When building a house from scratch or remodeling different spaces within or outside the property, it is imperative to pay attention to the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. The three go hand in hand, and skilled engineers or architects design efficient plumbing system plans to help you save water and energy. If they fail to incorporate the critical plumbing design elements in the layout of your home, you may experience plumbing issues.
Why are house plumbing designs so important?
Usually, a complex network of plumbing lines course their way through residential properties. So, before constructing your new house, you must have a sophisticated plan of action put right in place.
A good house plumbing design illustrates the entire mechanism that brings water into the property and takes the waste back out (i.e., a Drain-Waste-Vent). Plumbing systems are part of the MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) installations that add to the “creature comfort” features in the structure and have a high level of interactivity amongst each other.
So first, the freshwater supply line enters the house through a private well or the municipality. Once the design documents the mainline, it is then branched off to the heating line, moving parallel to the cold water line for taking water to fixtures and appliances. Following this, the wastewater system plan is drafted for carrying the contaminated water via a drain trap while staving off sewer gases through different vent pipes that exit to a roof vent. For these reasons, it is highly suggested to install a water filter system in your house for fresh and healthy drinking water.
Most plumbing works are regulated by local building codes that vary significantly. Besides, making different joints and fittings in residential projects calls for specific skills to install a first-class system. Thus, a master plumber establishes the plumbing system to ensure utmost safety; otherwise, a faulty system can damage the property or impact the occupants’ health.
Experienced plumbing engineers produce designs to solve water noise problems. They make sure the sewer, stormwater drains, and rainwater systems do not lead to water damage to the structure in the long run.
Ideally, the plumbing plans contain the drawings and descriptions of the various drains, supply lines, vent pipes, valves, and fixtures of bathrooms, kitchens, or the outdoors. In short, a professionally designed house plumbing plan minimizes any adverse impacts to the building, thus avoiding future problems.
Elements of a successful house plumbing design
To help the project go smoothly, engineers and/or architects team up to plan the house plumbing system, which is the central nervous system of the house. A successful plan will include the following key elements to create comfort features of the structure:
Key Building Codes
Following the local building codes is imperative when designing the house plumbing system plan. Building codes enlist the number of fixtures that can go on each drain system, vent stack, and the placement of the supply drains and lines. A good plumbing design ensures the plumbing system meets the standard and specific codes, so it does not incur hefty fines.
It incorporates correctly designed specifics to comply with the key regulations, ensure design compliance, spend less time under review by the local jurisdiction, and face no issues during construction inspections.
Supply Drawings
These are technical drawings that determine the estimated lengths and locations of cold and hot water supply lines. The set consists of different plans, the water, drain, and vent lines (A.K.A riser diagrams), installation specifications, legends, and general notes. However, the location of the pipes may be site-specific and is not always incorporated in the blueprints. Usually, rough-in plumbing includes fixture location, dimension, the minimum height from the floor, distance from the wall, symbols, and more.
Gas Plumbing
Most residential systems also accommodate natural or propane gas features. The plumbing relies on iron, polyethylene, and steel pipes to carry fuel to the stove, oven, furnace, etc. Screw-like threaded fittings sealed at the connection ultimately combine the lines. The seal is a safety barrier that prevents leakage.
DWV Elevation
DWV or a Drain-Waste-Vent elevation refers to the system that carries the wastewater and air out of the house. This part regards the upward path of the stacks, vents, lengths of the drainpipe runs, as well as fixture traps. It primarily shows how different fixtures will vent. However, it doesn’t necessarily have to be drawn over architectural drawings and can be a helpful reference.
Right Pipes with Correct Sizes
It is essential to have correctly sized plumbing pipes to avoid clogs or expensive repairs in the future. If the pipes are undersized, the system will neither function effectively nor meet the plumbing expectations. The lines will fail to deliver the right amount of water, or there can be water temperature changes in different fixture units.
Choosing the right kind of pipes is also equally essential. For instance, PVC pipes are popular, but these are fragile and more prone to damage than copper or PEX pipes installed within the house. Thus, the pipe’s material and its size hold extreme importance in making the plumbing system more efficient, requiring fewer maintenance efforts in the future.
Water Access
Engineers and architects need to produce practical designs suggesting contamination-free, uninterrupted water supply at any given time to ensure there is no cross-connection between freshwater and waste-carrying pipelines. Besides, the plan also accommodates the water supply and DWV system to sit next to each other and create a hot water loop that cuts down on water and energy costs to some extent. Getting water from the water reservoir to your house is also kept in mind to maintain adequate water flow.
Outdoors
The outdoor faucet connections are also illustrated in the plumbing plan. There can be numerous exterior plumbing faucets interconnected around your house. But, your engineer or architect can best determine the necessary fixtures. If required, the design can also incorporate an outdoor kitchen system, in-ground pool, hot tubs, in-ground water sprinklers, gutters, drainage pipes, and septic tanks. Having an outdoor connection like this can be an excellent selling point if you decide to sell the property in the future.
Kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of the house. It is where you cook delicious food and make memories. What’s necessary to achieve this is a plumbing system that aids the different activities in a kitchen. Drain lines and warm water supply are planned for the kitchen sink, dishwasher, and any additional food prep areas.
Therefore, it is wise to run necessary plumbing lines to the island first and then around the other areas. Ideally, the kitchen sink and dishwasher are installed near one another. However, if you have a specific kitchen design in mind, the engineer or architect can accommodate those design details in the plan as well.
Basement
A sump pump is another central installation to think about when plumbing plans are in the design phase. It helps pump out water brought into the property by storms and floods. The sump pump discharge lines connect to the sewer lines or any place where the water can drain out, keeping the basement dry. In addition, a sewage pump system is incorporated to accommodate any plumbing fixtures for basement elevations below the sanitary sewer service connections or septic systems.
The Design Everest Team Can Help
The efficiency of a plumbing system is always first; the rest just follows. Each plan is drafted to make plumbing systems as environment-friendly, safe, and effective as possible. Failing to chalk out essential details can lead to unexpected future disasters. Thus it is always best to plan the plumbing layout well in advance.
If you are looking for an experienced company to help you with your house plumbing designs, Design Everest is the name you can trust. When you contact the Design Everest team for your plumbing design needs, we provide you with an aerial view of the plumbing plan, suggesting what the system must look and work like in your house.
We can precisely draw your plumbing plans so you, as a homeowner, don’t have to deal with annoying and costly surprises in the future. With our years of industry experience, we understand how invaluable it is to have an excellent MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) design and get the job done efficiently.
For consultation and a free quote, call us today!
