PEX Plastic Tubing

PEX is polyethylene cross-linked plastic tubing. The cross-linked structure prevents the pipe from rupturing over a wide range of temperatures and pressures. PEX is resistant to solvents and cannot be joined by solvent cementing. PEX is flexible and can be bent. PEX can be hot-bent with a hot-air gun. The minimum hot-bending radius is 2½ times the outside diameter. PEX can be cold-bent, too (at room temperature) to a minimum radius of 6 times the outside diameter.

Condensate drains from air conditioner coils, condensing furnaces, and heat-recovery ventilators should not drain directly into a DWV pipe. An indirect drain using an air gap should be installed. In some locations, the direct connection of a condensate drain line into a stack is not permitted, even with a trap. The potential danger is that sewer gases may enter the house through the condensate drain line. It is not a cross-connection problem, but it is unsafe and unhealthy. www.nachi.org & www.apollohome.com

A water heater tank should be installed inside a pan in locations in a dwelling where a leak from the tank could cause damage to the structure or property. The pan is intended to catch water leaks from the tank or associated connections, or condensate from the tank. The pan should be made of galvanized steel or other material approved for that use. Pre-fabricated aluminum and plastic pans are common and widely used. Aluminum and plastic pans may not be allowed by every authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) or code official because they are not made of galvanized steel, and some tank manufacturers require the use of a metal pan only.

The following are 13 requirements for a discharge pipe serving a TPR valve:

Temperature and pressure-relief (TPR) valves are safety devices installed on water heating appliances, such as boilers and domestic water supply heaters. TPRs are designed to automatically release water in the event that pressure or temperature in the water tank exceeds safe levels.

If a laundry tub waste line connects to a clothes washer standpipe, the standpipe should be at least 30 inches above the standpipe trap weir and should extend above the flood level rim edge of the laundry tub. The outlet of the laundry tub must not be more than 30 inches horizontally away from the standpipe trap.

Whirlpool/jetted bathtub fixtures must be installed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. The bathtub may be filled with water and tested during the rough-in plumbing inspection.

Watch this and again NEVER skip a sewer scope! New construction also, we have found many new builds with sewer line issues

The illustration above shows the difference between an S-trap and a P-trap. S-traps are not permitted due to siphoning problems. Complements of www.nachi.org