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INTRODUCTION

Plumbing from the Latin plumbum (Plumbarius - Roman) for lead as pipes
were once made from lead) is the skilled trade of working with pipes,
tubing and plumbing fixtures for drinking systems and the drainage of
waste.
Plumbing is defined as the art and science of installing pipes, fixtures and
other apparatus to convey and supply water and other substances in
buildings and to dispose and discharge waste water and other liquids,
gases and other substances out of buildings in a safe, orderly, healthy and
sanitary way to ensure the health and sanitation of life and property.
It also refers to a system of pipes and fixtures installed in a building for the
distribution of potable water and the removal of waterborne wastes.

A plumber is someone who installs or

repairs piping systems, plumbing
fixtures and equipment .
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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
- Art and science of plumbing came into being as mankind struggled against
disease.
At the dawn of civilization, when two or three families gathered
together to make a tribe, people drank from springs and streams. They
made no provisions for the disposal of sewage and garbage. If disease
killed members of the tribe because they neglected the laws of sanitation,
they didn’t understand the cause and effect. They didn’t know that lack of
cleanliness breeds disease.
- Archaeologists, while digging in various parts of the world have confirmed
that even ancient civilizations developed plumbing systems for protecting
health.
Nippur, Babylon - aqueduct made of glazed clay brick that dates back
to 4500 BC. The aqueduct contained three lines of glazed clay pipe, 8
inches in diameter and 2 ft. long, with flanged mouth. Other excavations
revealed glazed clay pipe in jar patterns, concave and cone shapes and a
sewage system complete with manholes.

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Island of Crete – some palaces of ancient kings were equipped with extensive
water supply and drainage systems. The glazed clay pipe
was found to be in perfect condition after 3,500 years.
Evidence of plumbing fixtures constructed of hard clay were
discovered.
Ancient Greece - Greek aqueducts took pure water from mountain streams
into cities. Sewers, which exist to this day, carried away
waste to the surrounding rivers. Greeks portrayed Hygeia,
the goddess of health ( from whose name we get the word
“hygiene”), as supplying pure water to a serpent, the
symbol of wisdom.

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Ancient Egyptians – Moses was acquainted
with the sanitary science of
Egyptians and used it in
framing the code of laws
found in the book of
Leviticus.

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Romans - In the time of Julius Caesar, they developed the
principles of sanitation to a high art. Unlike the
ancient Greeks and Egyptians, they were familiar
with lead, which they imported from the British
Isles. They called it plumbum. The word plumbing is
derived from the Latin word for a worker in lead.
The Romans used lead in many of the same ways we
use it today.

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City of Rome – Two thousand years ago, it has an adequate water supply and
sewage disposal system. Water was piped from the hills and mountains
50 miles distant from the city. They used overhead aqueducts and
underground tunnels made of masonry to bring water into Rome.
Branch lines carried water into the homes of the upper class for private
bathrooms. 9
 In 600 B.C. – Rome had an elaborate drainage
system called the Cloaca Maxima. This main
was 13 ft in diameter and was joined by
many laterals. It was constructed from
three concentric rows of enormous stones
piled one on the top of another without
cement or mortar. It still exists and is used
today in the drainage system of modern
Rome.
When Rome set out to conquer the world, they
took their bathing habits with them. In
Great Britain, in the city of Bath,
archaeologists uncovered a Roman bath
110 ft long and 68 ft wide.
In the 12th century, trade guilds were first organized
in England and first apprenticeship laws
were passed in 1562 during the reign of
Queen Elizabeth. The first known master
plumbers’ association was organized in
England and incorporated in the College of
Heralds of London. 10
America – has become a symbol of high standards in plumbing and
sanitation. But as the population of the early settlements
increased, sanitation deteriorated. Garbage and sewage dumped
onto the ground and seepage from earth-pit privies polluted
nearby wells. Health conditions became so intolerable that
eventually public sewers had to be installed underground and
extended to each building.
- Although New York in 1782 installed the first sewer under
the streets, Chicago is credited with having the first real city
sewage system, constructed in 1855.

21st century - plumbing was perfected.

