INTRODUCTION TO PLUMBING
efficient water and sewage system.
PLUMBING
•the art and science of installing pipes, fixtures and other apparatus to
convey and supply water in buildings and to dispose and discharge waste,
water and other liquids, gases and other substances out of the buildings, in
a safe, orderly, healthy and sanitary way to ensure the health and
sanitation of life and property.
•prehistoric times:
-man left traces of plumbing works: water supply and waste disposal
method which offered proofs that even early man realized the importance
of plumbing
-these crude devices were the fore runners of modern day plumbing.
–Archaeologists have found evidence of systems for disposal of human
waste in dwellings 10,000 years old. Waste disposal and running water
were commonly incorporated in the palaces of royalty and priests as early
as the time of the Indus Valley civilization (about 2500 to 1700 BC)
•Greco-Roman civilization -concept and importance of plumbing became
more defined and appreciated during this period.
-Thermae
-aqueduct
PLUMBER–a title given to a person who is a skilled worker in the field of
sanitation
-derived from the ancient Roman term “plumbarius“ which was taken from
the Latin word “plumbum”
Plumbarius–refers to an individual who worked in the sanitary field of
Ancient Rome
Plumbum–Latin word which means lead, a metal commonly used as a
plumbing material in ancient Rome preferred for its twin properties of
malleability and resistance to acid.
PLUMBING IN THE PHILIPPINES
•Before the 1940s
-plumbing installation in a household was still considered a luxury, thus,
available only to the upper crust of the society.
–The majority of the population, not able to afford plumbing installation in
their homes
–were ignorant of the importance of a proper sanitation facilities in the
form of an efficient water supply and waste disposal system
–resorted to indigenous and ingenious methods for their water supply and
waste disposal requirements, unmindful of any ill-effects to sanitation.
•Water Supply.
–in the absence of an efficient, scientific and centralized water supply and
distribution system, water was provided with the abundant rain, springs,
wells, rivers, creeks, etc.
–conveyed through improvised pipes made of bamboos, hollow tree trunks
and the like, carried either by man himself or through animal drawn carts or
sleds, and were stocked in earthen jars, wooden containers, bamboo
containers, etc.
–In these times water was considered fit for consumption as long as it was
clear –there was no available means to test it for purity such as being free
from disease-causing organisms.
•Waste Disposal.
–majority of the population, who cannot afford plumbing in their homes,
availed of and utilized any possible means of convenience for their waste
disposal:
–Early attempts at plumbing (waste disposal) proved unsatisfactory: toilets
constructed did not have any depository but only shelter or cover, sited
alongside of rivers.
–These early sewage disposal practices were not only harmful to human
health but also to the environment, more specifically to the more
populated urban areas. Thus, it did not take long for a burgeoning urban
population to realize the importance of sanitation facilities in the form of an
–Due to the eminent outbreak of epidemics certain sector of the society
and the government introduced programs to remedy the situation.
•Massive education on proper sanitation was initiated.
•Water supply systems were constructed in some urban areas.
•Model toilets were built
•Low cost concrete water seal closet was introduced to the rural residents
backed up by local ordinances requiring every residence to have a sanitary
comfort room with proper sewage disposal system popularly known as
“septic tank”.
Two Main Objectives of Plumbing:
1. To supply water to different parts of the building
2. To remove and discharge human waste and other substances out of
building into the public sewer or septic tank.
PLUMBING SYSTEM
–includes the water supply and distribution pipes; plumbing fixtures and
traps; soil, waste and vent pipes; house drain; house drain and house
sewers including their respective connections, devices and appurtenances
within the property lines of premises; and water treating or water using
equipment.
WATER SUPPLY
Water–a combination of two elementary substances: hydrogen and oxygen
(H2O)
•Water’s natural states:
–liquid: 830 times heavier than air
–solid: ice form
–gas: in the form of vapor or steam; 133 times lighter than air
Three Sources of Water:
THREE SOURCE OF WATTER
1. RAINFALL
2. NATURAL SURFACE: WATER FROM STREAMS, RIVERS, LAKES, PONDS
3. UNDERGROUND WATER: DUG AND DEEP WELLS
Rainfall
a. Advantage/s
•obtained from roofs and watersheds
•soft, pure and good on places where there is an abundant rainfall
b. Disadvantage/s
•hard to store for a long time as it will be a breeding place for mosquitoes
•requires big containers for storing big quantities for long uses
•roofs may not be clean
•bad for places that receives a little amount of rainfall
Natural surface
a. Advantage
•obtained from ponds, lakes, rivers and the like: easy to procure and good
for localities near such bodies of water
b. Disadvantage
•dangerous because it contain large amount of bacteria, organic and
inorganic substances of varying quantities.
Underground water
a. Advantage/s
•obtained from below ground surface by means of mechanical and manual
equipment
•more water can be obtained depending on equipment used and the
locality
b. Disadvantage/s
•because of various organic matter and chemical element present, it
requires treatment of various nature, such as sedimentation, chemical,
filtration, and aeration
Common Impurities of Water:
1.Entrained gases
•carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, methane, oxygen, nitrogen, and organic
compounds
2. Dissolved minerals
•calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron and manganese, and other carbonates
and silicates, alkyl benzene, sulfate from detergents and synthetic organic
from insecticides and pesticides
3. Suspended and colloidal materials
•bacteria, algae, fungi, silt, protozoa, and other colloidal matters making the
water colored and acidic
4. Radioactive materials
