Plumbing Riser vs Stack - They're the Same Thing A plumbing riser is a vertical pipe. You can compare it to a smoke stack which is usually a huge round tube made from steel or masonry. Plumbing risers can carry wastewater or air. Air is transported through a riser down from the roof. Where Can Read More »
What is a Riser in Plumbing - It's a Vertical Pipe A riser is a vertical pipe in a plumbing installation. Plumbers also call them stacks. Think about a smoke stack and how it's a vertical tube. Do You Need a Riser Diagram? You may want to know about a riser in plumbing because you Read More »
Plumbing Plans for Permit - I Can Draw Them for You Just about every city and town I know of requires plumbing plans for a permit. The only two that come to mind that do not are Bar Harbor, Maine, and Thornton, New Hampshire. The plumbing plans are often called riser diagrams or isometric drawings. Read More »
A Riser Diagram for Plumbing, Water or Gas Lines A riser diagram is a handy tool that allows you to see what size pipes you must install for a drain, waste, and vent (DWV) system in commercial or residential plumbing. I've been a master plumber since 1981 and have drawn hundreds and hundreds of riser Read More »
Fixture Unit Calculations - They Must Be Correct! Your building department may require you to provide fixture unit calculations to obtain a plumbing permit. These are very important as the calculations show to the department that the drain pipes you plan to use are sized properly. Because of the physical laws on Earth and how Read More »
Plumbing Fixture Schedule - Seems Easy But It's Not Some government entities require you to supply a plumbing fixture schedule to obtain a plumbing permit. These tables identify all the plumbing fixtures in a job. That's the easy part. You also need to list the drain fixture units and the water-supply fixture units. That's the Read More »
Plumbing Riser Diagrams and How Pipes Work Author's Note: I've been a master plumber since 1989. I'd love to draw your plumbing riser diagram or isometric drawing. GO HERE to order one. You may wonder how I got my start as a builder. The hook was set in Boy Scouts when I obtained my home Read More »
How to Prevent Contractor Mistakes - Phone Call Help and Due Diligence I feel it’s my job to save you as much money and time as possible on every project you plan to do at your home. While it’s a noble quest, I’m thwarted each day by two or three things. First and foremost, if Read More »
Low Water Pressure in House - How to Fix it For $5 or Less Christine lives in Sylvania, Ohio. She reads this weekly column and shared the following, “In the newspaper today you said you’re addressing topics that can save homeowners money. In my community many have water pressure issues, myself included.” She then gave Read More »
Sewage Ejection Pump - It's a Septic Tank Inside Your Home A sewage ejection pump is normally found in a sealed sump pit inside your home. Solid and liquid human body waste flow into the sump. They're disgusting. The sewage must be pumped up to some pipe where it then flows by gravity to an Read More »