Plumbing Rough-In
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Bringing water in and waste out is as fundamental as planning for electricity.
Most country homes feature well-based water supplies. In this case, a well must be drilled, as shown at left. Placement of the well is not a casual process; the well must be situated so it is not contaminated by water from the septic system. It must also be designed so that the submersible well pump is easily serviced. Whether your water supply is from a well or from a public system, a main supply line will enter your house, usually in the basement, and will be accessible with a main shut-off valve. This one valve will govern the supply of water to the whole house. If there is a water softener or other water-treatment system, the supply line feeds directly to that system; there may be a bypass valve to take the softener out of the loop. Once past the softener, most water lines then branch; one side supplies the hot-water tank; the other side is simply the cold-water supply line. Both the hot and cold lines then branch again, feeding the kitchen, bathrooms, and other rooms that may have plumbing. The waste-removal lines are usually large--in the neighborhood of 4-6"--and are easy to spot. Like the supply lines, the waste-removal lines branch out and connect to the kitchen and bathrooms. Our homes are planned with plumbing ease in mind by "ganging" water-using rooms together; kitchens and baths may share a common wall, or be placed back to back, in order to minimize plumbing labor and thus costs. Another important consideration is keeping plumbing away from exterior walls. In colder climates, frozen pipes are a constant concern, and pipes on exterior walls are much more susceptible to freezing--even in a well-insulated house. Therefore, if possible, our homes are designed with plumbing gangs running through interior walls. We use copper--not plastic--pipes for all our supply lines. |
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