APPURTENANCES IN DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

APPURTENANCES: The different devices required for controlling the

flow of water, for preventing leakage and other purposes in water
distribution are called appurtenances.
VALVES: The importance of valves in pipe line should not be forgotten.
Depending upon different situations and requirements different types
of valves are used in the distribution system. The important ones are
as follows:-
• Stop Valve or Sluice Valve
• Check valve or Reflux valve
• Air relief valve or Float valve
• Pressure relief valve or Safety valve
• Scour valve or Blow off valve
• Fire Hydrant
• Plug valves
STOP VALVE OR SLUICE VALVE
• Also known as gate valves and used to
control the flow of water through pipes.
• Provided at street corners where pipe line
intersect.
• Two valves are placed at each intersection.
• As large as a number of valves should be
provided as possible so that when there is
any breakdown on a pipe line, the last
length of the same may be shut off and
isolated for repairs by closing the valve
which should be able to close down slowly.
• If the supply is suddenly cut off , it causes
water hammer on all joint fittings.
REFLUX VALVES OR CHECK VALVES
• Allows the flow in one direction only and is sometimes used at the foot of
a long rising water main to prevent running back of water if pipe breaks
down in the lower reaches.
• Also provided on pipe lines leading off from the pumping station, to
prevent empty back of pumped water in case a pump breaks down or is
removed from repairs.
• Has a metallic disc resting against a projection in the casing and to which a
hinge is attached.
• When water flows in the direction, the disc goes up & allows the flow.
• In case the direction of flow is reversed, the disc falls down under its own
weight and shuts tightly against its bearing. A cap is provided at the top of
intersection.
 AIR RELIEF VALVE OR FLOAT VALVE
• In long pipe lines, air accumulates at high points of the line which
interferes with stream line flow of water.
• At such points air valves are provided which remove the accumulated
air automatically.
• This valve has one or two hollow floats inside float chamber.
• There are air opening at the top and the valves are connected to the
main. Float chamber normally remains full of water.
• When air fills it, the water level goes down and the float falls, thereby
openings the air opening at the top through which air escapes out,
after which the chamber again fills up with water and takes the float
up which closes the air openings.
 PRESSURE RELIEF OR SAFETY VALVE
• It relieves high pressure in pipe
lines and plumbing fixtures in
building.
• It consists of disc controlled by a
spring which can be adjusted for
any pressure.
• As the pressure in the pipe line
exceeds, the disc is forced off its
seat, and the pressure is relieved
through cross pipe.
• After this the disc again comes
down automatically due to the
spring.
 SCOUR OUT VALVE OR WASH OUT VALVE
• It is placed at every depression in the pipeline.
• Mud and sludge get collected in the pipes at these depressions which
generally occur when pipes cross valleys etc.
• The valve is essentially mounted on a branch of the main pipe line at
the lowest point
• When the valve is worked, it removes the dirt due to high velocity of
water.
PLUG VALVE
• These are known as cone valves, which have a tapered plug which
turns in a tapered seat.
• Plug valves are used not only for water under high pressure but also
for sewage, oil gases etc.
FIRE HYDRANT
• Fire fighting requires water at much high pressure than that used for
domestic purposes because water is used to extinguish fire at a larger rate
and has to reach even upto the top of building.
• High pressure is generated by fire engines at the time of fire. The fire
engines are attached to fire hydrants which are connected to street mains
and water is taken through them in case of fires in the vicinity.
• Hydrants are placed on all streets at distances of 154m to 300 m apart, as
well as at all street crossings and turnings.
• A fire hydrant has a 10cm connection for attaching it to fire engine and
6.25cm connection for hose outlet. Hose pipes carry the water to the
buildings , have a 2.75 cm smooth nozzle through which a stream of water
comes out under a pressure of atleast3kg/cm2.
• Available pressure at fire hydrants should preferably be:
• Water pumping engines- 0.75 to 1.2kg/cm2
• For direct flow from hydrants 3 to 5 kg/cm2
• Sometimes pressure upto 10 kg/cm2 are developed.
• Hydrants consists of a C.I.barrel with connection to the street main.
• It has a leather valve connected to valve stem which is turned by the
handle at the top.
• By working the handle, it can be opened and closed
• In the closed position the valve rest against the valve seat.
• The hydrant usually has two 6.25 cm hose outlets and one 10 cm pumper
outlet for attaching it to the fire engine.
• Hydrants may have up to 4
hose outlets, when they are
placed four ways.
• The outlets are spaced all
round the hydrant barrel.
• The hydrant is either partly or
wholly under-ground. Hydrants
are used to fill water carts.
BUILDING WATER SYSTEM
Water is taken into the building through a service pipe connected
with the main pipe. Pumps are used to supply water to higher
floors.
G.I supply mains are used up to 7.5 cm diameter and when higher
diameter of pipes are required , cast iron pipes may be used
Water can be supplied in building in two patterns:

