ble 1.

Discharge of fixtures by units

Table 2.Minimum sizes of
drainage pipe by fixture


Table 3 Maximum fixture units on one stack


Sizing rain water piping
Local regulations on the disposal of rain or storm water are apt to vary. Some places permit this water to
run off into the septic tank or public or private sewer; others insist that it be drained into a dry well.
Regardless of which rule prevails, it is recommended that rain water be kept separate from sewage and
that a separate pipe be used to connect the drained area with the disposal area. If this is done, the rain-
water drainage piping can be a smaller, more economical size, and the danger of flooding the sewage
system during a cloudburst or thunder shower is eliminated.
Storm-water piping size is determined by the area drained in horizontal projection, that is, the flat area in
square feet on which rain may fall. Measurements of roof and other such areas may be estimated, but in
doubtful cases the larger of two possible pipe sizes should be used.
Sizing house drain
The size of pipe to be used in a house drain is determined by the number of units drained by it. Proper
diameters are: for 2 units, 1 1/2"; for 9 units, 2"; for 25 units, 2 1/2".
The size of any stack, house drain, or sewer must be, however, at least the size of the largest branch
connected to it. The minimum size of a house drain receiving the discharge from a water closet should be
4" in diameter, and this pipe should continue full size to the vertical stacks receiving the discharge of
water closets. Even without any water closets discharging into a system, the drainage system should
have at least one 3" diameter stack extended full size through the roof.
Sizing vent pipe
The proper size for the vent stack is determined by the total fixture units of the soil or waste stack it
serves. A branch vent is sized by the number of units connected to it and the length of the pipe itself. No
vent pipe should be less than 1 1/4" in diameter, nor should a vent stack's diameter be less than half the
diameter of the soil stack it serves. This means that with a 4" soil stack, vents cannot be less than 2" pipe.
In determining the length of vent piping, regard length of stack and branches as being continuous