Julius Ballanco: Plumbing Primer

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No-lead six months later.

The word “anaerobic” means absence of oxygen.

Know where the separation line is ó donít get stuck paying higher fees.

A little more than 25 years ago, I promised my wife an addition to our house. When we bought this house, we loved it. However, the master bedroom was nothing spectacular.

One of the first things we learn in the plumbing profession is the allowable water pressure for a water distribution system. A maximum pressure of 80 psi was beat into my head at an early age. Some area of the country with high-rise buildings will allow up to 100 psi, while in other areas the pressure was lowered to 60 psi in an effort to conserve water.

By now, you are probably tired of hearing about the new no-lead legislation. The days are counting down until Jan. 4, 2014, the effective date of the law.

Three magical numbers: 20, 40, 60 years. But let’s start with 40. This year marks the 40th anniversary since the federal government issued the document, “America Burning.”

One of my favorite plumbing trivia questions is, “How many water closets can you connect to a 3-in. drain?” The answer is 16.