DIY Network

Pipes and Plumbing: Water-Supply Lines and New Technologies From "Home IQ" episode DHIQ-110

The plumbing drains and vents have been roughed in and the next step is running the water supply lines. Because the water supply system in the Oberg's home includes a sprinkler system, it's more complex and requires a residential sprinkler expert from the company to help install it. Viewers hear from Kirk Vigil of Wirsbo who talks about the sprinkler system and learn about other new plumbing technologies being installed in the home. There's a lot more for the plumber to do than running pipes on the inside of the house. Getting the water service from the street to the house is also his job. Viewers see the plumber as he hooks up the line from the house to the tie-in from the street.

advertisement

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

New Water-Supply Technology

• The water-supply system in the Oberg home is more complex than most homes because it includes an indoor-sprinkler system for fire protection. Supplying residential homes with this type of system is fairly new.

  The system designer comes to the site to work with the plumbers, and with this particular system will put somewhere between 12 and 18 gallons per minute on a fire. This is a single head in a single location (figure A). In comparison, when a fire department has to be called to a resident, their hoses will put anywhere from 150 to 200 gallons per minute on the fire, but you must consider the fact that the firemen and women must break out windows, create vents, etc. With this system the venting is there and the fire will have already had some water doused on it by the time the fire department arrives.

• Another example of new technology in the Oberg home is the use of flexible tubing -- called "Pex" (figure B) -- instead of copper tubing for the water-supply line. By using flexible tubing as the plumbing material it brings down the cost due to the lack of labor needed to install the system.

  Water coming into the house goes through the meter and pressure regulator (figure C) and is then distributed throughout the house with a manifold that leads to the sprinkler heads via the flexible tubing. Each port (figure D) on the manifold leads to a particular sprinkler head.

  The sprinkler heads are installed in each room, and next the tubing is strung along from one head to the other and is eventually branched off to a fixture, such as a toilet, sink or bathtub.

  Note: The plumbing system is incorporated into one system from both the potable water (suitable for drinking) and the fire-protection sprinkler system. It's all used in the same network of tubing that makes up the water-supply system. Connecting the water from the sprinkler system directly with the water in the rest of the house serves an important purpose -- it prevents the water in the sprinkler system from becoming stagnant by sitting still for long periods.

  Once the fixtures are hooked up it's time to test the system, which means the water is turned "on" to remove the air from the lines. First there's a pressure test and then a leak test, which is done by checking each connection to make sure that it's dry and that there are no drips.

  In the final segment of "Pipes and Plumbing," see how the gas is run from the street to the stove.
  

  
  

  RESOURCES :
  

  Kohler Product Information
  Kohler Co.
  Website: www.us.kohler.com

  Kitchen and Bathroom Cabinets (Manor House)
  Manor House Kitchens
  Website: www.manorhousekitchens.com
  

  Residential Sprinkler System and Radiant Flooring (Wirsbo)
  Wirsbo Co.
  Website: www.wirsbo.com
  

  Kitchen and Bathroom Fixtures (Nicklas Supply)
  Nicklas Supply, Inc./Splash
  Website: www.wit-co.com
  or www.nicklassupply.com
  

  Plumbing Services (Pedicone)
  Pedicone Plumbing
  4364 Gibsonia Rd.
  Rt. 910
  Gibsonia, PA 15044
  Phone: 724-443-6794
  

  
  

  GUESTS :
  

  Brad and Lynn Oberg
  Homeowners
  Company: IBACOS (Brad)
  Title: Co-Founder/Chief Technology Officer
  Website: www.ibacos.com
  

  Greg Allen
  Site Supervisor
  Hendolhurst Homes
  955 Markman Park Rd.
  Baden, PA 15005
  Phone: 724-935-5658
  Fax: 724-935-0884
  E-mail: buildm@zoominternet.net
  Website: hendolhursthomes.com
  

  Allen Kline
  Senior Kitchen Designer
  Manor House Kitchens
  See contact information above under Resources
  

  Jim Misencik
  Framer
  Misencik, Inc.
  Pittsburgh, PA
  

  Cindy Schad
  Designer/Sales
  Nicklas Supply, Inc./Splash
  PO Box 1730
  Cranberry Township, PA 16066
  Phone: 724-772-1060
  Fax: 724-772-3020
  

  Bill Rittlemann
  Project Engineer
  IBACOS
  2214 Liberty Ave.
  Pittsburgh, PA 15222
  Website: www.ibacos.com
  

  Jeremy Dindinger
  Apprentice Plumber
  Pedicone Plumbing
  4364 Gibsonia Rd.
  Rt. 910
  Gibsonia, PA 15044
  Phone: 724-443-6794
  

  Kirk Vigil
  Regional Sales Mgr.
  Wirsbo Co.
  5925 148th St. W.
  Apple Valley, MN 55124
  Toll-free: 800-321-4739
  Phone: 952-891-2000
  Fax: 952-891-2008
  Website: www.wirsbo.com
  

  Michael Morse
  Journeyman Plumber
  Pedicone Plumbing
  4364 Gibsonia Rd.
  Rt. 910
  Gibsonia, PA 15044
  Phone: 724-443-6794
  

  ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  	Pipes and Plumbing: Introduction
  	Pipes and Plumbing: Location, Location, Location!
  	Pipes and Plumbing: Water-Supply Lines and New Technologies
  	Pipes and Plumbing: Installing the Gas Lines