Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/411

 1868.] Plumbing: Water Supply and Waste Pipes. 333 pipe under ground, which would prevent the offensive air from passing into the house, while the principal traps are empty and not used. A cock should be placed at the lowest point on the cir- culating pipes, to clear the boiler and water-back, and be so connected with the nearest waste-pipe, that all the water may be run off, and thus save the neces- sity of putting in a new heating appara- tus in the spring. Particular care should be taken not to place the pipes in a position where a cold draft may reach them. Even when the apartment is above the freezing point, a pipe behind a door, where a constant draft, from the door-crack, blows upon it, will often freeze ; and, in passing from one floor to another, an opening is often left around the pipes, where a cold draft constantly plays upon them Intimately connected with the effect of cold is that of heat, or rather change of temperature, in hot- water pipes. When the pipes run per- pendicularly they should be firmly fas- tened near the top, and be loosely hooked to the board behind them ; and no hook should be driven tightly against the pipe, as rubbing caused by expanding and contracting would soon cut a hole in the pipe. When lead soil-pipes were used in place of iron — now the best and most common — they often caused trouble by the effect of expansion. Aided by the weight of the pipe, the expansion was all downward. When contracting, the strain of lifting, or dragging, the pipe back into its position weakened its upper fastening, and often parted the pipe. An iron soil-pipe fastened below as well as above, is not liable to this trouble. Where hot-water pipes run horizontal^, and are fastened by iron hooks to the joists, as is often done in cellars, they quickly swag between the hooks, and are often cut into holes by dragging against the sharp edges of these sup- ports. The most effectual way to pre- vent this is to have the pipes supported upon a narrow wooden shelf, hung from the joists, just low enough to allow the supply-pipes to lie upon the shelf and clear the joists. The pipes must not be fastened to this, but simply rest upon it, and be free to expand and contract. Some simple contrivance of this nature will often save heavy expense of repairs. But in every mechanical structure acci- dents will occur ; and it is desirable that they should do as little damage as pos- sible ; and also, that they may be easily repaired. Stop-cocks, with wastes upon all the branches from the main supply- pipes are important for this, as it enables one, who is not conversant with turning off stops under ground, to stop off quickly, by these cocks, the water sup- ply from any part of the building, and yet not interfere with the rest. To save a little expense, it is very usual to omit the use of such stops. To avoid danger from leaks, do not run the pipes under the floors ; but let all pipes run vertically. This can be done in such a way as to give easy access to repair, at the same time, by cover- ing the pipes in walls, stud-partitions, columns, &c, with a movable covering of wood, variously planned, according to the character of the parts wherein the pipes run. Let the pipes be so placed in the box thus formed, that water from a leak may follow the pipe into the cel- lar, or basement ; and thus do no harm until it is detected and repaired. To prevent the damage to ceilings and walls caused by leaks, or splashing at wash-basin, baths, butler's sinks, &c, the floors under them should be lined with thin sheet lead, forming a shallow dish, which may be connected to the nearest waste-pipe by a small lead pipe. Where it is necessary to run a supply and waste-pipe for a short dis- tance under the floor, let a small lead- lined trough be made under them, con- ducting any drip-water to the nearest upright set of pipes. The water fixtures in different parts of the house being, in this way, all sup- plied by pipes running vertically from