1. UPFEED SYSTEM: When the pressure in the municipal supply is

such that water can reach up to the top floor of a multi-storey
building, then water is supplied to all the floors of a building.
2. DOWN FEED SYSTEM: In this system water is pumped from a
sump to an overhead tank then water is supplied to all the floors
of the building by gravity.
HOUSE WATER CONNECTION
To provide water supply in a building the first step is to get a water
connection from the municipal water main. the water connections
comprises of the following:

• FERRULE
• GOOSE NECK
• SERVIVE PIPES
• STOP COCK
• WATER METER
FERRULE :
• It is a right angle sleeve in order to have a right angled
connection between water main and service pipe made up
of brass or gun metal and is jointed to an opening drilled in
the water main, to which it is screwed down with a plug. It
is usually of size varying from 10mm to 50mm bore. A tee
branch connection off the water main is used if the
connections required are more than 50 mm bore.
FERRULE
GOOSE NECK :
• It is a small sized curve pipe of a flexible material, usually
lead and about 750 mm in length forming a flexible
connection between the water main and the service pipe.
SERVICE PIPE:
• It is usually of G.I pipe of size less than 50 mm bore. This
service pipe supplies water to the building from the water
main and is connected to the main through the ferrule. It
should be laid underground in a trench in which no sewer
or drainage pipe is laid.
STOP COCK:
• It is provided before the water meter in service line. It helps
to stop the flow of water when needed during repairs
etc.Stop cock is housed in a suitable masonry chamber with
a removable cover and is fixed in the street close to the
boundary wall in an accessible position. It should be of size
sufficient to pass the required discharge of the service pipe.
Sometimes it is placed just before the water meter for
keeping both of them in one chamber.
STOP COCK
WATER METER:
• Water meter is used to measure the quantity of water
consumed. For domestic water supply, water meters are
fitted into the service line with unions. The union enables
the water meter to be changed whenever necessary. It is
usual to fix the water meter underground, housed in a
suitable block masonry chamber and cover it with any iron
surface box.

WATER METER
ESSENTIAL POINTS FOR BUILDING WATER SUPPLY
• Completely watertight to avoid water wastage.

• No risk of contamination of water supply for domestic use.

• No cross connection between a pipe containing potable water

and one carrying used water

• Water supply and drainage pipes should not be very close to

each other.

• Underground pipe work should have 60 cms earth cover.

• When laid above ground it should run clear of wall with 2 cms.
•To reduce frictional losses, piping shall be as smooth as
possible inside.

• Method of jointing shall be as to avoid internal roughness .

• Water pressure should be sufficient from main to buildings.

