Initial Planning and Design
There are several key considerations of Plumbing, Drainage, and Gas that should be made in the early stages of building a house. Ideally this planning is most practical before construction starts.
- Layout – for all the plumbing and gas fitting appliances that will be installed, does the layout chosen both look aesthetically pleasing?
- Is it going to work functionally within the proposed space to an optimum level?
- has the energy efficiency or water usage needs for each fixture or appliance been considered?
- Is there enough space to accommodate all the chosen fixtures and appliances – keeping into consideration future maintenance (more space, easier maintenance).
Selecting Quality Fixtures and Appliances
It is important when factoring a budget for plumbing and gas fitting appliances to not go too cheap and if possible, go for recognised brands or brands that are considered generic with regards to installing. If going too cheap there is a risk that additional installation costs may be required for installing the product chosen.
There is also a risk of the product failing early. Purchasing cheap plumbing fixtures may also cost extra for both future maintenance and future replacements which can be difficult to explain why, due to several possible factors that can occur, but to put simply and bluntly, because they are made cheaper and often more difficult to install.
The question then should immediately be raised: is buying cheap really cheaper or is it better to buy quality that can often work out cheaper anyway in the long run? Most plumbers will not guarantee products installed that are not from reputable sources, or products that they are not familiar with.
Other than selecting quality fixtures and appliances, it is always worth considering energy or water efficiency of the appliances. This can amount to significant cumulative savings on power and water bills, and generally should be considered by everyone, in order to reduce personal carbon footprints.
Home water heating solutions
There are several options for installing a new home. Heat pump Hot water Cylinders are a great option for energy savings as they are powered mostly by the ambient temperatures to which they are installed and therefore do not draw much power year-round. Heat pump hot water cylinders which can be installed outside, also saving valuable cupboard space inside.
Alternatively continuous flow gas hot water heaters can be another great choice for heating hot water to houses.
These small compact units are most often installed on an external wall with appropriate clearances from openings and have a gas supply extending either from the natural gas supply or LPG bottle locations. These constant flow water heaters are a great choice because they are easy maintenance, do not store hot water, heat water instantly, and are easy to replace.
When choosing the location of your water heater it is important to factor how far away it is from each fixture (location). This will dictate how quick hot water will be delivered to each location. Accessibility – It is important to make hot water heaters easily accessible for easy emergency maintenance when required.
Regulations and compliance
Any installations involving plumbing for new build or Gas installation for new build; decisions made are always going to have to meet compliance and current regulations. This may mean that the water heater can not be installed on a wall due to being too close to an opening window for example.
Any plumbing and gas fitting appliance locations should all be considered with regards to compliance before construction even starts as this will certainly become a roadblock later and prevent the completion of the building’s code of compliance or even plumbing inspection; until everything meets compliance.
Maintenance and future proofing
There are many plumbing tips for new home plumbing, really too numerous to name them all however the most practical and best houses for maintenance have well thought out spaces where their plumbing, gas fitting fixtures and appliances have easy access and plenty of space and where exposed to the elements, adequate protection provided to prevent rapid deterioration of the components to the system.
Any appliances like hot water cylinders for example should be installed in adequate wet areas if inside, to prevent potential flooding in the future which could result in damages and therefore costs. With that being said this is very important to consider when building a new house that could save a lot of money in future maintenance.