What You Should Keep in Mind When Designing Plumbing Projects

Working on a home remodel or new construction? It is important you spend the time to properly plan out the design of your plumbing system. Poorly planned plumbing systems are more likely to be inefficient, wasting your money and causing you quite a bit of inconvenience when using fixtures and appliances around the house. It can also be quite expensive to correct these deficiencies after the fact. You'll need to make sure you've considered not just the path that water takes through your home to get to your faucets and appliances, but also how you'll vent out any gases that build up in the system and how you'll drain out the waste water in a safe, effective manner.

Here are just a few things you should keep in mind as you work on your plumbing project that will help you create a well-designed, efficient system.

Work with a professional

Unless you have professional plumbing experience yourself, it is very much to your benefit to partner with a professional, certified plumber when taking on large plumbing jobs that will involve installing new piping or moving/replacing existing piping. These significant jobs require a lot of knowledge and skill that you can't pick up simply from watching a 10-minute YouTube video. To ensure you have a job completed safely and to high standards of quality, always find a professional to partner with.

Make sure the work is done to code

One of the biggest benefits of working with a plumbing professional when designing new plumbing systems is that they will be completely versed in the building codes and plumbing regulations for your area and will be able to plan for them. You should never attempt to take liberties with these codes - they are in place for a reason, and flouting them will compromise the safety of your family and guests. Keep in mind the work in your home will have to pass inspection, so if there are any parts of the project that are not up to code, it could be bad for you upon inspection.

Know the differences in the various types of plumbing materials

You'll have a variety of options available to you with regard to the types of pipe you'll use. The most common options are ABS and PEX plastic, as well as copper and galvanized metal. In some cases, you might choose to use a mixture of these materials. Copper, for example, is often used for incoming water from the municipal line, but ABS is frequently used for ventilation and wastewater.

Don't forget about drainage

Make sure you give careful consideration to drainage. Give plenty of drainage paths and make it easy to clean up in the event there is a leak or break somewhere in the line.

Consider any future needs

While you're in the middle of a big new plumbing project, you should also consider if your future needs will be different than your current needs. Are there any new appliances you're going to want to add some day, or other potential future remodeling projects you may wish to take on? If so, it's helpful to design your plumbing system with these needs in mind so you do not have to go back and re-do significant portions of your work later on.

For more information about what to consider when you're installing new plumbing in your home, we encourage you to contact an experienced plumber from PipeMasters today: info@pipemasters.ca or (289) 404-9063.