• Change in diameter and in direction should be gradual rather

than abrupt to avoid under loss of head.
LAYOUT OF WATER SUPPLY PIPES FOR A BUILDING
 Water supply layout should be simple
and direct as far as possible. this will
ensure economy both in operation and
maintenance of pipe work.
 The pipes should be laid as straight as
possible.
 As far as possible burying of pipes in
walls and floors should be avoided.
 The layouts should be free from the
occurrence of air pockets , noise
transmission etc.
 Piping shall be located that it is not
unduly exposed to accidental damage
and shall be fixed in such positions as
to facilitate cleaning and avoid
accumulation of dirt.
WATER SUPPLY FIXTURE AND ITS MAINTENANCE
• BIB COCK
• STOP COCK
• BRASS FERRULE
• SHOWER ROSE TYPE
• OVERFLOW PIPE
• G.I. PIPES
• COVER

THE MAINTENANCE OF THESE

FITTINGS CONSIST OF:

ATTENTION TO LEAKAGE
CLEANING
DISINFECTING
REMOVAL OF BLOCKAGES
REPAIRING
ESTIMATION OF PIPE SIZES

• GENERALLY THE FIXTURE SIZES ARE:

FIXTURES MINIMUM PIPE

SIZE(MM)
BATH 12.7

WATER CLOSET FLUSH TANK TYPE 8.5

COMMERCIAL KITCHEN SINK 19.0

WATER CLOSET FLUSH VALVE TYPE 25.0

 STORAGE OF WATER
1. PURPOSES FOR PROVIDING STORAGE :-

(a) To provide against interruptions of the supply caused by repair to

mains etc.
(b) To reduce the maximum rate of demand on the mains.
(c) To tide over periods of intermittent supply.

2. STORAGE CAPACITIES :- The quantity of water to be stored shall be

calculated into account the following factor:

(a) Hour of supply at sufficiently high pressure to fill up the overhead

storage tanks.
(b) Frequency of replenishment of overhead tanks, during the 24 hours.
(c) Rate and regularity of supply.
(d) Consequences of exhausting storage particularly in case of public
buildings like hospitals.
 CONSTRUCTION OF STORAGE TANKS : - A storage tank is
made of cast iron or galvanized mild steel pressed plates
usually 1.2m square, joined together and made water tight
by the use of putty.
It may also be constructed of masonry or reinforced
cement concrete when the size is to be large.

ACCESSORIES OF STORATE TANK ARE:-

1. A close fitted light, mosquito proof cover with a locking
arrangement.

2. Equilibrium ball valves with float, provided near the

inlet to the tank and controlling the inflow of water, the
arrangement works automatically admitting in water
when level in the tank falls and cutting of supply when
water level reaches the full supply level.
3. Over flow pipe with its lips projecting about
20mm above the f.S.l. the over flow pipe is
intended to function in case of failure of the
ball valve to function properly. the pipe
discharges its flow either through the
rainwater down take pipe or through gully to
a drain of sewer.
4. Outlet pipe usually fixed at the end opposite
the inlet to avoid any stagnation of water. the
pipe projects about (50mm) above the
bottom of the tank.
5. Stop valve provided at the outlet pipe,
prevents the necessity of emptying the tank
in order to enable any repairs to be carried
out to down. take pipe etc.
6. Scour or drain pipe enables the tank to be
periodically cleaned out. for this purpose, the
FSL full supply level
bed of the tank is kept sloping towards the
pipe.
POSITION:-

The storage tank is usually on the roof – slab of the building or

on separate bearers so as to distribute the load uniformly.

The tank should be located in an easily accessible position and

should allow proper inspection and cleaning.

It is desirable to have a minimum storage of half a days supply

where water supply is intermittent and hours of supply are
irregular.
DOMESTIC STORAGE TANKS:- In case of multi-storeyed buildings, it is usual for
the lower storeys to be fed from water supply directly from the main, while
the higher storeys where direct supply is not likely to be easily available, are
connected and fed by the domestic storage tank with storage adequate for
one days supply.
The domestic storage is based on the number of downtake fittings such as
taps, showers, bath, tubs etc, that may be fed from the storage tanks and
as given below:

DOWNTAKE TAPS (70 LITRES) EACH

SHOWERS ( 135 LITRES) EACH
BATH TUBS ( 200 LITRES) EACH

FLUSHING STORAGE TANKS:- These are required to supply water to all flushing
cisterns through downtake pipes. the supply pipes are not supposed to feed
these cisterns directly.
Flushing storage is usually based on the number of water closet seats in case of
residential building and on the number of w.c seats and urinals in case of
public building.
HOT WATER SUPPLY
•At temperatures between 4 degree C and
100 degree C (boiling), water expands by
about 4% by volume and is significantly less
dense.
•This is why underground supplies require
adequate ground cover and externally
exposed water pipes require insulation to
prevent damage

