How To Follow Old Plumbing
Here’s a great article with some good guidelines on how to prep for a plumbing project. I’ve edited the article a little for better reading, and you can find the original article here. http://findbetterwork.com/career-articles/planning-for-a-new-plumbing-system
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The first step to any plumbing project is deciding where to run the pipes. This is often easier said than done because pipes are usually concealed in wall spaces by finished surfaces. Most often it is easiest to simply run new pipes in the same cavities that contain old plumbing. These spaces are already designed to allow for long, unbroken runs for pipes.
If there are some changes required for the new plumbing design, then it is better to run the pipes up from the basement. Like, you can get the bathroom drain line dropped into the basement and then connected to the main line under the joists rather than running them over the floor joists.
Do not try to modify the floor joists or the support beams as this can be very dangerous and can weaken the entire building. The local building codes have to be followed for any issues with support beams. Here are some tips that can help you while taking up any plumbing remodeling project.
Build a wall chase which is a false wall used to conceal plumbing. The chase can be stacked from floor-to-floor of the home. This allows plumbing to run from the basement to the attic. The chase is most commonly used for running new vent stacks.
Similar to the chase is the soffit. Instead of running from floor-to-ceiling, a soffit runs across the top of a wall. Inside pipes can be run vertically to accommodate new plumbing.
If you have an unused laundry space, it can be used to run new plumbing pipes. The connections are mostly made in the basement area in this case.
A long piece of pipe can be used to check prospective plumbing routes for any obstructions. Once the route is determined to be adequate, the pipe can be a guide for running larger diameter plumbing. This is easily done by sliding the larger pipe over the guide pipe.
These are a few different ways to run new plumbing in your home. As far as incorporating a modern plumbing framework is concerned, it is better to keep the operation to the open spaces and not behind-the-wall areas. Of course the local officials can be consulted if you’re uncertain about the architecture you chose.
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