plumbing BY STEVE GOLDIE PINPOINTING PRESSURE PROBLEMS Some of the most frequent complaints heard by plumbing contractors involve water pressure issues. It is a familiar scenario: you are all lathered up enjoying that nice hot shower when someone decides it is time to turn on the dishwasher, or maybe the washing machine. Suddenly that nice steady soothing stream of water becomes an irritating trickle, turning a relaxing shower into a potentially ugly domestic incident. Is this just one of those universal irritants that our customers need to learn to live with, or can something be done? The answer depends on what the source of the problem really is: poor pressure or insufficient flow. A typical residential plumbing system is designed to operate at between 40 and 70 pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure. In a municipally delivered system, water pressure is maintained through a series of pumping stations, elevated water reservoirs and water towers. Gravity provides the necessary pressure at a rate of one psi for every 28 inches of elevation (water column), resulting in just over 64 psi at the bottom of a 150-foot water tower. Water pressure at any individual home or business is determined by its elevation relative to the elevation of the water tower or reservoir serving it. For residences on private wells, water pressure is maintained via the well pump, usually in conjunction with a pre-charged pressure tank. IDENTIFYING THE REAL CULPRIT Verifying the static pressure (pressure when all taps are turned off) is as simple as attaching a pressure gauge at any The answer depends on what the source of the problem really is: poor pressure or insufficient flow point in the system. Gauges that attach to a hose connection are perfectly suited to this application. Most well systems should have gauges already installed making verifying the pressure even simpler. If the static pressure is lower than 40 psi then the problem is indeed a lowpressure problem. This would normally occur in higher areas, perhaps a house built up on a ridge, makes for nice views, but sometimes at the cost of adequate water pressure. If moving is not an acceptable option, then the remedy is to install a booster pump package. Booster pumps are available from many manufacturers in various sizes, and if a simple boost in pressure is all that is needed, your local wholesaler should be able to help find one that is right for your application. If a simple boost in pressure was CONTINUED ON PAGE 28 Photo Moen 26 HPAC 80 years MAY/JUNE 2006
Handle it right, right out of the gate. The buzzer sounds, the gates open and your project is off. You need a clean break at the start and a good grip on those powerful fast-track schedules before they run out of control. Victaulic powers any compressed schedule with our complete mechanical pipe joining systems that install up to three times faster than alternative methods. Value-added services like project preplanning and job-site product management increase efficiency on the job to make sure you ride out the race in record time. From day one, Victaulic people, products and technology surround your project and provide a much-needed release valve. Labour costs shrink. Hot work and fire watch delays disappear, as do the odds of liquidated damages. For over 80 years, only one company has been riding the reins of reduced schedules across the globe. Victaulic. www.compressedschedule.com COMPLETE PIPE JOINING SOLUTIONS WHEN SCHEDULE MATTERS Circle #16
plumbing CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26 always the remedy, restoring domestic bliss in the home would be a simple matter: install a properly sized pump, adjust the pressure switch and everyone is singing in the shower. Unfortunately, more often than not pressure problems are actually a result of inadequate distribution piping. Let s go back to our pressure gauge, when we check the pressure with all the If the incoming water service is the culprit, the most obvious solution is to upgrade to a newer, larger line. This requires trenching or torpedoing a new line in from the municipal service. If this option is not possible or desired, a pressure pump system can be installed, very similar to those installed on private well systems with a reservoir tank taking the place of the well or lake. pull any more water than the service can already provide. The reservoir tank provides a ready supply of water for the pump to pull from, enabling the requisite boost in pressure and flow. Without the reservoir tank the homeowner is paying good money for a pressure pump system only to have the same problem that existed before the system was installed. Without the reservoir tank the homeowner is paying good money for a pressure pump system only to have the same problem that existed before the system was installed. taps turned off everything looks good. Now have a look when one or two taps or fixtures are turned on. If the pressure drops dramatically, then the system piping is not able to allow sufficient flow to maintain adequate pressure. The water service coming into the building may be undersized, or in an older building scale or corrosion may have built up, choking off the flow. The distribution piping within the building may also be undersized or obstructed. Providing the correct solution requires identifying where the deficiencies are located. CONSIDER THE FIXTURES The final part of the distribution system also has to be sized and piped sufficiently to allow enough flow throughout the house when more than one fixture is turned on. I recently looked at a nearly finished 3,500 sq. ft. custom home with five bathrooms that a friend had purchased. The master bath