DESIGN CONSIDERATION OF INSTALLATIONS

The design of hot water supply system and its
appliances shall be based on temperature at
which water is normally required

SINK 60C
HOT BATH 41C
WARM BATH 37C
STORAGE CAPACITY
The hot water is generally taken from geyser. The size of geyser depends upon the
maximum short time demand of the domestic premises. For a house with bath tub
50-75L capacity and without bath tub 25L capacity.
RATE OF FLOW
FIXTURE RATE OF FLOW(L/MIN.)
BATH TUB 22.5
KITCHEN SINK 18
WASH BASIN 7
SHOWER 7

HOT WATER PIPING

VENT PIPE-
•Each pressure type hot water heater shall be provided with a vent pipe not less than 20mm
bore.
•The vent pipe shall rise above the water line of the cold water tank by at least 150mm plus
10mm for every 300mm height of the water line above the bottom of the heater.
•The vent pipe should be connected to the highest point of the heater and shall not project
downward.
•At no point the vent pipe after leaving the vessel shall dip below the level of its connection.
•The vent pipe shall not be provided with any valve or check valve.
• DIRECT HOT WATER SUPPLY
SYSTEMS
• Mains water is fed into a `combination
boiler where it is heated giving almost
immediate hot water on demand.
• The same boiler can be used for supplying
hot water to a central heating system.
• The disadvantages are that baths tend to
fill slowly if a tap is a long way from the
boiler and quite a lot of cold water has to be
drawn off before hot water appears.
• The hot water from the boiler mixes
directly with the water in the cylinder. If
used in a ‘soft’ water area the boiler must
be corrosion proofed.
• This system is not suited to ‘hard’ waters,
typical of those extracted from boreholes
into chalk or limestone strata.
• When heated the calcium rash to line the
boiler and primary pipework, eventually
‘furring up’ the system makes it ineffective
and dangerous.
• The storage cylinder and associated
pipework should be well insulated to reduce
energy losses.
• INDIRECT HOT WATER
SUPPLY
• Water from the cold water storage
tank is gravity fed into the bottom
of the hot water cylinder.
• The cylinder contains a heating coil
connected to a boiler by a feed
pipe and a return pipe for cooled
water. This is the `primary circuit.
• Water circulating in the primary
circuit heats the coil, which in turn
heats the domestic hot water in
the cylinder.
• Constantly heating the same water
reduces lime scale build up. This
circuit is filled and topped up by a
pipe from the feed and expansion
tank (header tank).
• The circuit may operate by gravity,
but all modern installations are
pumped. The system is very
efficient and may also run central
heating.
MULTI STOREYED BUILDINGS
• For larger buildings a secondary circuit will
be required to reduce ‘dead−legs’ and to
maintain an effective supply of hot water at
all outlets.
• Convection or thermo−siphonage may
provide circulation, but for a more efficient
service a circulatory pump will be necessary.
• In buildings which are occupied for only
part of the day, e.g. schools, offices, etc., a
time control or programmer can be used to
regulate use of the pump.
• Also, one of the valves near the pump
should be motorized and automatically shut
off with the pump and boiler when hot
water is not required.
• All secondary circuits should be well
insulated to reduce heat losses through the
pipe work.
• A heating installation can operate in
conjunction with this system, but may
require duplication of boilers or separate
boilers for each function.
• For convenience and to reduce wear on fittings, the
maximum head of water above taps and other
outlets is 30 m.
• This is achieved by using intermediate or break
pressure cisterns for each sub−circuit.
• Head tanks are provided to ensure sufficient
volume of stored hot water and adequate delivery
to the upper floors.
• compared with conventional installations a
considerable amount of pipework and fitting time
can be saved by using an expansion vessel to
absorb expansion of water in the primary circuit.
• However, the boiler and calorifiers must be
specified to a high quality standard to withstand
the water pressure