Plumber’s Handbook - Oneexamprep

1 Exam PrepPlumber’s HandbookTabs and HighlightsThese 1 Exam Prep Tabs are based on the Plumber’s Handbook Revised 2006.Each Tabs sheet has five rows of tabs. Start with the first tab at the first row at the top of the page; proceeddown that row placing the tabs at the locations listed below. Place each tab in your book setting it down onenotch until you get to the bottom of a page. Then start back at the top again.After each 1 Exam Prep Tab, under "Reason" is a brief explanation of the purpose of the tab, and / or items tohighlight in the section.1 Exam Prep TabPg.#Reason/HighlightTable of ContentsPlumbing and the Plumber5Designing Drainage Systems712Figure 2-5: Typical plumbing abbreviations14Soil Stack: “A soil stack is the vertical section of pipe thatreceives the discharge of water closets, with or without thedischarge from other fixtures.”15Figure 2-9: Fixture units per fixture28Figure 2-33: Suds pressure relief ventsFigure 2-34: Suds pressure for various size drainage pipes,upstream and downstreamDesigning Vent Systems1 Exam Prep –Plumber’s Handbook3334Circuit Vent: “A circuit vent functions much like a branchvent. Circuit vents serve two or more fixtures and risevertically from between the last two fixture traps located ona horizontal branch drain.”36Stack Vent: “A stack vent is nothing more than theextension of a soil or waste stack up and through the roof ofa building.”40Figure 3-24: Size and length of vent pipes1

1 Exam Prep TabPg.#Reason/HighlightBasic Sizing Principles: “No vent, wet or dry, for a watercloset can be less than 2 inches in diameter.”44Wet Vents: “A horizontal wet vent can’ exceed 15 feet andmay only receive the discharge from the fixture branches.”46Sump Vents: “The following venting procedures areaccepted by most plumbing codes Sumps receiving clearwater waste from building, subsoil drains, floor drains, airconditioning condensate drains, etc., don’t need a cover orvent.”Figure 3-36: Vertical combination waste and vent (IPC)Fixture TrapsCleanoutsInterceptors, Special Traps &Neutralizing Tanks5354Figure 4-2: Traps prohibited by code57Figure 4-14: Minimum size of nonintegral traps58Figure 4-15: Horizontal distance of fixture trap from ventat slope of ¼” per foot6364Location of Cleanouts: “Cleanouts are required on allbuilding sewers at intervals not to exceed 100 feet.”67Cleanout Clearances: “Every cleanout installed on a 3inch or larger pipe needs at least an 18-inch clearance toallow room for rodding. For cleanouts smaller than 3inches, leave a clearance of at least 12 inches for rodding.”68Figure 5-16: Cleanout Sizes71Inside Installations: “Grease interceptors must have agrease retention capacity of 2 pounds for each GPM offlow.”72Figure 6-1: Sizing criteria for inside grease interceptors“Each fixture discharging into a grease interceptor must beindividually trapped and vented in an approved manner.You can omit a fixture trap for a single fixture if it meetsthe following conditions ”741 Exam Prep –Plumber’s HandbookFigure 6-4: Liquid capacities of grease interceptors forrestaurant2

