Importance of Plumbing In Building Works
While planning to build a house or a building there are some essential considerations to be taken into account. Like for example one has to have a team of professionals who need to come together and contribute to complete and give the final touches to a building. There is the architect who takes care of most of the details , also organises the workmen. Plumbing is one of the most important jobs while planning a building . Most plumbers also do the job of electricians, so they are very important for a building to take its final shape. No building can be completed without the help of a plumber.
Plumbing job involves laying of pipe lines, drain pipes, valves, valve assemblies and other devices installed in a building so that the water system within a home is functioning well.Plumbers are essential to the installation and maintenance of water systems in various settings, from municipal water supply plants to sewers to commercial and residential facilities. If they are doing the job of an electrician as well then of course all the wiring and the placing of electric switches etc too will also be looked after by them.
How does it work?
A plumber needs to be consulted right at the beginning when you plan a building since he has to be there to do his job of laying the pipe lines and drainage pipes along with the builder and the mason, since these days most of the drainage pipes are concealed in the wall or on the floor. So, once you decide on the plan of the house , you will have to meet a plumbing consultant and create a plumbing layout along with your building plan . While this is done, you will get an idea of the layout plan, materials to be used, an estimate for all these etc...
Plumbing should be done in such a way that there should not occur a need to change any thing laterstage or should there be any need for remodeling. A good plumber makes sure that there is enough provision provided for easy access and any change that might occur at a later date. Normally one need not worry about any major pipe lines within the building for at least 30-35 years or even longer - provided the materials used are of high quality and the work has been carried out satisfactorily!
Your own part and what you should ask your plumber
Once you plan to build a building and have gone through the process of having the necessary permissions and so forth, the next step is to talk to your architect and the plumber together. Certain ideas can be exchanged and changed to suit your needs at the initial stage of planning itself. Since, you will most probably be building from scratch, the builder will have his own team of workmen including a licensed plumbing contractor and will know the best and the most convenient way of arranging things.
Once the basic house design has already been considered, you can discuss the various options available which includes the type of pipework to be used for example – Copper or plastic and the heating system, about the gutters and down pipes and so forth. Once plumbing work is done and the building comes up, it is very difficult to alter it so everything should be considered before hand.
If you're renovating, you need to know if the old pipe line is good enough or whether there is need for any change. If there is need for change you have to consider where the new fixtures will be positioned and what costs are involved etc. No matter what your plans , you have to consult a plumber right at the initial stages so that you are clear about all the work involved and the cost involved since plumbing is an expensive job.
How and where?
When you are ready to take up the construction works you need to make a careful list of all that needs to be done in every room and every part of the house since plumbing job has to be done to accommodate water resource and drainage. Whatever your plans are , make sure that you are clear right down to the smallest fittings well before the plumber begins his work. This makes it easier for you to keep count and also know exactly what is being done and where and also easier for the plumber to do his job.
Once work has started, you can add on or make some changes depending on practicality and convenience . However, any change that need to be done should be implemented before the plastering work begins , otherwise it is likely to be expensive and inconvenient - especially if they require any major changes with regard to work that has already been done. Something as simple as the taps and other bathroom fittings you choose can change all the requirements for the water pressure, which in turn can require different pipe diameters and so forth. So make sure to discuss this aspect as well, so that there is no confusion at a later date.
Essential Plumbing jobs
Plumbing as I already mentioned is one of the most essential part of building construction. These days plumbers are in great demand and you need to book one months in advance if you dont want your work to suffer while waiting for a busy already engaged plumber.
1, Most of the work depends on the fall of your land, with weatherproofing and other work be carried out according to need. When you come from an area where there is heavy rains for several months extra care should be taken to provide proper drainage of rain water that collects on the roof and the sun shades so that there is no leakage.
2, Flashing on roofs, patios etc. will also need to be properly installed in areas where there is heavy rainfall, so that the gutters do not overflow when there is torrential rain. This is especially important for concealed gutters.
3, A good plumber should know how to adapt to the different weather conditions, so it is better to engage a person who belongs to your area and knows all about the place. There have been cases when an architectural firm brought in experts from other cities and they were not able to do the job as efficiently due to lack of local knowledge. It is common sense that is required more than expertise while dealing with certain plumbing jobs.
4, It is also important to follow the local building regulations since it differs from city to city although the basic rules would be the same. If the local regulations do require a certain sort of guttering and your house is damaged because it doesn't have it, you might not be able to claim any insurance when there is need for it. All the more reason to have local plumbers who know all the basic rules to be followed.
