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Domestic water supply or system (DWS) is a comprehensive term for the potable water supply systems in residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings. Potable water is drinking water, but is used in more quantities for operating plumbing fixtures that are not intended for drinking or cooking. This article addresses the supply side of plumbing systems, where traps, drains, and vents, rainwater, surface, and subsurface water drainage, fire sprinklers, and other topics are addressed in related articles. Image File history File links Mergefrom. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Domestic water system. ... Drinking water Mineral Water Drinking water is water that is intended to be ingested by humans. ... A plumbing fixture is a device which is part of a system to deliver and drain away water, but which is also configured to enable a particular use. ... A plumber wrench for working on pipes and fittings A complex arrangement of rigid steel piping, stop valves regulate flow to various parts of the building. ... A buildings waste-disposal system has two parts: the drainage system and the venting system. ... Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area. ... Fire sprinklers are an active fire protection measure subject to stringent bounding. ...

Potable water supply

This supply may come from several possible sources.

• Municipal water supply
• Water wells
• Delivered by truck
• Processed water from creeks, streams, rivers, lakes, rainwater, etc.

Domestic water systems have been evolved since the first thinking man located his home near a running water supply, e.g. a stream or river. The water flow also allowed sending waste water away from his domicile. Control room and schematics of the water purification plant to Bret lake. ... Village pump redirects here, for information on Wikipedia project-related discussions, see Wikipedia:Village pump. ...

Modern indoor plumbing delivers clean, safe, potable water to each service point in the distribution system. It is imperative that the clean water not be contaminated by the waste water (disposal) side of the process system. Historically, this contamination of drinking water has been the largest killer of humans.^[1]

Cold water supply

Most modern western water systems are directly fed from a municipal water system by a high-pressure pipe, usually located under the road or street. A water meter is installed to allow the supplier to charge appropriately for the water usage. Many houses in rural areas still use a cistern or a well when a convenient water supply is not available; a pump and pressure tanks are used to create and maintain system pressure needed for operating the plumbing fixtures. A municipal water system is a large system of reservoirs and large-scale piping which supplies fresh water, suitable for human consumption, to houses and other residences. ... Pipe is a tube or hollow cylinder for the conveyance of fluid. ... Sign in a rural area in Dalarna, Sweden Qichun, a rural town in Hubei province, China An artists rendering of an aerial view of the Maryland countryside: Jane Frank (Jane Schenthal Frank, 1918-1986), Aerial Series: Ploughed Fields, Maryland, 1974, acrylic and mixed materials on apertured double canvas, 52... // Getting water out of a cistern A cistern (Middle English cisterne, from Latin cisterna, from cista, box, from Greek kistê, basket) is a receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. ... Village pump redirects here, for information on Wikipedia project-related discussions, see Wikipedia:Village pump. ...

Any external water supply is almost always a 'cold' unheated or cooled water supply. The cold water supply system may include filter or water softener appliances. This cold water is then fed to plumbing fixtures that require cold water. The largest users of cold water are water closets (toilets) and outdoor hose bibbs, but cold potable water is needed at lavatories, sinks, bathtubs, showers, water fountains, humidifiers, and ice-makers too, for example. Cold water is also supplied to water heaters, if a building is so equipped. A trio of propane hot water heaters. ...

Hot water supply

Domestic hot water is provided by means of water heater appliances, or through district heating. The hot water from these units is then piped to the various fixtures and appliances that require hot water, such as lavatories, sinks, bathtubs, showers, washing machines, and dishwashers. A trio of propane hot water heaters. ... District heating pipe in Tübingen, Germany District heating (less commonly called teleheating) is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location for residential and commercial heating requirements. ...

Fixtures and appliances

Everything in a building that uses water falls under one of two categories; Fixture or Appliance. As the consumption points above perform their function, most produce waste/sewage components that will require removal by the waste/sewage side of the system.