has a Private well and pump systems include shower fixture with multiple heads and a well (the water source), piping from a large volume rainfall head. These the well to the building, a water pump, multi-head shower systems are very and a water pressure tank to which popular these days, but in order to building water supply plumbing is connected. When water is turned on at a 1/2 pipe just won t cut it. work properly they need lots of flow, fixture in the building, compressed air Closer scrutiny revealed that not in the water pressure tank pushes water only was the master shower fixture out into the building water supply piping and thus to its plumbing fixtures. had also been piped in 1/2 copper. piped in 1/2 copper, the entire house The reservoir tank is not the same The nice new one-inch service had thing as the pressure tank. Water is been reduced immediately to 1/2 copper to serve the entire house. To make pumped into the pressure tank, from the reservoir tank. Simply adding a pump to an inadequate service will not CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 The new face of... New bold look! Available on all Cable Drive configurations Ergonomically friendly All special finishes TM OAKVILLE STAMPING & BENDING LTD. 905.827.0320 905.827.6375 www.osb.ca 28 HPAC 80 years MAY/JUNE 2006 Circle #17
Focus on Performance 5 criteria for specifying the right water tempering and recirculation system Live and learn - your system is only as reliable as the sum of its parts. At the heart of every system is the tempering valve, so make sure you don t take shortcuts here. Preassembled and factory tested, PowerStation insures your facility's tempering and recirculation is installed exactly as specified. No headaches, no complaints, no worries. Here's what to look for... S i n g l e - Valve Tempering The heart of your system ASSE 1017 Listed, single-valve, p a r a f fin-based tempering valves regulate water temperature e f fic i e n t l y, while reducing system size, components and cost. Efficient Pump and Return Exceptional low flow valve performance enables smaller and more efficient pump selection and return line size, thus lowering operational and maintenance costs. Automatic Balancing The alternative to manual ball valve circuit setting, the thermostatic balancing valve maintains system balance by accurately, automatically and proportionally sending water to the boiler as needed. B y p a s s/ Test Loop The test loop makes simple work of system setup, and maintenance testing thereafter is quick and easy. No need to send unregulated hot water to the building during set-up. Pressure Temperature Gauges Large, easy-to-read gauge shows both pressure and temperature, making it easy to diagnose your system. Inside Sales: 1-888-208-8927 www.powerscontrols.ca Circle #64
plumbing CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28 Large volume shower systems need a lot of flow. matters worse, the house was 95 per cent dry walled and a few days away from getting painted. The builder refused to address the issue but in the end my friend was able to negotiate sending an independent plumbing contractor in to fix the problem. Many contractors do great work and properly size systems, but the situation described above is an all too common example of the kind of thing that goes on. Dealing with pressure and flow problems in an older house is understandable, but having to live with it in a brand new home is never acceptable. Main supply lines and risers, both hot and cold should be 3/4 minimum, with 1/2 lines only used as feeders to individual fixtures. A 3/4 pipe has almost 50 per cent more circumference and nearly 132 per cent greater cross-sectional area than a 1/2 pipe. This means much more water, less resistance and therefore much more pressure and flow at the fixtures. The difference in cost between doing it right or not is but a proverbial drop in a bucket and homeowners will not hesitate to pay if they understand the benefits. It is a small price to pay for the ability to shower without worrying about who is flushing what. Steve Goldie worked as a plumbing and heating contractor for almost 20 years before joining Noble Trade as manager of the heating department. In his current position Goldie focuses on product specification and system design solutions. He can be reached at stevegoldie@nobletrade.ca. RATE THE ARTICLE! Will this information be useful? Please circle the appropriate number on the Reader Postcard. Thank you. VERY USEFUL........124 USEFUL........... 125 NOT USEFUL........ 126 Photo Kohler Co. Kindred Commercial Manufacturer of Stainless Steel sinks for Institutional, Commercial and Industrial building applications. Franke Kindred Canada Limited Tel 1-866-687-7465 Fax 1-800-361-8408 www.kindredcanada.com Circle #55 30 HPAC 80 years MAY/JUNE 2006
APOLLO 77C The solid value of Apollo for today s value-conscious contractor Here s something today s contractors have been asking for: an economical full-port version of the classic American-made Apollo ball valve. Made in the Carolinas, our new 77C Series is priced competitively with the imports, but offers so much more quality and value. Solid Ball, Solid Performance Some valve manufacturers use hollow balls in their full port valves. Hollow balls create turbulence that restricts flow and causes unwanted pressure drops. Apollo s solid machined ball gives you straight-through flow and real full-port performance. Get solid full-port performance at an affordable price with the American-made Apollo 77C. See your Apollo distributor or contact Conbraco Industries, Canada today. COAP 0234-05 Phone: (905) 761-6161 Fax: (905) 761-6666 www.conbraco.com/info/77c2345.html Circle #6