The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-04
HOUSE DRAINAGE.
Suggestions as to the Kind of
Plumbing That should he Done.


Plumbing That should he Done.
Savannah. Ca, Aug 3-Edltor Morning
News: Having become very much interest
ed In DR.. J. c. LeHardys article on house
drainage In your Sundays issue 1 would
like TO add a few more suggestions to his
very interesting article. In all cities that
are under strict sanitary regulations, re-
garding plumbing and house drainage,
there is a plumbing inspector "a practical
plumbe). who thoroughly understands
plumbing whose duty 1t is to see that all
work is properly done For instance, in a
new building. after all draw pipes and
traps are put in, and before the floors are
laid, the drain pipes are plugged at the
bottom and filled with water to the top Of
the house. The plumbing inspector is noti-
fed. He comes, inspects the pipes to see
that they are prefectly tight, passes upon
the work and the floor is then laid. You
can see from this that II there is no leak
OF water In the drain pipes IL Is a matter
Of impossibiity for sewer gas to escape. A
great mistake one will notice Is allowing
tin rain water pipe to be connected with
T or fitting at the bath room floor,
You Will notice invariably the tin pipe
rots out just above the hitting, leaving
large holes in the pipe, there being no trap
between this fitting and the street or city
Ventilating the city sewers right under
your bath or bed room windows, there be-
ing draft always coming up this pipe.
1t has always been considered very es-
sential by the most expert plumbers that
rain water pipes be connected with the
house drain, not above. but below the
ground, and to the rear OF all the other
connections, so when II rains 1t acts as a
very good agent in flushing out the drain
pipes, kitchen and pantry sinks and accu-
mutations OF grease, etc. one most impor-
tant point in plumbing work is what is
known as back venting traps TO prevent
espionage. For instance. II you have a
bath tub and closet on the second floor
and Kitchen and pantry sink on the first
floor, when the closet Is flushed the column
of water passing down the soil pipe creates
vacuum which draws the water out OF
all the other traps, or enough OF It to break
the seal; the water seal being thus broken
II allows the sewer gas to pass right in
and through the house, whereas If these
traps are properly back vented, or, in
other words an air pipe run from the top
of these traps to the roof, espionage is
impossible.
Terra Gotta pipe should never be allowed
to be laid inside of building line, but the
pipe should be of cast iron, yarned and
caulking, lead caulked in the Joints. They
should be hled with water, and tested TO
see that there is no leakage, and not as
Is the present condition, laid OF terra cot
ia pipe with joints cemcnted together
When the sewer gets stopped up the press
ure of water breaks the Joints and instead
OF the water backing up and showing in
plumbing fixtures In the house, II runs out
of these broken joints. You very naturally
think that because the water disappears
out of your sinks, that II is going down
the city sewers, whereas you are emptying
1t under your floors and you don't know
anything about 1t until the stencil becomes
unbeatable, whereas the putting in of cast
iron would avoid all this trouble.
There should be a separate trap to each
house with ,fa
should be in the ground, and not less
than six inches in diameter in the out
side, with fresh air pipe run above the
surface. The soil pipe extending above
the roof and forming draught naturally
draws fresh air in through this pipe
and passes out of pipes above the roof
keeping all soil pipes inside of house per-
fectly free OF sewer gas
All closet drains should be not less than
four-inch pipe all bath tubs, kitchen and
pantry sinks and urinals not less than ~
inches inside diameter, of lead or two
inch cast iron pipe, connected each sep
arately into soil pipe and not brauched
together.
Lead pipe should be put together with
what is known as a wiped or overcast
joint, being the most substantial way
known at present, and in a workmanlike
manner.
All closet vents should be not less than
two-inch, bath tubs, sinks urinaIs, etc,
should not be less than 11b-inch pine. The
done in a workmanli0e manner. and so
decided by a competent man, is that IL
would stop inferior and incompetent men
from doing work they know nothing at all
about, and to the detriment of the pub
lie health. l am thoroughly satisfied that
defective plumbing is the cause of a great
deal OF sickness This opinion is based on
plumbing work that has come under my
personal observation of several years
In several of the larger cities under
strict plumbing regulations, II is consid-
cred a criminal offense to do defective
plumbing, thus endangering the health
of the residents, and probably causing
death, and Is punishable by fine or impris-
onment or both. BY having strict set
Of plumbing regulations drawn up gov
erning plumbing work for house drain
age, the owner would be compelled TO
put in first-class sanitary work. and not
inferior work as is sometimes done now.
to the peril of the health of his tenants
Atlanta and Macon have a plumber In
spector. and do plumbing under the strict
est sanitary regulations. Why not Savan-
nah?
l make these few little suggestions as a
way to better work and better health
having made an especial study of sani
tary plumbing work for a number of