Fixtures are devices that use water without an additional source of power. They include, for example:

• Hose bibbs, colloquially known as 'taps' or 'faucets'
• Water closets, colloquially known as toilets or loos
• Urinals
• Bidets
• Lavatories, sinks, and washbasins
• Bathtubs and showers
• Drinking fountains (uncooled or unheated)

Appliances are devices that use water coupled with an additional source of power. connection to these appliances incorporates a backflow prevention principle of some form -- the minimum is an air gap. See cross connection control & backflow prevention for an overview of backflow prevention methods and devices currently in use, both through the use of mechanical and physical principles. Appliances include, for example: Taps (Butterfields Lullaby), sometimes known by the lyrics of its second verse, Day is Done, is a famous musical piece, played in the U.S. military during flag ceremonies and funerals, generally on bugle or trumpet. ... Indoor Tap - commonly found in the bathroom/laundry and/or kitchen. ... Flush toilet A toilet is a plumbing fixture devised for the disposal of bodily wastes, including urine, feces, menses and vomit. ... Many modern sinks are made of stainless steel Older sinks are usually made of porcelain. ... Categories: Pages needing attention | Stub ...

• Clothes washing machines
• Dishwashers
• Humidifiers
• Icemakers
• Water filtration systems
• Water heaters
• Water coolers

Front-loading washing machine. ... A Dishwasher A two drawer DishDrawer dishwasher. ... A humidifier is a household appliance that increases humidity (moisture) in a single room or in the entire home. ... An icemaker is a device found in a freezer that is used to make ice. ... A trio of propane hot water heaters. ... Look up water cooler in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Pipe materials

In old construction, lead plumbing was common. It was generally eclipsed toward the end of the 1800s by galvanized iron water pipes which were attached with threaded pipe fittings. Higher durability, and cost, systems were made with brass pipe and fittings. Copper with soldered fittings became popular around 1950, though it had been used as early as 1900. Plastic supply pipes have become increasingly common since about 1970, with a variety of materials and fittings employed. Plumbing codes define which materials may be used, and all materials must be proven by ASTM, UL, and/or NFPA testing. For Pb as an abbreviation, see PB. General Name, Symbol, Number lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series Post-transition metals or poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 6, p Appearance bluish gray Standard atomic weight 207. ... A plumber wrench for working on pipes and fittings A complex arrangement of rigid steel piping, stop valves regulate flow to various parts of the building. ... A system of copper water tubes used in a radiator heating system. ... A threaded pipe plug; note that the threaded portion is slightly conical and so touches the calipers at only two points. ... “Brazen” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Copper (disambiguation). ... (De)soldering a contact from a wire. ... A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures. ...

Steel

Galvanized steel supply pipes are commonly found with interior diameters from 1/2" to 2", though most single family homes' systems won't require any supply pipes larger than 3/4". Pipes have National Pipe Thread (NPT) standard male threads, which connect with female threads on elbows, tees, couplers, valves, and other fittings. Galvanized steel (often known simply as "galv" or "iron" in the plumbing trade) is relatively expensive, difficult to work with due to weight and requirement of a pipe threader, and suffers from a tendency to obstruction due to mineral deposits forming on the inside of the pipe. It remains common for repair of existing "galv" systems and to satisfy building code non-combustibility requirements typically found in hotels, apartment buildings and other commercial applications. It is also extremely durable. Black lacquered steel pipe is the most widely used pipe material for fire sprinklers. Hot-dip galvanizing is the process of coating iron or steel with a thin zinc layer by passing the steel through a molten bath of zinc at a temperature of around 460°C. Zinc rusts to form zinc oxide, a fairly strong material that stops further rusting, protecting the steel... Pipe is a tube or hollow cylinder for the conveyance of fluid. ... Threaded pipe and elbow National Pipe Thread is a U.S. standard for tapered (NPT) or straight (NPS) threads used to join pipes and fittings. ... These water valves are operated by handles. ... A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures. ... Fire sprinklers are an active fire protection measure subject to stringent bounding. ...

