WEEK #10 Plumbing Systems

 Weekly Summary:


In this week's readings and in depth learning we explored the vast intricacies of different plumbing systems and how they are incorporated in structures. We also took a look at different sustainability practices related to the use and reuse of water and plumbing systems in today's ever  advancing societies.  



When beginning our understanding of plumbing systems within our current buildings and their functioning components, it is important to start from the basics of the principles behind plumbing. Plumbing is all about getting clean, usable water into the building and unsanitary, waste water out of the building. The way this is done is by the use of pressure building up through the pipes forcing water to be radially available when it is switched on. The most commonly used ways for building up water pressure is through the use of water towers that use the weight of gravity from being so high up in the tower to come down into the pipes and force water upward. Other available water sources include natural wells that buildings connect to to obtain a continuing source of water, and the collection of rain water also acts as a viable source. 

When it comes to displacing water waste, buildings usually use a series of piping build at a downward slope to allows for gravity to naturally extrude the vile remanence of used water waste. These piping systems usually hook up directly with the city sewer line system, so to keep the order of the sewer out of the facilities and buildings, all plumbing waste systems have something called a P-Trap. A P-Trap is a winding toob, usually made from PVC, that twists in such a way that a collection of water is always sitting at the base of the pipe, clogging the airway so that no foul odors come through. In the concept of water waste there are two categories. The first is black water which is water containing extremities, and grey water which is water waste from appliance uses and sink faucets. These types of water wastes usually find themselves winding up in the sewer or instilled septic tank of the building. 


SUSTAINABUILITY IN WATER 



In the area of sustainability in regards to water waste, there are many options for recycling water such as using grey water from appliances and faucets to be ran through the water lines of toilets and urinals to use instead of fresh drinking water. Other sustainable practice's are the use of water run off, or rain water for purification for drinking water, or for the use of waste management. 


ACCESABLE BATHROOM DESIGN 



When considering accessible bathroom design it is important to understand that to make a bathroom usable for all kinds of occupants, spacing and safety preclusions must be considered.  For instance, the widths of the openings of each shower, and the spacing of the sink faucet, shower, and toilet are all far enough apart for someone in a wheelchair to navigate through. Along with that, safety measures are put in place by the use of hand railings along side the toilet, in the showers, as well as the availability for seating in the shower to help prevent falls, fatigue for mobility impaired, and support for those wheelchair bound. 

Comments

  1. Delia T.October 28, 2023 at 9:17 AM

    Jay,

    Good job! I liked your approach to this blog -- you focused primarily on the function of the plumbing system and then some sustainability features which the rest of us didn't really touch on as much. The pictures/ diagrams that you added were helpful as well. Your ADA bathroom design examples were good, and the paragraph talking about them was helpful and well-done; I liked that you mentioned very specific design features and their purposes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Izabella CleavelandOctober 28, 2023 at 9:49 AM

    Jay,

    I really liked your explanations on the importance of plumbing in a home. I really liked the picture diagram you used to show the plumbing fixture and pipe to a faucet. I really liked the modern bathroom images you used to show ADA accessibility. These images all have a very open concept, especially the showers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Professor VanderNoordaaOctober 28, 2023 at 10:18 AM

    Jay,
    This was a great Blog entry. Your description and images that take us through the plumbing process were detailed and interesting. You also covered the two types waste water - black and gray water. You then covered all sustainability issues related to plumbing.
    I really appreciated your detailed example of accessible bathroom design. You covered all features that must be considered when designing a proper accessible bathroom.
    Well Done 50/50 points

    ReplyDelete
  4. Eva SerratoOctober 28, 2023 at 10:47 AM

    Jay,
    You gave a clear understanding on how plumbing systems work and the pictures you gave made it really easy to understand these processes as well. I also liked the pictures you used for your accessibility study because you can tell that these bathrooms were created with a lot of space to make sure people in wheelchairs can get in and out.

    ReplyDelete

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