The Complete Guide to PLUMBING Updated 6th Edition Current with 2015-2018 Plumbing Codes MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 61226 - The CG to Plumbing 6th edition_001-053.indd 1 29/5/15 11:55 am 61226 - The CG to Plumbing 6th edition_001-053.indd 1 9/6/15 10:30 am ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0055--6611222266 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- TThhee CCGG ttoo PPlluummbbiinngg 66tthh eeddiittiioonn (Text) 0 6 - C 7 3 9 3 6 DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::11 First published in 2015 by Cool Springs Press, an imprint of Quarto Acquisitions Editor: Mark Johanson Publishing Group USA Inc., 400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Design Manager: Brad Springer Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA Layout: Danielle Smith-Boldt Technical Reviewer: Bruce Barker © 2015 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. Text © 2003, additional text © 2015 Photography: Rau + Barber Photo Assistance: Brad Holden, Alexandra Burniece, Natalie Williams All rights reserved. With the exception of quoting brief passages for the purposes of review, no part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the Publisher. The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without any guarantee on the part of the author or Publisher, who also disclaims any liability incurred in connection with the use of this data or specific details. Cool Springs Press titles are also available at discounts in bulk quantity for industrial or sales-promotional use. For details write to Special Sales Manager at Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc., 400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA. To find out more about our books, visit us online at www.coolspringspress.com. Digital edition: 978-1-62788-652-9 Softcover edition: 978-1-59186-636-7 Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress Printed in China 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The Complete Guide to Plumbing Created by: The Editors of Cool Springs Press, in cooperation with BLACK+DECKER. BLACK+DECKER and the BLACK+DECKER logo are trademarks of The Black & Decker Corporation and are used under license. All rights reserved. NOTICE TO READERS For safety, use caution, care, and good judgment when following the procedures described in this book. The publisher and BLACK+DECKER cannot assume responsibility for any damage to property or injury to persons as a result of misuse of the information provided. The techniques shown in this book are general techniques for various applications. In some instances, additional techniques not shown in this book may be required. Always follow manufacturers’ instructions included with products, since deviating from the directions may void warranties. The projects in this book vary widely as to skill levels required: some may not be appropriate for all do-it-yourselfers, and some may require professional help. Consult your local building department for information on building permits, codes, and other laws as they apply to your project. 61226 - The CG to Plumbing 6th edition_001-053.indd 2 29/5/15 11:55 am 61226 - The CG to Plumbing 6th edition_001-053.indd 2 9/6/15 10:30 am ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0055--6611222266 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- TThhee CCGG ttoo PPlluummbbiinngg 66tthh eeddiittiioonn (Text) 0 6 - C 7 3 9 3 6 DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::22 Contents The Complete Guide to Plumbing 22 Introduction 7 The Home Plumbing System 8 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress Shutting Off the Water 12 Acquisitions Editor: Mark Johanson Design Manager: Brad Springer Layout: Danielle Smith-Boldt INSTALLING FIXTURES & FAUCETS 15 Technical Reviewer: Bruce Barker Toilets 16 Photography: Rau + Barber Photo Assistance: Brad Holden, Alexandra Burniece, Natalie Williams Kitchen Faucets 22 Kitchen Drains & Traps 28 Dishwashers 32 Food Disposers 36 Water Heaters 42 Bathroom Faucets 54 Shower Kits 62 Custom Shower Bases 70 98 Wet Rooms & Curbless Showers 78 Alcove Bathtubs 90 Sliding Tub Doors 98 The Complete Guide to Plumbing Jetted Tub 102 Created by: The Editors of Cool Springs Press, in cooperation with BLACK+DECKER. BLACK+DECKER and the BLACK+DECKER logo are trademarks of The Black & Decker Corporation and are used under license. All rights reserved. Bidets 110 Urinals 114 Water Softeners 120 134 61226 - The CG to Plumbing 6th edition_001-053.indd 3 29/5/15 11:55 am 61226 - The CG to Plumbing 6th edition_001-053.indd 3 29/5/15 11:17 am ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0055--6611222266 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- TThhee CCGG ttoo PPlluummbbiinngg 66tthh eeddiittiioonn ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0055--6611222266 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- TThhee CCGG ttoo PPlluummbbiinngg 66tthh eeddiittiioonn (Text) DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::22 DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::33 Contents (Cont.) Hot Water Dispenser 124 142 Icemakers 128 Pot Filler 134 Reverse-Osmosis Water Filters 136 Frost-proof Sillcocks 142 Pedestal Sinks 146 Wall-Hung Vanities 148 Vessel Sinks 150 146 Kitchen Sinks 164 Standpipe Drains 166 INSTALLING PLUMBING LINES 171 Installation Basics 172 Planning Plumbing Routes 176 PLUMBING REPAIRS 189 Common Toilet Problems 190 Clogged Toilets 204 Toilet Flanges 208 Toilet Drain Lines 210 Sink Faucets 212 Kitchen Sprayers 222 Fixing Leaky Tubs & Shower Faucets 226 Single-Handle Tub & Shower Faucet with Scald Control 234 252 61226 - The CG to Plumbing 6th edition_001-053.indd 4 29/5/15 11:55 am 61226 - The CG to Plumbing 6th edition_001-053.indd 4 29/5/15 11:17 am ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0055--6611222266 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- TThhee CCGG ttoo PPlluummbbiinngg 66tthh eeddiittiioonn (Text) DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::44 Tubs & Showers 238 277 Sink Drains 242 Branch & Main Drains 244 Supply Pipes 248 Noisy Pipes 250 PLUMBING TOOLS, MATERIALS & SKILLS 253 Plumbing Tools 254 Plumbing Materials 258 282 Copper 260 Rigid Plastic Pipe 268 Working with Outdoor Flexible Plastic Pipe 272 Cross-Linked Polyethylene (PEX) 274 Cast Iron 282 Pipe Fittings 286 Shutoff Valves 290 295 Valves & Hose Bibs 292 Compression Fittings 294 Glossary 296 Measurement Conversions 297 Resources 298 Photo Credits 298 Index 299 61226 - The CG to Plumbing 6th edition_001-053.indd 5 29/5/15 11:55 am 61226 - The CG to Plumbing 6th edition_001-053.indd 5 29/5/15 11:17 am ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0055--6611222266 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- TThhee CCGG ttoo PPlluummbbiinngg 66tthh eeddiittiioonn ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0055--6611222266 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- TThhee CCGG ttoo PPlluummbbiinngg 66tthh eeddiittiioonn (Text) DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::44 DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::55 Introduction INTRODUCTION 61226 - The CG to Plumbing 6th edition_001-053.indd 6 29/5/15 11:55 am 61226 - The CG to Plumbing 6th edition_001-053.indd 6 29/5/15 11:17 am ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0055--6611222266 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- TThhee CCGG ttoo PPlluummbbiinngg 66tthh eeddiittiioonn DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::66 Introduction P lumbing is a large and varied DIY category. As you explore it, you’ll find that the tasks you encounter can differ in difficulty, just as taking a pop quiz in math differs from getting a PhD in physics. Fixing that drip in your sink drain might be as simple as tightening the compression nut on your P-trap: about a ten-second job. But running new lines for that extra bathroom you’ve been wanting in the basement? You’re looking at jackhammers, dumpsters, multiple inspections, and many weeks of hard labor. But as variable as the jobs we lump into the “plumbing” category are, they have one important thing in common: doing the job yourself can save you a ton of money. The key to doing the work yourself is twofold: you important. Your municipal building department may need ambition, and you need good information. The not have adopted the changes yet, but we think you ambition is pretty much up to each homeowner, but should. When it comes to the safety of your family, when it comes to information, we’re here to help. For we always urge you to fall on the side of “code-plus.” more than a decade, BLACK+DECKER The Complete It isn’t codes alone that prompt us to make Guide to Plumbing has been the leading plumbing sure our DIY books stay as current as possible. It’s manual for do-it-yourselfers. Now in its updated 6th also convenience. Every year, manufacturers and edition and boasting one million copies sold, it is toolmakers come out with new products and ideas the clearest and most complete plumbing book you that are specifically designed for the home DIYer. can own. From its easy-to-understand explanations Some are better than others, but we watch them of how modern plumbing works to its clear how- closely, and when we see a better way to accomplish to photos of the most common home plumbing your goal with a greater likelihood of success, projects, this is the only plumbing book you’ll need to we’ll show it to you. Take flexible supply tubes, for become master of your home plumbing system. example—it wasn’t long ago that appliances and This edition of The Complete Guide to Plumbing fixtures were supplied with water and gas in rigid has been revised and updated to conform to national pipes. Rigid pipes (and even so-called flexible plumbing codes in effect from 2015 through 2018. copper tubing) is reliable, but every time you move National plumbing codes change every