Plumbing in an apartment is a system without which it is impossible to imagine modern life. Sooner or later, people are faced with the need to replace this design for one reason or another, and the question arises before the owners: how to make water in the apartment and is it possible to replace it with your own hands? Of course, you can hire a specialist who will carry out a high-quality installation of plumbing communication, however, professional services are not cheap. Today, the market offers a lot of materials and tools that will help to produce this event yourself.
Plumbing in the apartment is a necessary system, and you can do it yourself
Content
Reasons for replacing the water supply
Replacing the water supply in a house or apartment is a crucial step. It is carried out for various reasons. Consider the main ones:
Clogging. Old communications, as a rule, include steel pipes, the walls of which are not smooth and are prone to accumulation of salt deposits, scale, sand, etc. As a result, impassable plugs form in the pipes, which reduce the throughput of the system or completely clog pipe clearance.
Note! This problem can be solved for a while by cleaning the pipes with a steel cable, however, you can permanently get rid of blockages only by completely replacing the water supply.
Leaks. Suture type tubes are especially prone to this problem. A leak in the system can be eliminated by calling the welder, but, as in the previous case, this will solve the problem only for a while, until a leak appears in another place.
Unaesthetic. Old steel water pipes have a rather unpleasant appearance: traces of rust, peeling paint, etc. Modern metal-plastic and plastic constructions are much more presentable and can fit into the interior of the premises without spoiling it.
Old pipes are dismantled not only because they cease to fulfill their functions, but also because of the unattractive appearance
Work sequence
Replacing the old system with a new one takes place in a number of steps. The consistent execution of work allows you to clearly organize the replacement process and complete it faster.
The procedure for replacing the water supply system includes the following items:
- Selection of pipes by material.
- Calculation of the diameter of the pipes.
- The choice of wiring options.
- Definition of pipe layout.
- The development of the scheme.
- Preparing tools for pipe replacement.
- Acquisition of materials for installation work.
- Assembly of selected accounting nodes, their installation on risers and registration.
- Dismantling the old structure.
- Installation of HMS and, in some cases, aquastop.
- Installing the bulb filter.
- Installation of pipes (hot and cold water supply).
- Connecting plumbing fixtures.
- Test run of water (if necessary, troubleshooting).
- Installation of a boiler.
What material to choose pipes from?
There are many options. pipes for water communicationsvarying in the material from which they are made. Pipes can be metal, metal-plastic and plastic.Each species has its own advantages and disadvantages.
For water supply, you can choose pipes made of metal - copper or steel
Galvanized steel. This material is very durable. The operational life of such products reaches 25 years. The protective layer, which is represented by zinc, makes these pipes resistant to the harmful effects of corrosion. However, due to mechanical influences, the integrity of the layer may be violated and then areas without it are subject to rust. In addition, the transportation and installation of pipes are considered laborious due to the weight of the products.
Stainless steel. Strong and durable material. The service life under normal conditions can reach up to 50 years. Stainless steel parts are resistant to corrosion and mechanical stress. The main disadvantage of such products is their high cost.
Copper. Copper pipes are quite durable and resistant to corrosion. Copper is an expensive material and, in addition, requires the use of the same fittings, which are also not cheap. The combination of copper pipes with fittings from other materials is strictly prohibited - this will lead to oxidation of the alloy. The service life of copper parts can reach up to 70 years. It is also worth noting the appearance of such a design. Such pipes not only fit into the interior, but can also become its decoration.
Metalloplastik. Metal-plastic parts are notable for their low cost and excellent resistance to corrosion. In addition, they do not accumulate salt and debris on the inner walls. Transportation and installation of pipes is quite simple due to their light weight. The operational life of such products is approximately 30 years. The main disadvantage of metal-plastic parts is low thermal stability (the temperature of the medium in the system should not exceed 95 ° C).
Polyethylene (PE). Products from this material are easy to install, quite durable. It is important to remember that the use of such pipes in a hot water supply system is undesirable, since polyethylene has low thermal stability. Such pipes are ideal for cold water supply systems, which is why sewage is so often done from them. The operational life of PE pipes is 30 years.
Plastic pipes - economical and practical option for the plumbing
Note! There are pipes that are made from cross-linked polyethylene. A design made of such material can also be used for hot water pipes, however, the price of such pipes is higher.
Polypropylene (PP). Strong and durable material that can last 50 years. Polypropylene parts are not susceptible to corrosion, have smooth inner walls, which affects good flow rates and prevents the formation of salt deposits. Installation of such pipes is carried out using a welding machine. In hot water systems it is customary to install reinforced PP pipes.
Pipe diameter calculation
Experts recommend calculating the cross-section of pipes before purchasing them. This will avoid problems with the throughput of the structure. The main provisions that must be considered when calculating pipes:
- For the extreme point, the pressure head should be a factor of two.
- Turbulization can occur in pipes with a cross section of 12 mm. As a rule, this occurs at the entrance to the riser, where the normal pressure value is 1.5–4.5 atmospheres. In pipes with a diameter of 16 mm, under the same conditions, turbulization does not occur.
- The loss of pressure per unit of fittings and pipe fittings is approximately 0.15 atmospheres.
- Pipes made of polypropylene with a cross section of 16 mm have a loss of 0.05 atmospheres per 1 meter of construction.
