Code Classroom


Ron George, CPD President, Ron George Design & Consulting Services


I


There were “code red” warnings when computers and electronics worked against their users. Today, computers crash or get viruses and work against us on a regular basis. People often talked to one another on a television phone or a holographic phone. Now we have video phones and video software and are able to make video calls on our computers. When the show first aired, pro- peller airplanes were still the norm, and the top air speed was about 240 miles per hour. Cars in the show flew at 500 mph. Now, traveling on a plane at a cruising speed of 600 mph is normal. The future has arrived in the plumbing industry also. I remember when there were codes that typically required drainpipes inside a building to be made of cast iron hub and spigot pipe with poured lead and oakum joints or gal- vanized pipe with threaded Durham fitting joints or cop- per drainage, waste and vent (DWV) piping. Over the years, the codes have allowed other materials such as PVC, ABS and stainless steel for sanitary drainage, waste and vent materials. I also remember when plastic piping was not allowed in buildings more than three stories in height because of concerns about its contributing to the vertical spreading of fire. New advances in firestopping technology have eliminated those concerns. I also remember resistance to new technologies such as


hubless pipe couplings and alternative venting methods such as combined waste and vent systems, wet venting and air admittance valves. Most of these products or installation techniques are now allowed by the model codes.


There are a few other things I have seen in the industry


that must be addressed by the plumbing codes in the future. Following are some new or future plumbing tech- nologies that are on the horizon.


Chemical waste air admittance valves Manufacturers have recently come out with a chemical


waste air admittance valve made of chemical resistant polypropylene plastic. This is the same polypropylene material that has been used for plastic chemical waste sys- tems for years. This new venting method should allow a significant reduction in venting costs for island-vented teaching labs where island-venting methods require exten- sive venting and floor penetrations.


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What’s in the future for plumbing codes? Trap seal protection devices Other new products on the horizon include trap seal protection devices that meet the requirements of the American Society of Sanitary Engineering’s, ASSE 1072 standard Performance Requirements for Barrier Type Floor Drain Trap Seal Protection Devices. These devices are intended to be installed in a floor drain body, and they provide a mechanical/elastomeric seal to prevent the escape of sewer gases if the trap evaporates. Caution should be used in areas where flooding can occur, where equipment drains are installed or in locations where sys- tems automatically backwash. There is a significant flow restriction with these products. They prevent the escape of sewer gas when installed properly, but they do not prevent the evaporation of the trap. They can be easily removed, and if a trap-priming valve is omitted in lieu of installing one of these devices, the traps will dry out and sewer gas odors will be a problem.


remember watching The Jetsons and thinking that a lot of things on that show could never happen. The Jetsons lived in skypad apartments, and George Jetson flew to


work at Spacely Sprockets in a flying car that folded up into a briefcase. His workweek was only three days long because advanced technology allowed people to work faster. So far, a great deal of the show is still science fic- tion, but some things have actually become reality. On the show, computers or robots did many things.


Slip lining of lead water pipes Slip lining of older lead water service pipes is being


done to minimize lead exposure in building water service pipes. The slip lining is being done with an NSF approved polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic piping material in Europe and is now available in the United States. For information visit www.flow-liner.com.


Epoxy lining of older plumbing piping systems There are several new companies that offer services to rehabilitate existing piping systems in place. This technol- ogy minimizes the removal and replacement of drywall, trim and associated repairs. Using an epoxy lining for existing, rusted or corroded water or drain pipes in build- ings is cheaper than replacing the pipes. The epoxy lining process includes a systematic process of gaining access to several points in a piping system and using a pump for flushing of the old pipes with an abrasive slurry. The pipes are rinsed, dried with hot air and then a liquid epoxy is pumped through in one or more coatings to re-line the interior of the piping system. Hot air is again used to dry and cure the epoxy. Several companies offer this process, including Ace Dura-flow (888/775-0220), Nu-Flow (888/683-5691) or Cura-Flow (888/260-1733). Currently, there is no code language addressing this technology or the process used to line the pipes with epoxy.


Sanitary waste valves Last year, an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) plumbing materials and equipment task group working under the A112 main committee developed a new standard for a sanitary waste valve. The standard, ASME A112.18.8-2009 recently approved by


Continued on page 27 January 2011


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