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National Master Plumbers Association of the Philippines (NAMPAP)

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 Basic Principles of the Plumbing Code

1. All premises intended for human use or habitation shall be provided with
a supply of pure and wholesome water, neither connected to unsafe water
supply nor subject to backflow or back- siphonage.
2. Plumbing fixtures, devices and appurtenances shall be supplied with water
in sufficient volume and pressure adequate to function satisfactorily and
without undue noise.
3. Plumbing shall be designed and adjusted to use the minimum quantity of
water consistent with proper performance and cleaning.
4. Devices for heating and storing water shall be so designed and installed as
to prevent dangers from explosion through overheating.
5. Every building abutting on a street, alley or easement with a public sewer
shall connect its plumbing fixtures to the sewer system.
6. Each family dwelling unit shall have at least one water closet, one kitchen
type sink, a lavatory and a bathtub or shower to meet the basic
requirements of sanitation and personal hygiene.

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Basic Principles of the Plumbing Code

7. Plumbing fixtures shall be made of smooth non-absorbent material, free

from concealed fouling surfaces and shall be located in ventilated
enclosures.
8. The drainage system shall be designed, constructed and maintained to
safeguard against fouling, deposit of solids, clogging and with adequate
cleanouts so arranged that the pipes may be readily cleaned.
9. All piping shall be of durable NAMPAP-approved materials, free from
defective workmanship, designed and constructed by Registered Master
Plumbers to ensure satisfactory service.
10. Each fixture directly connected to the drainage system shall be equipped
with a water-sealed trap.
11. The drainage pipes piping system shall be designed to provide adequate
circulation of air free from siphonage, aspiration or forcing of trap seals
under ordinary use.
12. Vent terminals shall extend to the outer air and installed to prevent
clogging and the return of foul air to the building.

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Basic Principles of the Plumbing Code

13.Plumbing systems shall be subjected to such tests to effectively disclose all

leaks and defects in the workmanship.
14.Substances which will clog the pipes, produce explosive mixtures, destroy
the pipes or their joints or interfere unduly with the sewage-disposal
process shall not be allowed to enter the building drainage system.
15.Proper protection shall be provided to prevent contamination of food,
water, sterile goods and similar materials by backflow of sewage. When
necessary, the fixture, device or appliance shall be connected indirectly
with the building drainage system.
16.No water closet shall be located in a room or compartment which is not
properly lighted and ventilated.
17.If there is no sewer system in the area, suitable provision shall be made for
the disposal of building sewage by some acceptable method of sewage
treatment and disposal, such as a septic tank.
18.Where a plumbing drainage system may be subject to backflow of
sewage, suitable provision shall be made to prevent its overflow in the
building.
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Basic Principles of the Plumbing Code

19. Plumbing system shall be maintained in serviceable condition by

Registered Master Plumbers.
20. All plumbing fixtures shall be installed properly-spaced, to be accessible
for their intended use.
21. Plumbing shall be installed with due regard to the preservation of the
strength of structural members and the prevention of damage to walls
and other surfaces through fixture usage.
22. Sewage or other waste from plumbing systems, which may be
deleterious to surface or sub-surface water shall not be discharged into
the ground or into any waterway, unless first rendered innocuous
through subjection to some acceptable form of treatment.

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OBJECTIVES OF PLUMBING

• To supply water to different parts of the building

• To remove and discharge human wastes and other substances out of building
into public sewer or septic tank.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR PLUMBING SYSTEMS

• The design, materials, and installation of the systems are directly regulated by
a plumbing code.
• System design must be approved by an authorized plumbing code official
charged with assuring code compliance.
• A permit for installation of the systems must be obtained from authorities
having jurisdiction.
• Systems should be installed by an entity duly licensed by local authorities to
install plumbing systems. (This may not be required in some jurisdictions.)
• Plumbing design plans and installed systems are required to be inspected and
approved by an authorized code official charged with code enforcement.
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COMPONENTS OF THE PLUMBING AND SANITARY SYSTEM
• Water Distribution System - Cold water system
- Hot water system
• Fire Protection System
• Plumbing Fixtures
• Sanitary Drainage System
• Fuel Gas Piping System

Fundamentals of Water Supply System

• Water - a combination of two elementary substances, hydrogen and
oxygen. It appears in natural state as:
Liquid -------------- 830 times heavier than air
Solid ------------------ ice
Gas -------------------- vapor or steam - 133 times
lighter than air
weight of water in liquid form: 3.778 kg. per U. S. gallon
1,000 kg. per cubic meter
• The Water Cycle
Three major phases: Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation 22
Water Cycle - Sources of Water Supply
- Surface sources - Lakes, streams, rivers, reservoirs, run off from roofs
and paved areas.
- Underground sources - Shallow wells, deep wells, artesian wells, artesian springs,
land springs.

