UNIT 2: BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SANITARY/PLUMBING DESIGN
2.0 Intended Learning Outcomes
a. Identify those properties involving plumbing design such as flow rate, velocity,
pressure, pressure drop, etc.
b. Solve the application of those properties.
2.1. Introduction
Plumbing is simply defined as any system that moves fluids for a wide range of
application. It uses pipes, valves plumbing fixtures, tanks and other apparatuses to move
fluids. Any study of plumbing system must begin with a substance it carries which is water.
A molecule of water is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, 𝐻2𝑂. It is
tasteless and odorless in its pure state. There are fundamental units that describe the
properties and behavior of water in building plumbing system.
2.2 Topics/Discussion (with Assessment/Activities)
2.2.1 Specific Weight
Specific weight is simply defined as the ratio of weight and unit volume. Water attains
a specific of 62.42 lb/ft³ (1 kg/L) at a temperature of 39°F (4°C). Above and below 39°F, water
is less dense. One example is, the specific weight of water at 80°F (27°C) is 62.2 lb/ft³ (0.996
kg/L). Take note that the specific weight of 62.4 lb/ft³ is commonly used for liquid water in
engineering problems.
𝑊
𝜌=
𝑉
where;
𝜌 − 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦
𝑊 − 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
𝑉 − 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
2.2.2 Specific Gravity
The specific weight of the fluid or solid over the specific weight of water at
temperature 39°F is called the specific gravity of a fluid or solid. Oil is a common example
that has a below 1 specific gravity and that’s why we observed the oil floats in water. On the
other hand, any fluid or liquid that sinks in water has higher specific gravity. But in common
plumbing system temperature, the specific gravity is assumed to be 1.
𝜌
𝑠. 𝑔. = 𝜌 𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑖𝑑
𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
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Sample Problem:
Raw sewage is found to weigh 61.5 lb/ft³. Determine the specific gravity.
Given: Required:
𝜌𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑖𝑑 = 61.5 𝑙𝑏/𝑓𝑡3 𝑠. 𝑔. = ?
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Solution:
𝜌𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑖𝑑 (61.5 𝑙𝑏
3)
𝑠. 𝑔. = = 𝑓 = 𝟎. 𝟗𝟖𝟓
𝑙𝑏
𝜌𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 62.42 3
𝑓𝑡
1.2.3 Volume
Volume is defined as the amount of space occupied by a substance. Gallon is the
commonly used unit in plumbing system design. One gallon is approximately 3.8 L and in
one cubic foot there are 7.48 gallons.
1.2.4 Volume Flow Rate
Volume flow rate is defined as the volume of a substance that passes a point in a
system per unit of time, and it is usually called as flow rate. Volume flow rate has usually a
unit of liters per second, liters per minute, and cubic meters per second in SI unit. In the
customary system, volumetric flow rate is expressed in cubic feet per second, cubic feet per
minute, gallons per second and gallons per minute.
𝑉
𝑄=
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒:
Q – volume flow rate
V – volume
Sample Problem:
Determine the volumetric flow rate, in gpm, for water flowing out of the faucet based
on 3 gal in 40 seconds.
Given: Required:
𝑉 = 3 𝑔𝑎𝑙 𝑄 =?
𝑡 = 40 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠
Solution:
𝑉 3 𝑔𝑎𝑙 𝑔𝑎𝑙 60 𝑠
𝑄= = = 0.075 [ ] = 𝟒. 𝟓 𝒈𝒑𝒎
𝑡 40 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑠 1 𝑚𝑖𝑛
2.2.5 Velocity
Velocity is simply defined as rate of displacement with respect to time or the rate of
linear motion of a substance in one direction. The scalar form or the magnitude of velocity is
called the speed. SI unit for velocity is m/s. But in a fluidic system such as plumbing system,
water velocity is expressed as an average velocity. It’s because water molecules have different
speeds and directions of travel.
𝑄 4𝑄 9𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎)
𝑣= =
𝐴 𝜋𝐷𝑖2
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0.409𝑄 𝑓𝑡
𝑣= , (𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛)
𝐷𝑖2 𝑠
21.22𝑄 𝑚
𝑣= ,
𝐷𝑖2 𝑠
Sample Problem #01:
Determine the average velocity of water flow in a pipe under the following conditions:
(a) A ¾ inch diameter, Type L copper tube (0.875 inch outside diameter and 0.785 inch
inside diameter) carrying water at a volumetric flow rate of 10 gpm.