5, Once every aspect of your plumbing job is in place, everything will need to be properly tested in the presence of your building architect, Electrician and yourself . This includes all water supply jobs within and outside the house, sewer, storm water drains ,and rainwater systems.
6, This testing carried out by the plumber is very essential before you proceed further since any fault can be rectified and the plumber held responsible before any final payment is made. Since the architect too is involved it is easier to sort out problems at this stage.
7, Once the final testing is complete and you are satisfied with the result , you should be presented with a Certificate of Compliance ticking off all relevant areas of responsibility. This is done by most plumbers/electricians these days and it is also wiser to get all details of your plumber so that you can get in touch with him if any problems occur in the future.
8,The pipes used for plumbing should be of the best quality if possible or at least the standard quality recommended by the plumber ,a it will be difficult to change them after construction or in future if there occurs any leaks or damage.
9,The cost of the pipes required for bathrooms and kitchen will be nearly 30% of the total plumbing cost which is a huge expenditure. And since the procedure is complicated it is better to go in for those with ISI marks which may increase the cost a little more .but are economical in the long run
10, Preserve all the documents pertaining to the construction of your home especially your warranty of correct and compliant installation given by the plumber , and is supported by the regulator and the plumber’s insurance, which is very much required for any later insurance claims. If you do not have the required receipts and guarantee card you may end up paying for everything twice.
11, You may spend some money getting all the required documents through authorities but it is money well spent, as it will helps you to save the money from unwanted expenditures and future maintenance expenditures and compare to this ,the fee will be very low.
12, It is a good idea to buy some extra length of drainage pipes and other pipes that are used in your building.I have had personal experience where we were unable to find the exact type of pipe for repair jobs since the older ones were simply not available having been discontinued. Plumbers tend to throw away all the extra pieces that are left over, whereas if we ask them to keep aside the left over materials they can be stored away for any future repairs or maintenance.
13, If you are renovating a bathroom and are planning on installing new wash basins and bath tubs, do not throw away the old ones.instead they can be used in the garden to either grow plants or for some other purpose. If you are unable to fit it in anywhere, it is better to sell it or give away to someone who can use it.
14, Often, the methods used for plumbing installation are as varied and unique as each home, office or building that requires plumbing repair and services. Plumbing design is not an exact science, although a basic training course is available , and plumbers almost always must make some rough estimates since there is no proper yardstick to base their estimates.
A few more relevant points that needs to be considered
When you make an estimate for plumbing, it is best to make a rough sketch of the rooms ( walls and the floors) and the plumbing work that needs to be done. Every room is bound to have some work either on the wall or on the floor. Sometimes we overlook some plumbing work and later it becomes a major operation to rectify and reinstate it.
Water taps and Showers are an important category in plumbing. The more number of bathrooms the more expensive plumbing job becomes since taps and other fittings are expensive. Water taps are mainly of two types – either made of engineering plastic and other of stainless steel.
The plastic taps will cost much less , but last for a shorter period of time since they can get damaged easily, whereas the stainless steel taps cost much more but are long lasting. It is always preferable to go for the stainless steel models since because of that and most of them are rust proof and there have been fewer complains with regard to maintenance.
When you have a garden or some washing facility outside your home and need to fit taps , you can use plastic models . Taps , both plastic and stainless steel are available in wide range of brands and styles and price ranges. Since they don't come with any kind of guarantee of replacement , except in some high priced ranges, care should be taken while installing them. I have seen expensive taps become unusable because the plumber turned them a bit too much or leaking because they were not checked while buying them.
At times while making plumbing installation, many difficulties can arise with fittings, which have different sizes, shapes and configurations of various components that are not standardized. For example – a commode can have many smaller fittings in the tank and at the base with newer companies bringing in their own special fittings, and a plumber should be able to figure this out.
Conclusions
Most Plumbers are self employed and work on a contract basis. General plumbers are called in when there is any problem with the water system within a building. To obtain plumbing jobs one should either train with an experience plumber or go through a certified diploma course. There are many colleges teaching both theory and practical training for those wanting to train for a plumbing job. But they also need to get trained under experienced builders before they are able to start taking up jobs independently, after getting the required licence.
Once established almost all plumbers have very successful career opportunities and with experience they are able to start their own private companies. So, as a job plumbing is a very satisfying and lucrative job especially if you are good with such jobs and have an inclination towards it.
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