•by entrainment of radioactive substances from mining or processing ores,
or by wastes from industrial use of radioactive materials
–Among the minerals present in water through artificial means is lead. Lead
pipes should not be used for the distribution of soft, acid water or for water
having a high concentration of dissolved oxygen or chlorides. The solution
of lead and water with such characteristics may cause lead poisoning.
Water Purification
•is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological
contaminants from contaminated water.
•Goal: to produce water fit for a specific purpose.
–Most water is purified for human consumption (drinking water)
–but water purification may also be designed for a variety of other
purposes, including meeting the requirements of medical, pharmacology,
chemical and industrial applications.
–The purification process of water may reduce the concentration of
particulate matter including suspended particles, parasites, bacteria, algae,
viruses, fungi; and a range of dissolved and particulate material derived
from the surfaces that water may have made contact with after falling as
rain.
Methods of Purification and Treatment of Water
1.Sedimentation
2.Chemical Treatment
3.Filtration
4.Aeration
Sedimentation
•is the tendency for particles in suspension to settle out of the fluid in which
they are entrained, and come to rest against a barrier. This is due to their
motion through the fluid in response to the forces acting on them: these
forces can be due to gravity, centrifugal acceleration or electromagnetism.
•Particles of matter that are suspended in the water are allowed to stay in
the container so that they will settle in the bottom, then, these sediments
are left in the container when the water is drawn out.
Chemical Treatment
•water are given chemical treatments to kill the harmful bacteria present
and to cure the turbid taste or mud taste, remove clay, salts, iron, etc.
Chlorine is the commonly used chemical.
Filtration
•is commonly the mechanical or physical operation which is used for the
separation of solids from fluids (liquids or gases) by interposing a medium
(commonly used materials are sand and gravel) through which only the
fluid can pass. Oversize solids in the fluid are retained, but the separation is
not complete.
Aeration
•or the saturation of water with air. In this process, water is brought into
contact with air in such a manner as to produce maximum diffusion, usually
by spraying water into the air in fountains. Aeration removes odors and
taste caused by decomposing organic matter, and also industrial wastes
such as phenols and volatile gases such as chlorine.
WATER SUPPLY EQUIPMENT
Equipment most commonly refers to a set of tools or other objects
commonly used to achieve a particular objective. Different jobs require
different kinds of equipment. (Wikipedia)
Pump–a device or machine that compresses and/or transports fluids,
usually by pressure or suction, or both.
Water Pump –a device for raising fresh water from a lower elevation where
it is available, to a higher elevation where it can be used
–used whenever the water supply at its natural pressure cannot be directly
piped to a building, tank or reservoir.
Kinds of Pump:
1.Lift pump –a pump that raises a fluid to a higher level
•consist of a piston traveling up and down within a cylinder which is
connected with a pipe extending down into the source. The piston and the
bottom of the cylinder are each provided with a valve opening upward.
Upon the piston’s upstroke, valve Bcloses and valve Aopens. Upon the
piston’s down stroke, valve Bopens and valve Acloses.
2. Force pump –a pump that ejects fluid under pressure
–used to deliver water at a point higher than the piston of the pump itself.
When the plunger descends, valve Ais closed and the water in the cylinder
is forced out through valve Band up to the storage. When the plunger is
raised, valve Bis closed and valve Aopens to admit water to the cylinder.
3. Piston pump –a pump in which motion and pressure are applied to the
fluid by a reciprocating piston in a cylinder. Also known as reciprocating
pump.
–moves a fluid by using a piston that travels back and forth in a cylinder
with valves to help control the flow direction.
-Examples are the lift pump and the force pump
4. Centrifugal pump –a machine for moving a liquid, such as water, by
accelerating it radially outward in an impeller to a surrounding volute casing
–possess moving parts without valves revolving around an axis and
centrifugal action is utilized in delivering the water under pressure. The
curved blades revolve around an axis and trap the water that enters and
hurls it outward by centrifugal force.
5. Hydraulic ram –a device for forcing running water to a higher level by
using the kinetic energy of flow
The flow of water in the supply pipeline is
periodically stopped so that a small portion of water is lifted by the velocity
head of a larger portion. Also known as hydraulic pump
Water Tank
–a container for storing water; used to provide storage of water for use in
many applications: drinking water, irrigation agriculture, fire suppression,
agricultural farming, both for plants and livestock, chemical manufacturing,
food preparation as well as many other uses.
MATERIALS USED FOR WATER TANK
1. WOOD
2. STEEL
3. GALVANIZED IRON (G.I)
4. REINFORCED CONCRETE
5. POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC)
Three Ways of Water Distribution
1.Up-feed System / Normal Water Pressure
–for normal water pressure from public water main for low rise buildings
–a water distribution system in which water is supplied and feed upward
through the vertical piping to the highest point of the system that may be
fed using the available
Advantage
•Eliminates extra cost of pumps and tanks
Disadvantages
•Pressure from water main is inadequate to supply tall buildings
•Water supply is affected during peak load hour
2. Pneumatic Tank / Air Pressure
–air pressure from suction tank for tall buildings which cannot be reached
by normal water pressure
•This is usually below the fixtures to be supplied, when water is called for by
the opening of any device like a faucet, air pressure in the top portion of
the tank deliver water into the system.

