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Chapter 5

Reading Floor Plans, Part 3:

Electrical, Plumbing, and HVAC

Chapter Overview
•  Electrical Plans
•  Metrics in Electrical Installations
•  Reading Plumbing Plans
•  Metrics in Plumbing
•  Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning
(HVAC)

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Chapter Overview
•  Radiant Heat and Cooling
•  Thermostats
•  Heat Recovery and Ventilation
•  HVAC Symbols

Electrical Plans
•  Display the circuits and systems the
electrical contractor uses during
installation
•  Can be placed on simple floor plans
•  Can be drawn on a separate sheet that
displays walls and key symbols

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Three Phases of Electrical

Installation
•  Temporary
•  Rough-in
•  Finish

Electrical Terms and Definitions

•  Ampere •  Ground fault
•  Box interrupter (GFI)
•  Breaker •  Junction box
•  Circuit •  Lighting outlet
•  Conductor •  Meter
•  Conduit •  Meter base
•  Distribution panel •  Outlet
•  Electrical work •  Switch leg
•  Ground •  Volt
•  Watt

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Electrical Symbols and Notes

•  Show the lighting arrangement and all
switches, fixtures, and outlets

Electrical Schedules
•  Electrical fixtures can be identified in
schedules (shown), notes, descriptions of
materials, or specifications

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Conduit and Wire Sizes

•  Electrical conduit designations are
produced in decimal inch dimensions and
identified in nominal inch sizes
•  American Wire Gage (AWG) system for
the designation of wire sizes

Reading Plumbing Plans

•  Industrial piping
–  Steel with welded or threaded connections
and fittings
•  Residential piping
–  Copper
–  Plastic
–  Galvanized steel
–  Black pipe
–  Cast iron

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Reading Plumbing Plans

•  Plumbing requirements for residential
plans can often be clearly provided on the
floor plan, and in a description of materials
or in specifications
–  Plumbing fixtures
–  Floor drains
–  Vent pipes
–  Sewer or water connections

Reading Plumbing Plans

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Plumbing Terms and Definitions

•  Cleanout •  Stack
•  Hose bibb •  Storm sewer
•  Lavatory •  Trap
•  Main •  Valve
•  Plumbing system •  Vanity
•  Plumbing wall •  Waste pipe
•  Potable water •  Waste stack
•  Riser •  Water closet
•  Run •  Water-distributing pipe
•  Sanitary sewer •  Water heater
•  Sewer •  Water meter
•  Soil pipe •  Water service
•  Soil stack

Plumbing Schedules
•  Provide specific information regarding
plumbing equipment, fixtures, and supplies

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Plumbing Prints
•  Include lines and symbols that show liquid,
gas, or solid transport
–  Lines and features are drawn thicker than
wall lines
–  Symbols identify types of pipes, fittings,
valves, and other components of the system
•  Local or general notes provide sizes and
specifications

Water Systems

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Drainage and Vent Systems

•  Drainage system distributes solid and
liquid waste to the sewer line
•  Vent system provides a continuous flow of
air through the system

Isometric Plumbing Prints

•  Three-dimensional representation of a
plumbing layout

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Public Sewer Sewage Disposal

Private Sewage Disposal: Septic

System
•  Consists of a storage tank and an
absorption field

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Special
Symbols,
Schedules, and
Notes on a
Plumbing Print

Metrics in Plumbing
•  International Organization for
Standardization relates nominal pipe sizes
(NPS) in inches to metric equivalents
•  DN, for diameter nominal, should precede
the metric value

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Heating, Ventilating, and Air

Conditioning (HVAC) Plans
•  Building’s mechanical system
–  Heat
–  Fresh or conditioned air
–  Ventilation

Central Forced-Air Systems

•  Fan forces warm air (WA) or cold air (CA)
into sheet metal or plastic ducts
•  Ducts connect to openings called diffusers,
or air supply registers
•  Air flows from rooms into the return duct,
or return-air register (RA)

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Forced-Air Heating Plans

•  Simplified or detailed (shown) depending
on requirements

Providing Duct Space

•  Crawl space or attic
•  Between structural members
–  Plenum
•  Enclosed by covered framing
•  Closet or stud space
–  Chase

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Heat-Pump Systems
•  Forced-air central heating and cooling
•  Uses a compressor and a circulating-
refrigerant system
•  Economical to operate

Hot Water Systems

•  Water is heated in an oil- or gas-fired
boiler
•  Heated water is circulated through pipes to
radiators or convectors in rooms
•  One- and two-pipe systems

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Zone-Control Systems
•  Require one heater and one thermostat
per room
•  No ductwork is required
•  Only the heaters in occupied rooms need
to be turned on
•  Baseboard and fan systems

Radiant Heating and Cooling

•  Controls surface temperatures and
minimizes excessive air motion
•  Systems:
–  Oil- or gas-heated hot water piping in the
floor or ceiling
–  Electric coils, wiring, or elements in or above
the ceiling gypsum board
–  Metal radiator panels below or directly to the
ceiling surface

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Thermostats
•  Correct placement is important
•  Zoned-heating or cooling units
–  Thermostats in each room
–  Central thermostat that controls each room
•  Central heating and cooling systems
–  One or more thermostats depending upon
the layout

Heat Recovery and Ventilation

•  Also referred to as a heat exchanger, air
exchanger, or air-to-air heat exchanger

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Sources of Pollutants
•  Moisture
•  Incomplete combustion
•  Humans and pets
•  Tobacco smoke
•  Formaldehyde
•  Radon
•  Products with toxic pollutants

Central Vacuum Systems

•  Hose plugs into a wall outlet
•  Central canister stores the dust and debris
–  Generally located in the garage or in a
storage area

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HVAC Symbols

Glossary
•  Ampere
–  A measurement of electrical current flow,
referred to by its abbreviation: amp or amps.
•  Black pipe
–  The common name of steel pipe used for
natural gas applications.
•  Box
–  A box, also known as an outlet box,
equipped with clamps, which is used to
terminate a conduit.

