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SECTION II
The following article explains the role plumbing fixture counts play in determining selection of pipe material and diameter in building design. As explained in WQAs Installers Home Study Course, fixture counts are also used at the time a water treatment system is specified to ensure that the new treatment system is 1) appropriate for the existing water flow rate and pressure conditions, and 2) will not have an adverse effect on the operation of downstream plumbing fixtures. Flow rate, pressure, building demand, pipe size, and fixture count calculations also become important in residential applications with new building additions/plumbing renovations, in commercial bids, and in industrial applications of water treatment. Additional information on calculating and using fixture counts can be found in WQAs Installers Home Study Course and Commercial Education Module 1: Commercial Sizing, Plumbing Design, and Applications.
Table 1
Piping Material
Copper tubing cold water Copper tubing hot water Galvanized steel pipe CPVC pipe PEX tubing
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water distribution system. Plumbing fixtures are used on an intermittent basis. To determine the flow rate, the simultaneous use of the plumbing fixtures must be determined. This maximum flow rate is also known as the peak demand. There are various methods for determining the peak demand of a water distribution system. The most popular method of determining peak demand is the Hunter Method. This method, using water supply fixture units, was developed by Dr. Roy Hunter in the early part of the 20th century. According to published reports by Dr. Hunter, he points out the inaccuracies of the method. The Hunter Method assigns a water supply fixture unit to each fixture. This fixture unit value is a probability factor used to determine the total use of water within a given system. Hunter developed a curve that establishes the flow rate for any given water supply fixture unit value. The Hunter Method originally assumed two types of buildings; one that used tank-type water closets and one that used flushometer-type water closets. The problem with this concept is that it does not account for the normal operation of a building. A football stadium will have a different demand on a water distribution system than an office building. Similarly, a large home with five bathrooms will have a different demand than an apartment with one bathroom. The other concern with the original fixture unit design concept was the change in the use of water since the 1920s. All fixtures discharge a lower amount of water today. Table 2 points out the difference in flow rates from the 1920s to today.
2009
The only Plumbing Code that completely includes the Stevens Method is the National Standard Plumbing Code. Both the International Plumbing Code and Uniform Plumbing Code include some of the provisions from the Stevens Method. It should be noted that all of the Plumbing Codes permit the water distribution system to be sized by accepted engineering practice. This would allow for the use of the Stevens Method. The methods listed in Table 3 are for the total use of the water distribution system. When calculating the peak demand flow rate for the hot or cold water distribution system, the values in the table must be multiplied by 0.75. To determine the size of the water distribution system, each fixture is assigned three values: the total water value fixture unit, the hot water fixture unit value, and the cold water fixture unit value. The values are added to determine the flow rate at any location in the piping system. The total fixture unit value is the number used for the pipe sizing upstream of the water heater. When determining the flow rate using the Hunter or Stevens Method, the curve has two values one listing is for flush tank water closets, the other is for flush valve. Table 4 lists some of the common flow rates on the Hunters curve.
When Hunter did his research, a typical home had one bathroom. Today, a typical home has 3, 4, 5 or 6 bathrooms. The size of a typical family is also less than when Hunter performed his studies. These changes lead to a research project by the Stevens Institute of Technology to re-evaluate the Hunter Method. The project was considered somewhat controversial at the time, since many engineers wanted to do away with Hunters method and come up with a completely new design concept. About the Stevens Method The Stevens Method utilized the Hunter curve and simply adjusted the water supply fixture unit rates for each fixture. The new table lists values for four different categories of buildings. The categories include: one- and two-family dwellings, multifamily dwellings, high-use assembly buildings, and other buildings or commercial buildings. Some of the values of the new table are listed in Table 3.
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Table 4
Water Supply Fixture Unit
5 10 20 40 60
Table 3
Plumbing Fixture
Shower Bathtub Lavatory Kitchen Sink Urinal Water Closet Tank Type Water Closet Flushometer Bathroom Group 1-1/2 Bath 2 Bath 2-1/2 Bath 3 Bath 3-1/2 Bath 4 Bath
Multifamily
2 3.5 .5 1 2.5 5 3.5
Other
2 1 1.5 4 2.5 5
Even with the modified Stevens Method, not all systems can be sized using this method. Like all sizing methods, there are limitations regarding high-end and low-end water distribution systems. A good example would be a football stadium. Even the heavy-use assembly values will undersize the water distribution system for a football stadium. On the other extreme would be a row of lavatories that have aerators with a flow rate of 0.5 gpm. This method would oversize the flow rate for these fixtures.
2009
SECTION II
Table 5
Flow Rate (gpm) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Copper Type Copper Type L M Vel (ft/sec) Vel (ft/sec) 0.62 1.24 1.86 2.48 3.11 3.73 4.35 4.97 5.59 6.21 6.83 7.45 8.07 0.66 1.33 1.99 2.65 3.31 3.98 4.64 5.30 5.97 6.63 7.29 7.95 8.62 Galvanized Steel Vel (ft/sec) 0.60 1.20 1.80 2.41 3.01 3.61 4.21 4.81 5.41 6.02 6.62 7.22 7.82 CPVC Vel (ft/sec) 0.80 1.60 2.40 3.20 4.00 4.79 5.59 6.39 7.19 7.99 8.79 9.59 10.39 PEX Vel (ft/sec) 0.88 1.76 2.64 3.52 4.40 5.29 6.17 7.05 7.93 8.81 9.69 10.57
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11.45