Step 19 - Plumbing, Part 1

Steve Schwier, our plumber, did some work previously during the demolition phase and replacement of the gas line. He also ran a new sewer line across the front of the house. Now he is back to work on water lines.

The main task right now is to relocate the water heater to the garage. The slab in the garage is 5 days old and is hard enough to work on and to support the weight of the water heater. We needed to get the water heater out of its old location so that framing of the office and laundry room can commence.

The first task for Steve and his assistant Max was to extend a new cold water line to the garage. In the old days when this house was first built, water and sewer lines were put under the house, either in the slab or under it. But not anymore. Now the water lines are put overhead in the attic space, so they are less prone to corrosion and easier to get to if repairs or modifications are needed. At some point in time a previous owner of this house ran new hot water lines overhead in the attic, but they are a mess and will have to be replaced

So Steve and Max ran the cold water line over to the new garage wall and up into the joists, then over to the corner where the water heater will be placed. In doing that they needed to add a shutoff valve on the outside of the wall as required by code. The new water lines are all copper and secured with high quality brackets. These brackets are cushioned to help minimize noise transmission from the pipes.

Next, Steve and Max ran new hot water lines to the kitchen and bathrooms. Following that, they ran a new gas line from the meter over to the new water heater location. The gas line is iron rather than copper, and it is very easy to distinguish the two where they run side by side. The final task was to drain the water heater, move it to the garage and set it up. This included the required seismic tie-downs, a vent up through the roof and an emergency drain line out through the wall. Everything went well and they were able to finish in one day.

Several plumbing tasks remain to be done later. I am going to add insulation to the hot water pipes to help keep the water hot on its way to the kitchen and bathrooms. Steve and Max will be back later to clean up the mess of old hot water lines in the attic. Since the water heater is now further from the house, it may take the hot water a little longer to get to where it's needed. Steve is going to add a special pump and valves to the water heater to get the hot water to the house a little faster. When the laundry room is built Steve will hook up the water lines for it. Last but not least, the kitchen stove needs a new gas line. When Steve is done, the house will essentially have all new water, sewer and gas plumbing.