Water Cycle

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Surface and normal underground supplies

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WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
Sources of Water for Domestic Use
SOURCE COLLECTION
Collected from roofs
of buildings and special
water sheds and stored
in cisterns or ponds
Rain Water
Cistern water for drinking
should be boiled, chlorinated
or otherwise sterilized
Natural Obtained from ponds,
Surface lakes and rivers
Water
Used for irrigation, industrial
purposes and, when treated,
for community water supply
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Water is soft and pure Only a source during
and is suitable for the wet season;
hot water supply system
Storage becomes a
breeding place for
mosquitoes;
Roofs may not be clean
Easy to acquire; Contains a large amounts of
bacteria, organic and
Usually in large quantities; inorganic substances;
Purification and treatment
is necessary
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Sources of Water for Domestic Use

SOURCE COLLECTION ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

Obtained from underground Usually has an May have an organic matter
by means of mechanical and abundant supply; and chemical elements;
Ground manual equipment; treatment is suggested;
Water
From springs and wells Requires less Character of ground water,
and is the principal source treatment because its hardness, depends upon
of water for domestic use of natural filtering the nature and condition of
in most rural areas the soil and rock through
which it passes or
percolates

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Acidity and Alkalinity in Water

Acid - a substance containing hydrogen which can be replaced by other

elements. Litmus paper in the presence of acidic water turns red.
Alkali - a substance which will neutralize acid by accepting its hydrogen
ions ( ). Litmus paper in the presence of alkaline water turns blue.
More accurate definitions can be obtained by using hydrochemical
electric meters. These measure the amount of hydrogen ions ( ) in
a relative proportion of water. This measure of acidity or alkalinity in
solution is referred to numerically from 0 -14 as the pH value.
. pH < 7 indicates acidity
. pH > 7 indicates alkalinity
. pH = 7 chemically pure

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The quality of processed water is unlikely to be pure due to contamination at source.

Rainwater - contaminated by suspended impurities as it falls through

the air. These impurities are principally carbon dioxide, sulphur and
nitrous oxides originating from domestic flue gases and industrial
manufacturing processes. The mixture of these impurities and rainfall
produce `acid rain', an occurrence frequently blamed for the
destruction of plant life.

Surface and substrata water sources - contaminated by dissolved inorganic materials

such as calcium, magnesium and sodium. These are responsible for water
hardness. Organic matter from decaying vegetation, animals and
untreated waste water can also contaminate ground water supplies.
These are normally associated with ammonia compounds in the water
or bacteria. Certain types of bacteria present in water can be responsible
for outbreaks of typhoid, cholera and dysentery. Chlorination is
applied to filtered water to destroy any remaining bacterial microbes
before general distribution through service reservoirs and mains.

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OBJECTIONABLE ELEMENT REASONS FOR TREATMENT

Calcium, Magnesium Produces hardness

Sulfur Bad taste and odor, highly corrosive to plumbing,

stains clothing, etc.

Salt Bad taste, highly corrosive

Iron Stains clothing and plumbing fixtures, interferes with

water softeners, iron bacteria clogs pipes

Pathogenic Germs Unhealthy; may cause poliomyelitis

Acid Highly corrosive, picks up lead, stains clothing

Algae Bad taste and odor

Carbon dioxide, Hydrogen sulfide Bad odor

Suspended materials Cause turbidity, presence of vegetable matters, etc.

Bacteria Unhealthy, cause of diseases

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The following table shows the quantity of pollutant microbes present
during the stages of water processing.

Source/process Typical pollutant microbe count per liter

River 41 000
Impounding reservoir 1500
Primary filter 500
Secondary filter 50
Chlorination 0
Service reservoir 0
Distribution main 0

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Water Quality Problems and their Correction
PROBLEMS CAUSE EFFECTS CORRECTION
Acidity Entrance of oxygen Corrosion of Raising alkaline content
and carbon dioxide non- ferrous pipes by the introduction of a
Rusting and clogging neutralizer (sodium silicate)
of steel pipes
Hardness Presence of Clogging of pipes Boiling
magnesium and Impaired laundry Use of an ion exchanger
calcium salts and cooking (zeolite process)
Turbidity Silt or mud in Discoloration Filtration
surface or in ground Bad taste
Color Presence of iron Discoloration of Oxidizing filter
and manganese fixtures and laundry
Pollution Contamination by Disease Chlorination
organic matter
or sewage

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