Home Plumbing Step by Step

Most plumbing jobs go wrong before the first fitting, in the layout.

This book starts where the trade starts. You will learn how supply, drainage and venting work as one system, read a riser diagram, and choose between copper, cross-linked polyethylene and plastic pipe with the right joining method for each. You will size supply and drain lines from fixture units, set slope and cleanouts, vent correctly so traps hold their seal, and rough in a bathroom to dimensions that still work when the tile goes on.

Fixture chapters cover toilets, faucets, tub and shower valves, disposals, dishwashers and laundry boxes, and water heater chapters cover relief valves, expansion control and tankless sizing. Repairs, troubleshooting, wells, septic basics and freeze protection close the book. Written for homeowners, remodelers and apprentices.

What you will learn:

• Tools, safety, codes and permits for residential plumbing work
• How a house plumbing system works as one integrated supply, drain and vent system
• Pipe materials and joining methods for copper, PEX and plastic pipe
• Water supply pressure, valves and sizing from fixture units
• Drain, waste and vent design including slope, cleanouts and venting
• Venting, traps and trap seals that hold under pressure
• Roughing in a bathroom or kitchen to dimensions that survive tile and finish
• Toilets, lavatories, tubs and showers, plus kitchen and laundry connections
• Water heaters, wells, pumps, water treatment, septic basics, repairs, troubleshooting and winterising

This book is for homeowners, remodelers and apprentices who want to install, repair and troubleshoot residential plumbing systems to national plumbing code standards. Whether you are tackling a single fixture or roughing in a whole bathroom, you will find step-by-step guidance that respects the trade and the code.