Copper

Tubing made of copper was introduced in about 1900, but didn't become popular until approximately 1950, depending on local building code adoption. Common wall-thicknesses of copper tubing are "Type K", "Type L" and "Type M";^[2] Type "M" are relatively thin-walled and generally suitable for condensate and other drains, but generally illegal for pressure applications, Type "L" has a thicker pipe wall section, and is used in residential and commercial water supply and pressure applications, Type "K" has the thickest wall section of the three types of pressure rated tubing and is commonly used for deep underground burial such as under sidewalks and streets, with a suitable corrosion protection coating or continuous polyethylene sleeve as required by code. Types "K" and "L" are generally available in both hard drawn "sticks" and in rolls of soft annealed tubing, Type "M" is usually only available in hard drawn "sticks". Thin-walled types used to be relatively inexpensive, but since 2002 copper prices have risen considerably due to rising global demand and a stagnant supply. Tubing refers to a flexible hose or pipe used in plumbing, irrigation, and other industries. ... For other uses, see Copper (disambiguation). ...

In the plumbing trade the size of copper tubing is measured by its nominal diameter (average inside diameter). Some trades, heating and cooling technicians for instance, use the outside diameter (OD) to designate copper tube sizes. The OD of copper tube is always 1/8th inch larger than its nominal size. Therefore, 1" nominal copper tube and 1-1/8th" inch ACR tube are exactly the same tube with different size designations. The wall thickness of the tube, as mentioned above, never affects the sizing of the tube. Type K 1/2" nominal tube, is the same size as Type L 1/2" nominal tube (5/8" ACR).

Generally, copper tubes are soldered directly into copper or brass fittings, although compression, crimp, or flare fittings are also used. Formerly, concerns with copper supply tubes included the lead used in the solder at joints (50% tin and 50% lead). Some studies have shown significant "leaching" of the lead into the potable water stream, particularly after long periods of low usage, followed by peak demand periods. In hard water applications, shortly after installation, the interior of the pipes will be coated with the deposited minerals, which had been dissolved in the water and therefore the vast majority of exposed lead would be prevented from entering the potable water. Building codes now require lead-free solder. Building Codes throughout the U.S. require the use of virtually "lead-free" (<.2% lead) solder or filler metals in plumbing fittings and appliances as well. A solder is a fusible metal alloy, with a melting point or melting range below 450 °C (840 °F), which is melted to join metallic surfaces, especially in the fields of electronics and plumbing, in a process called soldering. ... A solder is a fusible metal alloy, with a melting point or melting range of 180-190°C (360-370 °F), which is melted to join metallic surfaces, especially in the fields of electronics and plumbing, in a process called soldering. ... Hard water water that has a high mineral content (water with a low mineral content is known as soft water). ... A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures. ...

Plastics

Plastic pipe is in wide use for domestic water supply and drainage, waste, and vent (DWV) pipe. For example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), polypropylene (PP), polybutlyene (PB), and polyethylene (PE) may be allowed by code for certain uses. Some examples of plastics in water supply systems are: Polyvinyl chloride Polyvinyl chloride, (IUPAC Polychloroethene) commonly abbreviated PVC, is a widely used thermoplastic polymer. ... Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) is a thermoplastic produced by chlorination of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin. ... Polypropylene lid of a Tic Tacs box, with a living hinge and the resin identification code under its flap Micrograph of polypropylene Polypropylene or polypropene (PP) is a thermoplastic polymer, made by the chemical industry and used in a wide variety of applications, including food packaging, ropes, textiles, plastic parts... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

• PVC/CPVC - rigid plastic pipes similar to PVC drain pipes but with thicker walls to deal with municipal water pressure, introduced around 1970. PVC should be used for cold water only, or venting. CPVC can be used for hot and cold potable water supply. Connections are made with primers and solvent cements as required by code.

• PBT - flexible (usually gray or blue) plastic pipe which is attached to barbed fittings and secured in place with a copper crimp ring. The primary manufacturer of PBT tubing and fittings was driven into bankruptcy by a class-action lawsuit over failures of this system. However, PB and PBT tubing has returned to the market and codes, typically first for 'exposed locations' such as risers.

