RetireeRobert
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Do let us know after you have things hooked up---smooth sailing or any problems, and what the solutions were.
Plumbing Question
- Thread starter Vincenzo Corleone
- Start date
Do let us know after you have things hooked up---smooth sailing or any problems, and what the solutions were.
mountainsoft
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Water lines to individual fixtures (sink faucets, bath faucets, showers, toilets, dishwashers, laundry, etc.) are almost always 1/2".
Distribution lines that serve multiple fixtures, such as the line feeding the bathroom sink, toilet, and shower, are usually 3/4". They might need to supply multiple fixtures, so the pipe size is larger to supply more volume.
The main water line serving an entire house is usually 1". Again, more fixtures, more volume needed.
Obviously, plumbers are free to use whatever size pipe they want. In come cases it might be easier to plumb everything with 3/4" so you only need to stock one size of fittings. However, larger pipe means more volume, which can mean longer delays for hot water to reach a fixture.
Instead of the usual "trunk and branches" method of plumbing, some systems use "home run" layouts. These have a single manifold with individual 1/2" lines running to each fixture.
As others have mentioned, most fixtures these days have low flow restrictors to save water. 1/2" pipe is more than enough for most fixtures. The valve and flexible lines running to your sinks and toilets are probably just 3/8" anyway. The tiny openings in the fixture valves are normally even smaller than that.
Distribution lines that serve multiple fixtures, such as the line feeding the bathroom sink, toilet, and shower, are usually 3/4". They might need to supply multiple fixtures, so the pipe size is larger to supply more volume.
The main water line serving an entire house is usually 1". Again, more fixtures, more volume needed.
Obviously, plumbers are free to use whatever size pipe they want. In come cases it might be easier to plumb everything with 3/4" so you only need to stock one size of fittings. However, larger pipe means more volume, which can mean longer delays for hot water to reach a fixture.
Instead of the usual "trunk and branches" method of plumbing, some systems use "home run" layouts. These have a single manifold with individual 1/2" lines running to each fixture.
As others have mentioned, most fixtures these days have low flow restrictors to save water. 1/2" pipe is more than enough for most fixtures. The valve and flexible lines running to your sinks and toilets are probably just 3/8" anyway. The tiny openings in the fixture valves are normally even smaller than that.
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Vincenzo Corleone
Full time employment: Posting here.
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2005
- Messages
- 617
It's taken a while, but we're nearing the completion of the bathroom renovation and I'm happy to say the water pressure in the shower is quite good, even with both the handheld shower and the rain shower on at the same time. A real relief - I had been pretty stressed about it.
