Piping and Fitting General Requirements

A typical building water-service line is shown in figure 7-3. This line is composed of a corporation stop, a flexible connector, a curb stop, a stop and waste valve, and a meter stop or gate valve.

Figure 7-5.-Flexible gooseneck connector.

The corporation stop is installed at the location (fig. 7-4) on the water main where a tap is made. Its function is to make the removal of the taping machine and the installation of the remaining fittings easier by securing the water flow from the tap. A corporation stop may not be needed if you are installing building service lines from a newly installed, unpressurized water main.

When you install the line between the corporation stop and the curb stop, use some type of flexible connection for joining the pipe to the corporation stop. This flexible connection protects the corporation stop from strain or damage that can result from any movement of the water main or service pipe because of settling, earth movement, or expansion and contraction.

Several types of flexible connectors are used. The type you choose will depend on the type of material used for the supply line. A gooseneck (fig. 7-5) is used when galvanized iron or steel pipe is used as the supply line. It consists of a length of copper pipe with fittings wiped or soldered on each end. Another flexible connector is the swing joint type commonly used with galvanized iron or steel service lines. (See fig. 7-6.) This connection consists of two elbows separated by a short section of pipe or a nipple. Next is the expansion loop (fig. 7-7) used when copper tubing is used as the service line.

A curb stop must be provided in every service line to conform to the National Standard Plumbing Code, paragraph 10.12.1. (See fig. 7-8.) The curb stop provides an accessible shutoff of the water supply to the building.

Next, a stop and waste valve (fig. 7-9) will be installed to conform to the National Standard Plumbing Code, paragraph 10.12.2. This valve

Figure 7-6.-Typical swing joint.

Figure 7-7.-Expansion loop.

is used to drain the building water system. It must be installed at a point where drainage by gravity can be achieved. When the valve is turned off, drainage will occur through a drilled passage in the valve body.

Finally, a meter stop is installed when a water meter is to be included in the service line (fig. 7-10). It is installed on the pressure side of the meter and can be used for convenient securing of the water supply to the building. Where no meter is used, a simple gate valve may be provided for convenient use when repairing or maintaining the building water lines.

Each fixture to be installed requires a fixture stop valve and a certain size branch and riser piping. Branch lines are calculated in the same fashion as service supply lines. Risers for each

Figure 7-8.-Curb stop.

Figure 7-9.-Stop and waste valve.

individual fixture are sized according to table 7-12 for both cold- and hot-water risers. A typical layout for branch lines and fixture risers is shown in figure 7-11.

For more complete information, refer to the latest edition of the National Standard Plumbing Code. The code will guide you in determining all required installation considerations of facility water supply system needs.

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