How to Draw a Plumbing Plan for Your Next DIY Remodel

Like every other department of your home construction journey, plumbing has a crucial role to play in it all. A poor plumbing plan will not only cause you minor irritation in everyday life, but it can also cause long-term and irrevocable damage. While for something like plumbing, it is probably wisest to leave it to the professionals. However, if you are DIY remodeling a house, you might need a solid plumbing plan to get you started. If you need efficient, professional help to back you up for your plumbing project in Vancouver, you will find many options online. But this article will help you put your right foot forward if you have a home remodeling in your hands and are hoping to draw a perfect plumbing plan.

Why Have A Plumbing Plan?

Having a plumbing plan provides you with a plan of action in a tangible way. If you are going to take on the project yourself, it is best to have a well-fleshed-out plan so that you don’t get to face any surprises later on. A plumbing plan can be created by hand or by computer and use a wide range of plumbing symbols to signify different elements. The time and money you’ll save by creating thorough designs now will be put to better use later. While drawing the plan, you will also get a chance to notice something you might normally overlook. For work requiring a plumbing permit, having a detailed plan drawn out by an expert can be extremely beneficial.

How To Draw A Plumbing Plan?

Before you draw a plumbing plan, it is important to be aware of your current plumbing structure. Look up online for the internationally recognizable symbols and elements on your designs to clearly mark each element of your plan. If you do have an architectural plan for your home, make numerous copies of them, or you can just make an accurately scaled drawing of the space that you are working with. A gridded straightedge can enable you to draw lines parallelly, and you will need proper tools too. Use grid-lined paper and clarify your scale, as sketching to scale makes it very easy to identify any flaws with the layout. It will also help you in making an estimation of the materials for your project. Mark the elements like drainage lines and vents, fixtures, supply routes, and pipe connections as well. Soon you will find that you are done.

What Should A Plumbing Plan Have?

There are some essential features that your plumbing plan drawings should absolutely have so that you can ensure a successful DIY makeover.

  • Coding of Keys: A smart suggestion is to code the map so that the various elements can be easily identified. Do ensure that you are marking the waste and supply lines separately, and you can use pipes with solid and broken lines. Use extensive notes to identify vertical runs and color-code drains and vents using different colored pencils. Don’t forget to color the hot and cold supply lines with colored pencils. Many iterations of the plumbing design may be required till you finally get everything just perfect.
  • Elevation of DWV: Drain-waste-vent or DWV elevation is essentially the system that will eliminate water, waste, and air from a particular space. The upward trajectory of the stack, vents, and such, the extent of drain grate runs, as well as the traps should be detailed in this section of your plumbing plan. Ventilation diagrams must be used to indicate how well the fixtures are to be aired out. It’s not really a necessary element but can prove to be incredibly beneficial to draw it over an already existing architectural drawing.
  • Planned Resources: When you have your plan ready, you will have a clear indication of how long your supply lines will be. Mark down the pipe size and length. Use your plumbing plan drawing as a guide to put together your shopping list so that you can go ahead and buy all the materials required to start the project. Indicate pipe sizes and the specific type of every fitting so the examiner can approve them. Mark placements for valves, specifying stops at fittings, and help differentiate valves. Use the blueprints to compile a checklist of necessary supplies.

A good plumbing plan will not only make your life easier but will also eliminate the possibility of future plumbing-related problems. It is important to start any remodeling journey with a solid plan in your mind. If you find yourself struggling at any point, feel free to reach out to the professionals. However, armed with the right plan and the required tools, you will be off to a great start.