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Glossary
•  Breaker
–  An electric safety switch, also referred to as a
circuit breaker, that automatically opens a circuit
when excessive amperage occurs.
•  Chase
–  A continuous recessed area built to carry or
conceal ducts, pipes, or other construction
products.
•  Circuit
–  The various conductors, connections, and
devices found in the path of electrical flow from
the source through the components and back to
the source.

Glossary
•  Cleanout
–  A fitting with a removable plug that is placed in
plumbing drainage pipe lines to allow access for
cleaning out the pipe.
•  Conditioned
–  A heated or cooled space.
•  Conductor
–  A material that permits the free motion of
electricity.
•  Conduit
–  A metal or fiber pipe or tube used to enclose one
or more electrical conductors.

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Glossary
•  Distribution panel
–  The area, also known as a panel, where the
conductor from the meter base is connected to
individual circuit breakers, which are connected
to separate circuits for distribution to various
locations throughout the structure.
•  Drain
–  Any pipe that carries wastewater in a building
drainage system.
•  Electrical work
–  The installation of the wiring and fixtures for a
complete residential or commercial electrical
system.

Glossary
•  Fitting
–  A standard pipe part such as a coupling, elbow, reducer,
tee, and union; used for joining two or more sections of
pipe together.
•  Galvanized pipe
–  Steel pipe that has been cleaned and dipped in a bath of
molten zinc.
•  Ground fault interrupter (GFI)
–  A 110 volt convenience outlet with a built-in circuit
breaker, also known as a ground fault circuit interrupter
(GFCI).
•  Ground
–  An electrical connection to the earth by means of a rod.

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Glossary
•  Hose bibb
–  A faucet that is used to attach a hose.
•  Industrial piping
–  Piping that carries liquids and gases used in the
manufacture of products.
•  Junction box
–  A box that protects electrical wiring splices in
conductors or joints in runs.
•  Lavatory
–  A fixture that is designed for washing the hands
and face, usually found in a bathroom.

Glossary
•  Lighting outlet
–  An electrical outlet that is intended for the direct
connection of a lighting fixture.
•  Main
–  The primary supply pipe, also called water main
or sewer main, depending on its purpose.
•  Meter base
–  The mounting base on which the electrical meter
is attached.
•  Meter
–  An instrument used to measure electrical
quantities.

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Glossary
•  Nominal size
–  The conventional size.
•  Outlet
–  An electrical connector used to plug in devices.
•  Plenum
–  A compartment, air space, or chamber that is
filled with air which is then distributed to a
desired location.
•  Plumbing fixture
–  A unit used to contain and discharge waste.
Examples of fixtures are sinks, lavatories,
showers, tubs, and water closets.

Glossary
•  Plumbing system
–  The plumbing system of a building.
•  Plumbing wall
–  The walls in a building where plumbing pipes
are installed.
•  Potable water
–  Drinking water, which is free from impurities.
•  Residential piping
–  Piping, also known as plumbing, that carries
fresh water, gas, or liquid and solid waste.

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Glossary
•  Riser
–  A water supply pipe that extends vertically
one story or more to carry water to fixtures.
•  Rough-in
–  Installation of the electrical and plumbing
system before the installation of fixtures.
•  Run
–  The portion of a pipe or fitting continuing in a
straight line in the direction of flow in which it
is connected.

Glossary
•  Sanitary sewer
–  A sewer that carries sewage without any storm,
surface, or groundwater.
•  Sewer
–  A pipe, normally underground, that carries
wastewater and refuse.
•  Soil pipe
–  A pipe that carries the discharge of water closets or
other similar fixtures.
•  Soil stack
–  A vertical pipe that extends one or more floors and
carries discharges of water closets and other similar
fixtures.

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Glossary
•  Stack
–  A general term referring to any vertical pipe for soil
waste or vent piping.
•  Storm sewer
–  A sewer used for carrying groundwater, rainwater,
surface water, or other nonpolluting waste.
•  Switch leg
–  The electrical conductor from a switch to the
electrical device being controlled.
•  Thermostat
–  An automatic mechanism for controlling the amount
of heating or cooling given by a central- or zoned-
heating or cooling system.

Glossary
•  Trap
–  A vented fitting that provides a liquid seal to prevent
the emission of sewer gases without affecting the
flow of sewage or wastewater.
•  Valve
–  A fitting that is used to control the flow of fluid or gas.
•  Vanity
–  A bathroom lavatory fixture that is freestanding or in
a cabinet.
•  Vent pipe
–  The pipe installed to ventilate the building drainage
system and to prevent drawing liquid out of traps
and stopping back pressure.

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Glossary
•  Volt
–  The unit of measure for electrical force.
•  Waste pipe
–  A pipe that carries only liquid waste free of
fecal material.
•  Waste stack
–  A vertical pipe that runs one or more floors
and carries the discharge of fixtures other
than water closets and similar fixtures.

Glossary
•  Water closet
–  A water-flushing plumbing fixture, such as a
toilet, that is designed to receive and discharge
human excrement. This term is sometimes used
to mean the compartment where the fixture is
located.
•  Water heater
–  An appliance used for heating and storing hot
water.
•  Water meter
–  A device used to measure the amount of water
that goes through the water service.

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Glossary
•  Water service
–  The pipe from the water main or other supply
to the water-distributing pipes.
•  Water-distributing pipe
–  A pipe that carries water from the service to
the point of use.
•  Watt
–  A unit measure of power.

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