Building Utilities Module 6

Water storage

is a broad term referring to storage of both potable water for consumption, and nonpotable water for use in domestic, commercial, business, industrial, institutional and other related uses

Water Tank

is a container or a structure used for storing water for different applications such as drinking, cleaning, washing, food preparation, fire protection, industrial processing, agricultural use, etc.

Underground Water Tank/ Cistern

• is constructed or placed underneath the ground

• All necessary components are put into place prior to backfilling or final sealing of tank. Provisions of manholes for servicing, tank fill and suction lines are also provided.

• One advantage of using this kind of tank is that portion of the tank above ground can be used for other functional purpose.

• does not create visual ‘eyesore’ to the place.

• a common disadvantage is the need to provide pump to convey water from the tank to a level higher than the tank itself.

On-grade or On-ground Tank

• This type of tank is not that common since it takes up a considerable amount of space at ground level where most functional elements of a house or building are located.

• Also, the level of water inside will not provide enough ‘head’ to create pressure to convey water from the tank to the fixtures

Elevated Water Tank (EWT) or Overhead Water Tank (OWT)

• depending on the elevation, will provide water to fixtures by gravity, the higher the elevation of tank the bigger the ‘head’ and the higher the pressure.

• Pumps are usually used to fill tank from a lower elevation for storage and utilization.

• tank tower or platform must be constructed in order to increase the height or elevation of tank

Residential elevated water tanks

are generally made of galvanized steel, stainless steel, plastic or fiberglass material.

Commercial, institutional, industrial or subdivision tanks

are usually made of steel or reinforced concrete due to its size and capacity

weight of tank and mass of the water it will carry

When designing and constructing elevated water tank _________________ must be considered.

Concrete Tank

• is more durable than most tanks made of synthetic materials due to its direct exposure to earth which contains a number of mineral and organic elements.

• are generally constructed of reinforced concrete, usually cast-in-place

• It should be waterproofed in order to prevent water from leaking out of the tank and to prevent water or wastewater from the surrounding soil from seeping in..

• It must be watertight so that water on top of concrete tank will not leach into the tank.

Galvanized Steel or Stainless Steel Tank

• One of the most common type of tanks that is commercially available in different sizes and capacities in either vertical or horizontal position,

• yhicknesses ranging from 0.8 mm (ga 20) to 2 mm (ga 12) and 0.64 mm (ga 24) to 1.27 mm (ga 18)

• This type of tank is generally recommended for overhead water storage application or for on-grade installation but should be provided with base or support in order to provide stability and prevent deformation of wall due to weight of water inside the tank.

Galvanized steel tank

• is more susceptible to corrosion than stainless steel, hence the need for it to be coated with zinc to make it corrosion resistant.

• To eradicate the problem on zinc leaking into water, food grade polyethylene liner may be provided inside the tank so that water is not in direct contact with the layer of zinc.

Plastic Tank

• are generally made from polyethylene, high density polyethylene (HDPE), cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) or polypropylene (PP) plastic

• has the advantage of being lighter than steel tank, corrosion-resistant, strong and durable.

• manufactured from food-grade Bisphenol-A (BPA) -free polyethylene plastic is safe for storing drinking water

roto-moulding

Plastic Tanks are made through a process called ____________done with the application of heat and pressure.

Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Tank

• Also known as Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) tank

• is made of composite materials particularly of thin, flexible plastic sheets made of strong polyester resin reinforced with fiberglass.

• A typical —— storage tank has an inlet, outlet, vent, drain, overflow and access hatch.

Rectangular Tank

• usually constructed in this configuration due to its simplicity of design and is easy to construct especially for underground water storage

• This tank design is not recommended for applications that require special design considerations such as air or water pressure.

Spherical Tank

• is generally used in elevated or on-grade water storage applications

• It is pre-fabricated or factory-assembled which can be brought to location in two semispherical sections.

• come in different sizes and capacities and may be made of stainless steel, plastic or fiberglass reinforced plastic material but not reinforced concrete which is extremely difficult to construct.

Cylindrical (Horizontal or Vertical) Tank

• Commercially available in several sizes and capacities depending on water requirement

• have ribs around its body in order to resist surface stress

• Length to diameter ratio is taken into consideration especially in vertical tanks relative to its center of gravity.

