Water Service





  1. Gas Piping                    Gas piping sizing Table      Gas Sizing Worksheet
    1. Metal gas pipes buried in ground shall have minimum 12" cover and be factory wrapped. UPC 1211.5.

    2. Plastic gas pipes shall have min. 18" cover and shall also have #18 AWG tracer attached. UPC 1211.16

    3. Gas pipes shall not be directly embedded in concrete or underslabs. UPC 1211.3.

      Exception: When necessary due to structural conditions and with prior Administrative Authority concurrence, approved type gas piping may be installed under slabs (i.e. gas pipe in special sleeves (conduits) or accessible trenches (channels). See sketch for options.

    4. Gas ferrous metals pipes shall be factory wrapped. 609.3.1.

    5. Gas Testing: 10 psi. (6" of mercury) for 15 minutes. UPC 1204.3.2.

    6. Gas piping material: Wrought iron, steel (galvanized or black) or yellow brass. UPC 1210.1.

    7. Gas piping shall be polyethylene pipe only for exterior-bury conditions. UPC 1210.1.

    8. Buried galvanized pipe shall have factory-wrap. UPC 1211.3.

    9. Exposed gas piping shall be installed 6" above ground. UPC 1211.3.

    10. Gas Connections: Shutoff valves shall be less than 3 ft. from the appliance on supply side of union. UPC 1211.15. Gas Appliance Shut-Off

    11. Gas Piping Sizing Work Sheet per UPC, Table 12-3 & section 1217. Go!
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    Drains                                                 [Drains & Vents Sizing Table]

    1. Materials:

    1. Drainage piping shall be cast iron, galvanized steel, galvanized wrought iron, lead, copper, brass, Schedule 40 ABS DWV, Schedule 40 PVC, DWV, extra strength vitrified clay pipe, or other approved materials having a smooth and uniform bore. UPC 701.1.

    2. Slope of Drains: Slope of Drains

    3. Pipes location with respect to footings. Pipes Location with respect to Footings

    4. No galvanized wrought iron or galvanized steel pipe to be used underground and shall be kept at least 6" above ground. UPC 701.1.1.

    5. ABS and PVC DWV piping installations shall be limited to structures not exceeding three floors above grade. UPC 701.1.2.
      In California: DWV piping using ABS or PVC is limited to Two stories in residential construction. State Plumbing Code, section 701.1.2.

    6. Copper tube for underground drainage and vent piping shall have a weight of not less than that of copper drainage tube type DWV. UPC 701.1.4. This means copper tubing types K, L & M are acceptable.

    7. Copper Tubing Types Comparison Table: Click here!

    8. Copper tube for above ground drainage and vent piping shall have a weight of not less than that of copper drainage tube type DWV. UPC 701.1.5.

    9. Drainage fittings shall be of cast iron, malleable iron, lead, brass, clay, or other copper, ABS, PVC, vitrified approved materials having a interior waterway smooth of the same diameter as the piping served and all such fittings shall be compatible with the type of pipe used. UPC 701.2.

    10. Example clickable DWV sketch!

    1. Traps: Designed to provide a liquid seal which will prevent back passage of sewer gas.

    2. Traps and arms shall be of the same size. UPC 1003.3.

    3. Traps Max. Fixture Unit Loading: Traps F.U. loading Capacity

    4. Drain Pipes Sizing Table based on F.U. served: UPC, Table 7-5

    5. Fixtures Unit (F.U.), Traps & Trap Arms: UPC, Table 7-3

    6. Drainage & Venting Systems shall be tested with a 10-ft. head of water.

    7. Floor drains subject to infrequent use require automatic trap primer devices that are accessible for maintenance. UPC 1007.0.

    8. Indirect Waste Piping: Indirect Waste Piping

    9. Island Sink Special Venting, UPC 909.0: Island Sink Special Venting Diagram

    10. No fitting, fixture & piping connection , device or method of installation which obstructs or retards the normal flow of water, waste, sewage or air in a drainage or venting system, shall be used.

    11. Pipe trenches installation guidelines: Pipes thru/adjacent to footings






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    Cleanouts Cleanouts Schematics

    1. Location: Shall be accessible. UPC 707.9.

    2. Required at upper terminal of horizontal runs. UPC 707.4.

    3. Required at each 100 ft. of run. UPC 707.

    4. Required for each 135° of direction change. UPC 707.6.

    5. Cleanout required at junction between building drain and building sewer.

    6. Cleanouts are not required on horizontal piping above the first floor.

    7. Underfloor piping should extend above floor or outside building when access is less than 18" vertical or 30" horizontal. UPC 707.10.

    8. Cleanouts Sizing: Go!




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    Vents

    1. General: Vent Pipes protect plumbing fixture traps against siphonage and back-pressure. UPC, 901.0.

    2. Materials, UPC 903.0:
    1. Cast iron, galvanized steel, galvanized wrought iron, lead, copper brass, Schedule 40 ABS DWV, Schedule 40 PVC DWV or other approved material.
    2. ABS & PVC DWV piping limited to 3 stories.
      In California: DWV piping using ABS or PVC is limited to Two stories in residential construction. State Plumbing Code, section 701.1.2.

    1. Vents Termination, UPC 906: Vents Termination
      1. Through vent flashing & min. 6" above the roof.
      2. From any Vertical Surface: 12" min.
      3. From windows, doors, building openings & air intake or vent shafts: 10 ft.
      4. From Property Lines, except alleys & streets: 3 ft.
      5. For Type "B" and "L" vents termination: Type "B" & "L" Vents Termination

    1. Vent Pipes sizing depends on its length and F.U. connected thereto, UPC 904.0. UPC, Table 7-5

    2. The total vent(s) area is required to be equal or more than the area of the main building drain line.

      Go to circle area & circumference table.

    3. Example showing Vents Sizing- Go!

    4. Vents shall rise a min. 6" above the Flood Level Rim of the plumbing fixture. Vents to Rise min. 6" above fixture Flood Level Rim

    5. Vent opening shall not be below the trap weir of the plumbing fixture.

    6. Traps serving sinks which are a part of the equipment of bars, soda fountains and counters need not be vented. UPC 902.2.


















    Wet Vents Wet Vents Sketch, Vertical Wet Vents Sketch

    1. Limited to trap arm of one and two unit fixtures. UPC 908.1.

    2. Min. 2" and one pipe size larger than the required waste. UPC 908.2. Vertical Wet Vents Sketch

    3. All wet-vented fixtures shall be on the same floor, and fixtures with continuous vents discharging into wet vents shall be on the same floor level as the wet vented fixtures. UPC 908.1.

    4. Wet vents shall not serve more than four fixtures. UPC 908.1.

    5. See sketch!

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    Exhaust Fans

    1. Backdraft damper required at all exhaust fans. UMC 504.1.

    2. Keep fans min. 3 ft. from building openings and property lines. UMC 504.4.






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