three years, your dishwasher or bump your water heater, you and we pay attention to what’s new so you don’t have risk breaking the connection or kinking the tubing. to. The truth is, though, most of the national code Because most codes now allow flexible gas and updates are aimed at large commercial buildings and water supply tubing for hook-ups, we’ve taken multi-unit dwellings, not single-family homes. Many care to show how hook-ups are being made with code changes apply only to new construction. But these simple products wherever it makes sense. codes also change for a reason, and the reason is That’s why we’re confident that when you use this almost always to improve safety. That’s why we think book as a guide for any home plumbing job, you monitoring the changes and reporting them back can be assured that you’re getting the latest and in the form of updated editions of our book is so best information. INTRODUCTION 7 61226 - The CG to Plumbing 6th edition_001-053.indd 7 29/5/15 11:55 am 61226 - The CG to Plumbing 6th edition_001-053.indd 7 29/5/15 11:17 am ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0055--6611222266 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- TThhee CCGG ttoo PPlluummbbiinngg 66tthh eeddiittiioonn ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0055--6611222266 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- TThhee CCGG ttoo PPlluummbbiinngg 66tthh eeddiittiioonn (Text) DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::66 DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::77 The Home Plumbing System Because most of a plumbing system is hidden inside walls and floors, it may seem to be a complex maze of pipes and fittings. But spend a few minutes with us and you’ll gain a basic understanding of your system. Understanding how home plumbing works is an important first step toward doing routine maintenance and money‑saving repairs. A typical home plumbing system includes three basic parts: a water supply system, a fixture and appliance set, and a drain system. These three parts can be seen clearly in the photograph of the cut‑away house on the opposite page. Fresh water enters a home through a main supply line (1). This fresh water source is provided by either a municipal water company or a private underground well. If the source is a municipal sup plier, the water passes through a meter (2) that registers the amount of water used. A family of four uses about 400 gallons of water each day. Immediately after the main supply enters the house, a branch line splits off (3) and is joined to a water heater (4). From the water heater, a hot water line runs parallel to the cold water line to bring the water supply to fixtures and appliances throughout the house. Fixtures include sinks, bath tubs, showers, and laundry tubs. Appliances include water heaters, dishwashers, clothes washers, and water softeners. Toilets and exterior sillcocks are examples of fixtures that require only a cold water line. The water supply to fixtures and appliances is controlled with faucets and valves. Faucets and valves have moving parts and seals that eventually may wear out or break, but they are easily repaired or replaced. Waste water then enters the drain system. It first must flow past a drain trap (5), a U‑shaped piece of pipe that holds standing water and prevents sewer gases from entering the home. Every fixture must have a drain trap. The drain system works entirely by gravity, allowing waste water to flow downhill through a series of large‑diameter pipes. These drain pipes are attached to a system of vent pipes. Vent pipes (6) bring air into the drain system to prevent suction or pressure that might allow the trap to lose its water seal. Vent pipes usually exit the house at a roof vent (7). All waste water eventually reaches a drainage stack or a building drain (8). Water meters and main shutoff valves NOTE: In a two or more story house there is usually more than one are located where the main water drainage stack. There is no stack in a one-story house. The stack or supply pipe enters the house. The water meter is the property of your local building drain becomes a sewer line (9) that exits the house near the municipal water company. If the water foundation. In a municipal system, this sewer line joins a main sewer meter leaks, or if you suspect it is not line located near the street. Where sewer service is not available, waste functioning properly, call your water water empties into a septic system. company for repairs. 8 THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO PLUMBING INTRODUCTION 61226 - The CG to Plumbing 6th edition_001-053.indd 8 29/5/15 11:55 am 61226 - The CG to Plumbing 6th edition_001-053.indd 8 29/5/15 11:17 am ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0055--6611222266 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- TThhee CCGG ttoo PPlluummbbiinngg 66tthh eeddiittiioonn (Text) DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::88