• PEX - cross linked polyethylene system with mechanically joined fittings employing barbs and crimped steel or copper fittings.

• Polytanks - plastic polyethylene cisterns, underground water tanks, above ground water tanks, are made of linear polyethylene suitable as a potable water storage tank, provided in white, black or green, approved by NSF and made of FDA approved materials.

• Aqua - known as PEX-Al-PEX, for its PEX/aluminum sandwich - aluminum pipe sandwiched between layers of PEX and connected with brass compression fittings. In 2005, a large number of their fittings were recalled.

Polyvinyl chloride Polyvinyl chloride, (IUPAC Polychloroethene) commonly abbreviated PVC, is a widely used thermoplastic polymer. ... Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) is a thermoplastic produced by chlorination of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin. ... Polyvinyl chloride Polyvinyl chloride, (IUPAC Polychloroethene) commonly abbreviated PVC, is a widely used thermoplastic polymer. ... Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) is a plastic that is used as an insulator in the electrical and electronics industries. ... PEX is the common name for cross-linked high-density polyethylene. ...

Fittings and valves

Potable water supply systems require not only pipe, but also many fittings and valves which add considerably to their functionality as well as cost. The Piping and plumbing fittings and Valves articles discuss them further. Piping is used to convey fluids (usually liquids and gases but sometimes loose solids) from one location to another. ... Fittings are used in pipe and plumbing systems to connect straight pipe or tubing sections, to adapt to different sizes or shapes, and to regulate fluid flow, for example. ... These water valves are operated by handles. ...

Regulation and compliance

Before a water supply system is constructed or modified, the designer and contractor need to consult the local plumbing code and obtain a building permits prior to construction.^[3][4] Even replacing an existing water heater may require a permit and inspection of the work. National and local fire codes should be integrated in the design phase of the water system too to prevent "failure comply with regulations" notices. Some areas of the United States require on-site water reserves of potable and fire water by law.

Waste water

The waste water from the various appliances, fixtures, and taps is transferred to the waste and sewage removal system via the sewage drain system. This system consists of larger diameter piping, water traps, and is well vented to prevent toxic gases from entering the living space. The plumbing drains and vents article discusses the topic further, and introduces sewage treatment. A buildings waste-disposal system has two parts: the drainage system and the venting system. ...

See also

• Plumber
• Plumbing
• Traps, Drains, and Vents
• Rainwater, surface, and subsurface water drainage
• Septic systems
• Fuel gas piping
• Water supply

Joe Kessler is a plumber! A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable (drinking) water, sewage, drainage, venting, heating and air-conditioning, or industrial process plant piping. ... A plumber wrench for working on pipes and fittings A complex arrangement of rigid steel piping, stop valves regulate flow to various parts of the building. ... A buildings waste-disposal system has two parts: the drainage system and the venting system. ... Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area. ... On-site septic disposal systems are common in rural areas where public sewage treatment systems do not exist. ... Piping is used to convey fluids (usually liquids and gases but sometimes loose solids) from one location to another. ... Water supply is the process of self-provision or provision by third parties of water of various qualities to different users. ...

References

1. ^ Plumbing: the Arteries of Civilization, Modern Marvels video series, The History Channel, AAE-42223, A&E Television, 1996
2. ^ Copper Tube Handbook, the Copper Development Association, New York, USA, 2006
3. ^ Uniform Plumbing Code, IAPMO
4. ^ International Plumbing Code, ICC

• ASTM B75-02 Specification for Seamless Copper Tube
• ASTM B42-02e1 Standard Specification for Seamless Copper Pipe, Standard Sizes
• ASTM B88-03 Standard Specification for Seamless Copper Water Tube

ASTM International is an international voluntary standards organization that develops and produces technical standards for materials, products, systems and services. ... ASTM International is an international voluntary standards organization that develops and produces technical standards for materials, products, systems and services. ... ASTM International is an international voluntary standards organization that develops and produces technical standards for materials, products, systems and services. ...

External links

• the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials
• the International Code Council
• the American Society for Testing and Materials
• the National Ground Water Association
• The Copper Development Association