Modular Tank

Modular Tank

• are prefabricated tank consisting of panels that are assembled on site with each module added to increase capacity

• This type of tank can hold large amount of water

• can be used to store water for domestic as well as fire protection application, compressed gas and other substances

Water Requirements in Buildings

can be calculated based on the average daily consumption of building users or occupants.

average daily consumption per person and the service population

Water requirement or water demand in buildings can be calculated using a simple method using two basic parameters which are:

Water Supply System

The water service pipe, water distribution valves, and the necessary connecting pipes, fittings, control valves, and all appurtenances in or adjacent to the structure or premises

Water Distribution Pipe

A pipe within the structure or premises which conveys water from the water service pipe or meter to the points of utilization.

Water Service Pipe

The pipe from the water main or other source of potable water supply to the water distribution system of the building being served.

Building Supply Pipe

The first section of water supply piping in a building after the water meter

Riser

A water supply pipe that extends one full story or more to convey water to branches or to a group of fixtures.

Upfeed or Direct (Pressure) System

Upfeed Supply and Gravity Distribution System

Hydro-pneumatic System or Pressure Tank System

brass, copper, centrifugal cast iron (CCI), ductile cast iron (DCI), galvanized wrought iron, galvanized steel or other approved PE (polyurethane) and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) water pressure pipe

Water pressure pipes shall be of _________ manufactured in accordance with acceptable standards may be used for hot and cold-water distribution in a building.

Cast iron fittings; 51 mm

______ up to and including __ mm diameter in size, when used in connection with potable water piping, shall be galvanized

galvanized

All small-sized malleable iron water fittings shall be _________.

shall not be used.

Piping and tubing, which were previously used for any purpose other than water supply, ________

metal water service piping

Approved plastic materials may be used in water service piping, provided that where _________ is used for electrical grounding purpose and replacement piping therefore shall be of like materials.

8%

Water pipes and fittings with a lead content that exceeds —- shall be prohibited and not used in potable piping systems.

Green

Pipeline Color Coding: Water

Silver-gray

Pipeline Color Coding: Steam

Brown

Pipeline Color Coding: Oil-mineral vegetable or animal, flammable or combustible

Yellow Ochre

Pipeline Color Coding: Gases in either gaseous or liquefied form, vapors, and pneumatically-conveyed fumes and materials

Violet

Pipeline Color Coding: Acids and Alkalis

Light Blue

Pipeline Color Coding: Air

Black

Pipeline Color Coding: Other fluids including drainage pipes (unless the drain is to a particular service)

Safety red

Pipeline Color Coding: Firefighting materials including detection and suppression systems

Safety Yellow

Pipeline Color Coding: Hazardous services (generally with other identification of contents)

Light Orange

Pipeline Color Coding: Electricity

White

Pipeline Color Coding: Communications

domestic hot water system

provides the essential requirements of a domestic building for bathing, dishwashing, clothes washing and other related uses

Local Hot water System

• the use of hot water is limited mostly to bathing since the cost of heating water is unreasonably high using electricity

• Instantaneous type is mostly used: single point and multi-point.

• Bigger hot water demand: storage type is recommended

High temperature water advantages and disadvantages

1. It can be achieved at the point of use (POU) with water heating element built into the unit, e.g. water heater (single point or multi-point type) for showers, lavatories or dishwashers; heating unit or equipment is smaller than having a storage type water heating equipment.

2. It causes scale formation on heating coils and within piping (temperature above 600 C or 1400 F) in areas of having hard water.

3. It will limit the growth of microorganisms such as Legionella Pneumophila bacteria;

4. Have some code restrictions regarding the use of hot water, hence, the need to regulate water temperature. (Standards: Underwriters Laboratories, (UL), American National Standards Institute (ANSI))

5. Requires a technical expertise on the part of the installer or contractor

Lower temperatures water advantages and disadvantages as well

1. The possibility of accidental scalding especially when bathing, washing or dishwashing is nil;

2. Less energy is used to heat up water, store water and the loss attributed to piping insulation;

3. User may have the option to use a smaller heating unit (tankless type, single point or multi-point type) or a larger (storage type) water heating unit.