•A flat valve operates the pump to make up this water when the level has
become low enough to actuate the starting switch. A high level switch turns
it off when the water is up to its level. In big tanks, the water level is seen
on a marker as made by the float valve which rises or descends.
Advantages
•Compact pumping unit which requires limited space

•Water chamber being air tight makes the system a sanitary one

•Compressed oxygen air tend to purify the water and makes it more
palatable

•The system is efficient and economical: smaller pipe diameter is installed;

has few working parts; less initial and maintenance cost

•Adaptable to all building types: air pressure water distribution system

serves zones of about 10 storeys or floor intervals in buildings of extreme
height
Disadvantage
•In case of power interruption, water supply is greatly affected by the loss
of pressure inside the tank
•Solution for this problem is to install a stand-by generator. With this, it
seems that the system has become very costly. But on the basis of cost
analysis, it was found out that the air-pressured water distribution system
plus the installation of stand-by generator is still very much cheaper than
the initial cost and maintenance of an overhead feed system.
3. Down feed System / Overhead System
–a water distribution system in which the water distribution main is located
at the top of the pressure zone: the distribution-main supplies the risers
that distribute water downward to the lowest point of the zone.
•The water is pumped to a large tank on top of the building which finally
distributes the water to the different fixtures which are found below the
gravity tank.

•These elevated tanks are installed when normal supply of water from main
public service pipes is not frequent.
Advantages
•is not affected by the peak load hour (because of the water stored in the
tank)

•Power interruption does not affect the water supply inside the building.

•When the plumbing units break down, the time involved to replace parts
does not affect the supply of water.
Disadvantages
•The water inside the tank is exposed to the natural elements and is subject
to contamination

•Involves higher maintenance cost because water distribution unit has

many working parts

•The tank occupies a valuable space on the building and requires stronger
foundation and other structure to sustain the heavy load of the tank and
the water content