PLUMBING SYSTEM

Discuss the picture - the flow of the pipes. Differentiate water supply system and drain-waste-system.

DRAIN WASTE VENT SYSTEM

is also called as sanitary system. It is a plumbing system that is designed to remove wastes from the
house. Specifically, from the fixtures to the city's sewer lines or [private] septic tank. The system is
composed of fixtures, drainpipes, traps, vents, cleanout and sewer line or septic tank.

Drainage systems – this system collects used water through sinks and tubs and carries it to the main
sewer line or septic tank.

Waste systems – this system collects wastewater through the lower portion of the building and
carries it to the main sewer line. (Water that carries human waste to the sewer line)

Vent systems – this system brings in air to the drainage and waste lines so that wastewater can flow
freely without any blockage.

COMPONENTS OF DWV

DRAINS - these are the fixtures that are connected to the water supply system and the DWV system.

TRAPS - P, Q, S traps. A U-shaped fitting that can be seen beneath the fixtures which provides a seal to
prevent the flow of sewer gases. Toilets have built-in traps. Traps in kitchen sink drainpipes are visible. on
the other hand, traps on the drainpipes under the shower, bathtubs and laundry area are not visible unless
the building is still under construction.

2 main functions of traps

1. to trap potential drain clogs where it will help to separate the debris from the wate
2. Prevent sewer gases to come out because traps are always full of water which acts as a barrier.
Instead, the sewer gases are channeled out through the plumbing vent.
 [If you live in an old house, you may have an S-trap instead of a P-trap. S-traps are currently illegal, and no
plumber will install one in your house.]

DRAINPIPES - a pipe that carries

wastewater in building. DRAIN STACK - a
big vertical pipe where all the other smaller
fixture drainpipes drain into. [just like a river,
a river has a lot of tributaries flowing into it.
Each tributary represents the fixtures'
drainpipes while the river represents the
drain stack]. Usually connected to the
plumbing vents.

VENTS - A plumbing vent or vent stack is

one of the most important sections of the
drain-waste-vent system. Actually, a
plumbing vent is a requirement by the
building code. The vent is the vertical
section of pipe connected to the drain stack
which runs through the roof of the house.

Venting helps the system to work efficiently. Its 2 main functions are to remove sewer gases from the
plumbing system and let the air enter into the system. Sewer gases like CH4 or methane are bound to build
up since wastes from toilets, shower/tub and kitchen sink drains all end up in the same drainpipe. Hence,
through the plumbing vent, the gases can be easily removed out from the system and out of the house.

Another function is air introduction into the drainpipe. This helps to speed up drainage and allows the
fixtures to breathe and drain fast as well as to flush the toilets powerfully.

For fixtures that are not vented, you can use an air-admittance valve as an alternative. And air air-admittance
valve allows air to flow into the drainpipe, but sewer gases will not flow through it.

SEWER CLEAN OUT.

Also known as clean out plug. It is important especially when the sewer line has clogged. It is a short pipe
with a plug threaded at the end which provides an entry point into the sewer line so that you can easily
unclog or clean it.
DRAINAGE LINES IN BUILDING

In a multi-story building such as a condominium complex, the sanitary

drainage system consists of three main components – vertical stacks,
branch lines, and horizontal underground lines.

Types of Vertical Stacks

Stacks are vertical lines of pipe that extend from the horizontal building
drain under the slab or in the basement up to and through the roof of the
building. Although the general direction in which these pipes run is
vertical, they may be offset or run in a horizontal position on upper floors
and still be identified as a vertical stack. In the industry, these pipes are
either known as soil stacks, waste stacks, or vent stacks depending on
the purposes which they serve.

Soil Stacks

The distinguishing factor that gives soil stacks their name is that they receive a discharge from water closets
and urinals. Clean water fixtures such as sinks and showers may also tie into soil stacks.

Waste Stacks

Waste stacks are tied into clean-water fixtures only – such as sinks, showers, bathtubs, lavatories, and the like.
Waste stacks never receive waste from fixtures such as water closets or urinals. If a fixture such as a water
closet or urinal was ever tied into a waste stack, it would thereupon become a soil stack.

Vent Stacks

Vent stacks carry no liquids. Their role is to provide airflow through the drainage system so that when water
flows through branches and stacks the traps will not be forced by backpressure. The portion of a vertical stack
that is above the highest fixture tie in becomes a vent stack.

Leaders

Rain leaders are vertical stacks in that they extend from the horizontal storm drain or combined sewer drain to
the roof. They are called rain leaders because they transport rainwater only.

Branch Lines

Branch Lines are offshoots of vertical stacks, like branches of a tree. These branch lines connect toilets,
showers, sinks, washing machines, dishwashers, etc. to the corresponding vertical stack, which carries waste to
the building’s drain underground or in the basement.
Horizontal Underground Lines

Horizontal Lines run underneath the building’s slab, often under common areas such as the lobby and individual
ground floor units. These lines are typically 6-8″ in diameter depending on the size of the building. Since sanitary
drainage is gravity-powered, underground main lines are slightly pitched to carry waste away from the building
into the city sewer. The horizontal pipe that receives the discharge from waste and soil stacks and is located
within the footprint of the building is called the “building drain” and thereafter is known as the “building sewer”.

System of Plumbing:
(a) Two-Pipe System:
This is the most common system used in India. This method provides
an ideal solution, where it is not possible to fix the fixture closely. Fig.
24.21 illustrates the line diagram of this system.
In this system, two pipes are provided. One pipe collects the foul soil
and lavatory wastes, whereas the second pipe collects the unfoul
water from kitchen, bathrooms, house washings, rain water etc. The
soil pipes (pipes carrying the soil waste) are directly connected to the
drain, whereas the waste pipes (pipes carrying unfoul water) are
connected through the trapped
gully. All the traps used in this
system are fully ventilated.
(b) One-Pipe System:

In this system only one main pipe is provided which collects both the
foul soil waste as well as unfoul waste from the buildings. The main
pipe is directly connected to the drainage system. If this system is
provided in multi-storeyed buildings the lavatory blocks of various floors
are so placed one over the other, so that the waste water discharged
from the different units can be carried through short branch drains. Fig.
24.22 shows this system by means of line diagram.

(c) Single-Stack System:

Fig. 24.23 illustrates this

system. This is similar to
single pipe system, the
only difference being that
no ventilation is provided
even in the traps too.

(d) Single-Stack
Partially Ventilated
System:
This system is in between the one pipe and single-stack system. In this system only one pipe is provided
to collect all types of waste water foul as well as unfoul. A relief vent pipe is provided for ventilating only
the water closet-traps. Fig. 24.24 shows this system.

WC – water closet
WB -washer box