4. Less complex system of plumbing installation is required in cold water system than in hot water system

Gas Type Storage or Tank Type Water Heater

Electric Type Water Heater

Single point Type Water Heater (Tank-less or Instantaneous (On-demand) Type)

Multi-point Type Water Heater (Tank-less or Instantaneous (On-demand) Type)

Solar Water Heater (Tank-less or Instantaneous (On-demand) Type)

valve

is a device or fitting installed by plumbers in a plumbing system to control the flow of fluid within that system

Gate Valve

• Valves that control the flow of liquid moving through the disc by means of a gate-like wedge disc which fits against a smooth machined surface (called a seat) within the valve body

• Also referred to as a Fullway Valve.

• may be a Wedge-shaped/Tapered Disk Valve Type or a Double Disk Valve Type

a. Rising Stem – Outside Screw and Yoke (OS&Y)

Non-Rising Stem – Inside Screw

Globe Valve

• A compression-type valve in which the flow of water is controlled by means of a circular disc that is forced (compressed) onto or withdrawn from an annular ring (known as the valve seat) which surrounds the opening through which water flows.

Plug Type Globe Valve

Conventional Type Globe Valve

Composition Type Globe Valve

Check Valve

• A valve that permits the flow of water within the pipe in only one direction and closes automatically to prevent backflow (flow in a reverse direction)

Horizontal Check Valve

Vertical Check Valve

Swing Check Valve

Lift Check Valve

Ball Check Valve

Ball Valve

• A valve in which the flow of fluid is controlled by a rotating drilled ball that fits tightly against a resilient (flexible) seat in the valve body.

• e is basically a core cock with a spherical seat.

Angle Valve

A globe valve in which the inlet and outlet openings are perpendicular to each other at 90°; used in individual plumbing fixture control such as lavatories and water closets.

Butterfly Valve

A valve within a rotating disk (the butterfly) that fits inside the valve body. The rotation of the disk is by means of a shaft from the disk connected to the handle.

Backwater Valve

A type of check valve installed to prevent backflow of sewage from flooding the basement or lower floors of a building

Swing Backwater Valve

Ball-Type Backwater Valve

Pressure-Reducing/Regulating Valve

An automatic device used to convert high, fluctuating inlet water pressure to a lower constant pressure

Relief Valve

A safety device that automatically provides protection against excessive temperatures, excessive pressures, or both. This is installed in water heating equipment to prevent the danger of overheating and explosion

Stop and Waste Valve

A type of compression stop valve with a side port into the valve body. This is used to control the flow of water to fixtures, such as sillcocks, that are subject to freezing.

Sillcocks angle compression stop valve

• is installed on the outside of a building so that a garden hose may be attached.

• has a mounting flange

boiler drain angle compression stop valve

• is a valve that is installed on a tank (such as a water heater) for draining and/or flushing.

• has screw threads for direct mounting onto a tank

Sillcocks and Boiler Drains

Foot valve

A valve that is installed at the base or foot of the suction line of a pump in a water cistern or reservoir.

Float Valve

A valve used to control the water level in a tank or other container. It is operated by a float, the opening and closing of which is dependent on the rise and fall of the float ball

Flush Valve or Flush-o-meter Valve

A valve used for flushing a fixture by using water directly from the water supply pipes or in connection with a special flush tank.

Mixing Valve

A valve that mixes liquid, by either automatic or manual regulation.

Hydrant Valve

A valve in a hydrant used for drawing water directly from the main; primarily used in connection with fire protection or suppression systems

corporation cock

is installed at the connection of water service to the water main

curb cock

is located near the curb line of the building property to provide a means of controlling the water service to the building.

fullway valve

is installed before the water meter.

pressure-reducing valve

would be installed between the water meter valves.

A fullway valve

is installed on the cold water supply to all hot water heating equipment

relief valve

is installed on all hot water heating equipment.

sill cock

should be provided with a control valve located inside the building.

individual control valve.

All water closets must have an

shutoff valves

In apartment buildings, each family dwelling unit must be equipped with ——- controlling hot and cold water supply to that unit, or the plumbing fixtures and appliances in that unit.

Water Meter

A device used to measure the volume of water that passes through the water service.

Disk-Type Water Meter

Used for measuring the flow of water through small water services; also called displacement meters.

Turbine Meter

Used in buildings where water is used in large, constant volumes

Compound Meter

A meter that unites a disk and turbine meter in one body.