Week 10 blog - Plumbing Systems

 Week 10 - Plumbing Systems

Water 

It's important to understand the different types of water which are and are not suitable for certain uses. Potable water is water suitable for drinking. However, black water is waste water that contains sewage and gray water is waste water from sinks, bathtubs, and washing machines. 

Plumbing systems are created to eliminate water and human byproducts t o and from a building. 

Fixtures and Water Conservation

• Toilets

• are the single largest use of interior water

• High efficiency toilets: use less than 1.28 gallons of water per flush

• Low flow toilets: provided by all manufacturers. Legislation requires that new toilets require less water than those of the past

• Dual- flushing toilets: use a mechanism that allows for two flushing possibilities. One flush when less water is required. Two flushes when more water is required

• Urinals

• Waterless urinals: do not require water to operate. Odors can be released into the bathroom

• Low water urinals: Reduce water usage by 85%

• Sinks and Faucets

• Automatic faucets: Sensors activate water usage

• Gray water use: water from sinks and showers can be reused to flush toilet or water closet

• Light powered faucets: light powers the automatic sensors- no electricity required

• Low flow shower heads: reduce amount of water used during a shower

• Other sustainable features

• Tankless hot water heater-heats water on demand and does not store water

• Composting toilet- does not use water to operate. Used in rural locations where there is not a municipal water and sewer facility

Other things to take note of while understanding plumbing systems is the stacking of plumbing systems between levels, chase walls, slope of waste pipes, traps, and the location of sprinkler heads

As interior designers we can learn a lot from understanding plumbing systems. It's important to learn the location of plumbing lines within a building.  This can impact space planning and interior design of a space. Good design requires that an interior designer understands the limitations of what is practical and economical. Here are some examples of space planning for a bathroom. Locating a bathroom within use of a window allows for natural ventilation. Otherwise, you can mechanically use a ceiling or wall mounted ventilation system. When space planning it is important to consider recommended clearances. There are also ways to design an energy-efficient bathroom with accessories such as hand dryers to reduce the need for paper towels for hand drying in the bathroom. Part of the job of being a designer is creating accessible spaces for every person! Here are also some accessible bathroom plans:

I was able to research a few strong examples of accessible bathroom designs and found many interesting ideas to promote accessibility. In these ideas, what drew my eye was the lack of level changes! There is no lip or curb for the shower entry. It is one smooth level so that wheelchairs can move around easily. The sinks are knee level for wheelchair clearance and accessories were even put in place such as the hand rails, guards, extra handles and even an ADA shower in the third picture. The last picture/example even has an angled mirror for wheelchair access. All of these examples feel very open and spacious.