| The most expensive part of your new house is the | | | | your plumbing fit anywhere. When you want to fit a |
| plumbing. By the time you have run the hot water | | | | tap say, there is the appropriate fitting that has |
| pipes and the cold water pipes and bought all the | | | | attachments to fit to the wall and a threaded end for |
| fixtures you have spent the most of any other part of | | | | the tap to screw into. Use thread tape here as you |
| the house. So it is wise in the planning stage to try and | | | | normally would and you have a top job. |
| group your plumbing all relatively close together. It | | | | The hot water is best in 1/2" copper pipe and you don't |
| seems a bit silly to have a massive house and an en | | | | need the gas and fittings that the plumbers use. There |
| suite located way over on one corner all on it's own. | | | | is screw up fittings you can use so with a couple of |
| You have to run cold water pipes to it and hot water | | | | wrenches you can soon have your hot water in. You |
| pipes to it and waste water pipes away from it. | | | | will need a tube cutter for giving your pipe a neat cut |
| Makes that one little room very expensive. | | | | so that the fittings will be leak free. There is the same |
| That being said, you will probably find that one must be | | | | range of fittings as the cold piping so you can plumb |
| a licensed plumber in most places to be able to install | | | | anywhere. One advantage of copper is that it is |
| plumbing to a house. However, if you are just going to | | | | flexible and you can bend it a little to get a better fit. |
| install an outside kitchen say, outside at your BBQ or | | | | Make sure all your pipes are held securely with |
| something similar you may be able to do it yourself. Or | | | | brackets quite often so you don't get that knocking |
| if you have that cabin at the lake and you need some | | | | when the tap is turned on. |
| extra plumbing installed it is not difficult if you follow a | | | | Your waste plumbing is done in 4" sewer pipe which |
| few guidelines | | | | feeds into the sewerage. Your other fixtures will feed |
| The cold water is relatively easy to plumb with the | | | | into that in their relative sizes. Toilets are plumbed |
| easy to use 1/2" pipes and fittings available these days. | | | | straight into the 4" sewer pipe while baths and sinks |
| It does pay to use the plastic piping if you are an | | | | and showers etc. are in 2" pipe and have to be |
| amateur. These come with all the fittings you will need | | | | reduced to go into the sewer pipe. The exception is |
| and just glue together. You can cut your plastic piping | | | | the bathroom vanity sink which is usually 1 1/2" pipe. All |
| to length with a simple hack saw and glue it all | | | | this piping is in the easy to use plastic so you can cut it |
| together. Make sure you clean your cut inside and out | | | | with a fine hand saw and glue it together with same |
| side with some fine sandpaper to make sure all the | | | | tools as the cold water pipe. Once you get into it it is |
| burs are removed and to enable the glue to hold | | | | really quite fun and very satisfying to see your |
| properly. Some products come with a solvent that you | | | | plumbing all working. Make sure you do a water leak |
| use to clean your joint before gluing. You can cut and | | | | test before you put all your tools away as you may |
| lightly put together your pipe to make sure it is right | | | | need to tighten a joint or two. |
| before you glue it. T 's and straight joints and elbows in | | | | So there you go. Pretty easy really. Have a go and |
| 90 degrees and 45 degrees mean you can make | | | | you will find that you will enjoy it. |