1 Exam Prep TabPg.#Reason/HighlightFigure 6-5: Sizing criteria for outside grease interceptorIndirect Waste Piping, Receptors& Special Wastes78-79Laundry Interceptors: “Commercial and self-servicelaundries discharge solids along with liquid waste. Theymust have lint interceptors to prevent these solids fromentering the drainage system. Install a nonremovable screenor a ½-inch mesh screen metal basket to collect the solids.”80Figure 6-14: Sizing criteria for lint interceptor for selfservice laundries8990Air Break: “is a piping arrangement in which a drain pipefrom a fixture, appliance or device discharges Some localauthorities allow an air break installation to terminatebelow the floor or rim of the floor or rim of the floor sinkor receptor.”Air Gap: “In an air gap arrangement, there must be anunobstructed vertical distance through the free atmospherebetween the drain pipe outlet from a fixture. There must bea minimum separation of 1 inch (or twice the drain pipesize) between the plumbing fixture, appliance, orappurtenance outlet and the rim of the floor sink orreceptor.”91Floor Sink: “The floor sink is used with an air gap indirectwaste pipe mostly in restaurants.”Floor Drain and Clothes Washer Standpipe: “A floordrain is commonly used with air break indirect wastepipe .It must be no smaller than 2 inches in diameter andbe installed above floor level.”Installation of Drainage &Vent PipesJoints and Connections1 Exam Prep –Plumber’s Handbook103107Figure 8-3: Common materials and locations where theycan be used110 -114Joints and Connections:114Changes in Direction: “Make changes in direction inhorizontal or horizontal-to-vertical drainage systems with45-degree wyes, long or short sweeps, quarter bends, sixth,eight or sixteenth bend, or with a combination of these orother approved fittings. When the direction of the flow isfrom horizontal to vertical, use sanitary tees, quarter bendsand one-fifth bends.”3

1 Exam Prep TabPg.#Reason/Highlight115Figure 8-14: Changes of direction118Figure 8-20: Five common horizontal and verticalpipe supportsHorizontal DWV Piping Supports: “Always support castiron soil pipe that has lead and oakum joints with hangersor other approved means at every hub. If you’re using 5foot lengths of pipe, that’s at least every five feet.”Figure 8-21: Hanger Rod sizesSeptic Tanks and Drainfields119Figure 8-22: Horizontal piping support intervals120Indirect Waste piping and Special Waste: “Use pipethat’s at least ¾ inch in diameter, but never smaller than theoutlet drains of fixtures or appliances served. If you’reinstalling indirect waste pipe below the floor, most codesrequire 1 ¼-inch pipe.”121“When your installation serves special fixtures rated morethan 1 fixture unit, use these minimums for the pipe size:”- 2 fixture units: 1 ½ inch minimum- 3 fixture units: 2 inch minimum122Air Conditioning Condensate Drains: “Always locateindirect waste piping for air conditioning units at least 2inches below the bottom of the floor slab. Don’t install ituntil after fill and compaction are complete.”127130Figure 9-2: Required capacity of septic tanks for singlefamily residences131Figure 9-4: Maximum fixture units and minimum septictank capacities for commercial use132Figure 9-6: Required septic tank capacity in gallons forcommercial useTile Drainfields:Reservoir-Type Drainfields:1351 Exam Prep –Plumber’s HandbookResidential Drainfields: How to size a drainfield formula4

1 Exam Prep TabPg.#Reason/Highlight135Figure 9-11: Design criteria of five typical soils136Commercial Drainfields: sizing formulaFigure 9-12: Estimated sewage flow ratesMobile Home & TravelTrailer Parks141143Figure 10-1: Drainage pipe sizes and number of fixtureunits permittedFigure 10-2: Minimum pipe size and slope of drainagepipeGraywater Recycling SystemsFor Single-Family ResidencesPublic Water Supply &Distribution Systems147148Figure 11-1: Maximum allowable water usage forplumbing fixtures152Figure 11-6: Design criteria of six typical soils153Figure 11-8: Irrigation/disposal field requirements154Figure 11-10: Location of graywater system155Formula to calculate piping material and drainage trenches159161Water Outlet: “As defined in the code and used inconnection with the water distributing system, the wateroutlet is the discharge opening for water: ”162Figure 12-3: Rate of flow and required pressure duringflow for different fixturesFigure 12-4: Minimum water service pipe for one-and twostory buildings (hotels, motels, and residential)163Figure 12-5: Minimum water service pipe for one-and twostory buildings (commercial use).Figure 12-6: Size of fixture supply sizeHot Water Systems1 Exam Prep –Plumber’s Handbook169The Water Heater: The normal design temperature of5

