply, DWV and Hot Water
• Water supply and drain, waste and vent systems sit side by side inside the
walls of your home. When you design your home and plumbing system,
you must keep both these systems in mind. One way to save on water and
energy costs is to create a hot-water plumbing loop system that continually
moves the hot water back to the water heater. This reduces the amount of
energy needed to heat the hot water. Another option is to develop a solar
hot water system or use point-of-use tankless hot water units.