- The minimum permitted pressure during operation is 0.3 atmospheres.
A very important indicator is what the inlet pressure will be.Depending on the features, the inlet has its own pressure indicator. This parameter determines whether there is enough pressure for distant devices in the design. If desired, you can find out the total pressure in the riser, which determines the pressure gauge located in the basement of the building. This figure must be divided by the number of floors and get an approximate indicator of the inlet pressure for one apartment.
The choice of pipes depends on the pressure in the water supply system of the building, its indicators must be clarified
In addition, there is a value that determines the nonlinear dependence of pressure losses inside the water supply. The main factor that determines this indicator is the velocity of the medium through the pipes. It depends on the diameter of the pipes and even with a small increase in diameter, the loss value is greatly reduced.
Helpful information! In difficult situations, it is recommended to determine the wiring of pipes, guided by building codes and rules (SNiP). In addition, you can always invite a specialist who will carry out all the necessary calculations and establish the best option for pipe diameters for a particular case.
The most popular wiring, which takes into account the loss indicators and reduces them to the maximum, is wiring a pipe with a cross section of 20 mm, which has bends to pipes of 16 mm.
Water distribution
Do-it-yourself water piping in apartments has these options for implementation:
- open;
- closed.
An open method involves installing pipes on the walls, and closed - in the walls. As a rule, the question of choosing the right wiring is raised if the usable area of the room is very small and an open installation of the structure will only reduce the already cramped room. If the area of the room is quite large, then you can use any wiring. Consider the main pros and cons of each method.
Pros of hidden wiring:
- aesthetics of the room (water supply does not spoil the interior);
- visual and physical increase in space;
- in case of fire, the communication will not melt.
Cons of hidden wiring:
- limited selection of materials (not all products are suitable for laying in walls);
- more complicated installation and long preparation with the organization of the strob in the walls;
- difficulties in detecting leaks during the operation of such wiring;
- the complexity of preventive examinations of covert communication.
Pipes laid in a hidden way will not spoil the interior of the room, but their maintenance will be difficult
Advantages of the open method:
- this option is suitable for products from any material;
- installation of the structure is much simpler than in a closed way;
- prevention and dismantling of the structure does not cause difficulties;
- leak detection is not difficult;
- if necessary, you can add additional devices to the system.
Cons of open wiring:
- open construction takes place;
- in some cases, the pipeline may spoil the design of the room;
- in case of fire, the pipes are likely to melt and become unusable.
Wiring diagram
A circuit can be of two types:
- sequential (tee);
- collector.
The tee pattern is the most common and is carried out by connecting to a common water pipe tee. This design is reliable and easy to install. If an emergency occurs at any point, as a rule, it is necessary to shut off the water in the entire apartment. However, this problem can be solved by installing valves on each plumbing fixture. The main disadvantage is that with the simultaneous operation of several cranes, the pressure in the system mounted according to the tee scheme drops.
In the collector system, pressure drops do not occur, which is a big plus of this circuit
The collector wiring of water supply pipes in the apartment involves the parallel connection of water intake elements to a common water supply (collector). Each intake point is equipped with a valve and has the ability to control the pressure in the system. Due to the parallel connection in the system, there will be no pressure drops and a decrease in water pressure when opening several taps. Installation of such a design is much more complicated, however, the result is worth it.
Important! Regardless of the water supply scheme in the apartment, a wiring is carried out with one's own hands, which has one important rule: connections and bends in the system should be minimized. In addition, hot and cold pipes should not intersect.
Consider what the wiring diagram includes:
- The parameters of the room.
- Predefined pipeline diameter.
- Parameters of plumbing fixtures and their location.
- Points at which filters and counters will be located.
- Bends, turns and joints of the pipeline.
- The total number of fittings.
Tools necessary for installing plastic water pipes
If you asked yourself how to make a plastic water pipe in an apartment with your own hands, then for a start you will have to choose the tools necessary for installation.
Installation of plastic pipes often requires the use of a special tool - a soldering iron
In order to install plastic plumbing, the following tools and equipment will be required:
- a special soldering iron, through which the individual elements of the pipeline (pipes, fittings) will be docked;
- scissors for pipes. It is better to cut pipes with special scissors, because a large number of burrs remain from the usual hacksaw;
- drill for drilling holes for special clips;
- grinder (for dismantling the old communication);
- fitting.
If the design is closed, a special shtorez will be needed to make channels in the wall.
How to make plumbing in an apartment with your own hands?
Installation of a water supply system in an apartment includes the following steps:
- First, you should warn the neighbors and cut off the water supply in the system.
- With the help of a grinder, the old riser is dismantled and a shut-off valve is installed on it. After that, you can turn on the water to the neighbors and proceed with the installation of the water supply.
- To improve the quality characteristics of water, it is recommended to install a special filter.
- Next, a water meter is mounted. This must be done very carefully so as not to break the manufacturer’s seal. If this happens, the counter will be considered invalid.
- Then the work is done on the installation of the manifold and ball valves at the exits.
- At the end, plumbing fixtures are connected and the functioning of the system is checked.
Installing a plumbing system in an apartment is not so difficult, but you need to adhere to certain rules. The easiest to install are polymer pipes, but for working with metal it is better to call a specialist.