1 Exam Prep TabPg.#Reason/Highlight171Figure 13-3: Recommended hot water storage tankcapacity171Pressure Relief Valves: “The pressure relief valve shouldopen at 25 psi above the maximum working pressure, butunder no circumstances should it exceed 175 psi.”Temperature Relief Valves: “Temperature relief valvesare required on all equipment that heats and stores domestichot water. The temperature portion of the valve releases ata temperature of 210 degrees F.”1721 watt 3.4 Btu174Three Common Hot Water Circulating Systems:Figure 13-8: Inveted upfeed system175Figure 13-9: Hot water looped systemFigure 13-10: Downfeed systemInstalling Water Systems179181Figure 14-2: Common potable water system materials andlocations where they can be used182Installing water Service Supply Pipe: “Building codes seta minimum separation distance for water service supplypipe installed in a separate open trench. Check local code,but most require 5 feet from the sewer line or 10 feet fromany septic tank or drainfield.”185Avoiding Cross Connection: “All water outlets equippedfor hose connections (other than clothes washers) musthave back flow preventers.”Threaded Pip, Fittings and Valves: “The standard pipethread has a taper of ¾ inch per foot.”186Private Water Supply WellsFire Protection1 Exam Prep –Plumber’s HandbookFigure 14-7: Pipe wrench sizes193196Figure 15-5: Tank and pump size requirements201Standpipe Requirements: “A fire standpipe system isrequired in building over 50 feet high.”6

1 Exam Prep TabSwimming Pools and SpasHarnessing Solar EnergyGas SystemsMaterials and InstallationMethods for Gas SystemsPg.#Reason/Highlight205Standpipe Materials and Installation Methods:“Buildings up to 100 feet high need standpipes at least 4inches in diameter. Building higher than 100 feet needstandpipes at least 6 inches in diameter.”213216Filters: “Pressure and sand filters must have a filtrationrate not over 5 gpm per square foot of filter area and abackwash minimum rate of 12 gpm per square foot of filterarea.”217Figure 17-5: Swimming pool materials and permittedinstallations223225Sizing Solar Heat Collectors: “each of the first two peoplein the family uses 20 gallons of hot water per day. Eachadditional person should use 15 gallons per day.”232Figure 18-9: Sizing solar storage tanks237238Sizing Gas Systems: Formula to determine cfh239Figure 19-1: Maximum capacity of pipe in cubic feet ofnatural gas per hour243244Figure 20-1: Common gas piping materials and where touse themExterior Installations: “When you use horizontal metallicgas piping, be sure to place it a minimum of 12 inchesunderground. If you use plastic gas piping, it as to be 18inches.”Plumbing Fixtures1 Exam Prep –Plumber’s Handbook253255Bathtubs and Showers: “The minimum size waste andoverflow for bathtubs is 1 ½ inches.”255“The strainer must have a diameter of at least 3 ½ inches.and be removable so the trap can be cleaned.”7

1 Exam Prep TabAppendix: DefinitionsIndex1 Exam Prep –Plumber’s HandbookPg.#Reason/Highlight259Plumbing Fixtures Clearances: “Water closets must havea minimum spacing of 30 inches center-to-center when setin battery installations Finally they must have a minimumclearance of 24 inches from the front of the bowl to anyfinished wall, door or other plumbing fixture.”261Fixtures for the Handicapped: “Toilet rooms must haveat least one toilet stall that’s at least 3 feet wide and 4 feet 8inches deep.”339344Soil Pipe definition344Stack Vent definition3478

1 Exam Prep –Plumber’s Handbook 1 1 Exam Prep Plumber’s Handbook Tabs and Highlights These 1 Exam Prep Tabs are based on the Plumber’s Handbook Revised 2006. Each Tabs sheet has five rows of tabs. Start with the first tab at the first row at the top of the page; proceed down tha