Plumbing is an important aspect of house construction that many people take for granted. Most of the time, people wait for when an issue comes up before they do the right thing. Your houses plumbing is just like your body’s health – it is a lot cheaper and safer to deal with problems before they happen rather than after. The last thing you want to do on a Saturday evening is get out your nail guns and hammer drills, trying to fix something that could have been easily prevented.
For that reason, just like you take care of your body, you should be taking care of your house – specifically, your plumbing.
Nobody is infallible. And that includes the plumber who previously set up your pipes. While you should always work with professional plumbers, in this article, we will cover 5 common mistakes that contractors can make.
1. Location and Cleanout Problem
Pipes need clearance. One of the most common mistakes from plumbers is that they simply pick the wrong locations to set things up. This choice inevitably leads to problems down the road because it will make the plumbing site unsuitable for cleanout.
Before servicing any line, they need to check the floor space for clearance. Doing so would dramatically improve plumbing quality.
2. Vents and Traps Mistake
Venting is essential for a well done plumbing job. Ensure that there is enough ventilation in any areas with plumbing lines according to your town’s laws. You should never carry out any basement work without the proper vents.
For effectiveness in plumbing, one has to consider both the traps and vents. The traps are what seals up plumbing fixture and save the building from gas explosion among others.
In addition to this, if the vent is absent, the trap may become useless and may not hold water.
3. Drain Slope Mistake
The standard measure that plumbing code allows for an ideal slope is inches per feet. The size of the slope must be accurate as a “too little” or “too much slope” could cause a problem in future.
Too much slope will make water move faster than other substance which may result in a grievous problem in future. On the other hand, an under-sloped area could cause a water log.
4. Toilet Space
Many jurisdictions have their own toilet standards. However, none of them requires a toilet to be too close or tight. All they advocate is the convenience of the person using the toilet.
There should be enough space in the toilet so that big people could make use of it without having any discomfort or pain.
You should ensure that the space in front the toilet apparatus is not less than 18 inches to the wall. You should also be sure that the distance between the side wall and the equipment is not less than 15 inches.
Believe it or not, lack of toilet space is a bigger problem than you would imagine. Buyers often think of it as a small detail but then, the lack of space grows like a thorn in their side. Redesigning a bathroom costs a fortune compared to getting it right the first time.
5. Pipeline Problems
Pipeline mistake is another common mistake that plumbers make. Sometimes, they join two dissimilar pipes which may cause grievous problems (now or in the future).
According to plumbing best practices, copper pipes must not be connected with any other pipes (metal pipes) as they would not interact well with each other. Apart from that, it could lead to corrosion.
However, you can connect a metal pipe with a brass pipe if you wish to connect two different pipes.
These mistakes are common mistakes that plumbers often make. It is advisable for you to always check for such mistake to avoid them.