(b) A 2 inches diameter, Schedule 40 chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) pipe
(2.375 inches outside diameter and 2.047 inches inside diameter) carrying cold water at a
volumetric flow rate of 40 gpm.
Required:
( 𝑎) 𝑣 = ?
(𝑏) 𝑣 = ?
Solution:
0.409𝑄 [(0.409)(10 𝑔𝑝𝑚)] 𝒇𝒕
( 𝑎) 𝑣 = 2 = = 𝟔. 𝟔𝟒
𝐷𝑖 (0.785 𝑖𝑛)2 𝒔
Sample Problem #02:
Determine the average velocity for water flow in a 20 mm diameter copper tube (21.4
mm outside diameter and 19.9 mm inside diameter) carrying water at a volumetric flow rate
of 40 L/min.
Required:
𝑣 =?
Solution:
𝐿
(21.22)(40
21.22𝑄 ) 𝒎
𝑣= 2 = minute = 𝟐. 𝟏𝟒𝟑
𝐷𝑖 (19.9 𝑚𝑚)2 𝒔
2.2.6 Pressure
Pressure is defined as the force per unit area exerted by liquid or gas on a surface such
sidewall of a container or a pipe. It has units of Pascal and psi. Standard atmospheric pressure
is the typical barometric pressure of air at sea level which is equal to 14.696 psia and 101,325
Pa. Gauge pressure is the pressure of a fluid (liquid or gas) excluding pressure exerted by the
atmosphere. Absolute pressure is the pressure of a fluid including pressure exerted by the
atmosphere.
𝑃𝑎 = 𝑃𝑔 + 𝑃𝑠
𝑃𝑎 = 𝜌𝑔ℎ + 𝑃𝑠
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Sample Problem:
At sea level, atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psia (101,325 Pa). A pressure gauge placed
at the bottom of 8 feet (2.45 m) deep tank filled with water measures a water pressure at the
tank bottom of 3.5 psi (23,130 Pa). Determine the absolute pressure.
Given: Required:
𝑃𝑠 = 14.7 𝑝𝑠𝑖 𝑃𝑎 = ?
𝑃𝑔 = 3.5 𝑝𝑠𝑖
Solution:
𝑃𝑎 = 𝑃𝑠 + 𝑃𝑔 = 14.7 𝑝𝑠𝑖 + 3.5 𝑝𝑠𝑖 = 𝟏𝟖. 𝟐 𝒑𝒔𝒊
Any questions/clarifications? No problem. Answer first the exercises (will serve as your assessment) given
below. You can send your answers(solutions) to the LMS, to my messenger account “homer gaganao” or
can email me at [email protected] . It can be either in the form of pictures(clear), MS Word or
PDF. Now for questions/clarifications, please text me at this numbers (09264495828/09383219833) and I
will call you. Please always remember that learning is a ceaseless process and it can be acquired anywhere,
if you want. Stay safe.
Exercises:
1. You are making banana cake that has a mass of 400 grams and fits in a cake pan that is 40
by 15 by 8 centimeters cubed. What is the density of a banana cake?
2. A box of medicine drops has a mass of 2 grams, and its dimensions are 2 by 6 by by 9.5
centimeters cubed. It contains 35 medicine drops, each has a mass of 3.2 grams. What is the
density of the box when it is full of medicine drops?
3. The density of diesel is 820 kilograms per cubic meter. What is the specific gravity?
4. Determine the mass of ball’s atmosphere using the value of the standard atmosphere.
5. Determine the scale height of Earth’s atmosphere – the height the atmosphere would have
if its density stayed constant instead of decreasing with altitude. (The scale height is a useful
approximation for some calculations in atmospheric sciences.)
6. Determine the maximum height that lift a pump can raise water from a well.
7. When a man is accelerated vertically, its blood pressure in the brain will drop. Determine
the maximum vertical acceleration that a man can withstand before losing consciousness;
that is, determine the acceleration that would reduce the blood pressure in the brain to be
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zero. Assume a typical systolic pressure of 17 kPa and that the base of the brain is 25 cm
above the top of the heart.
8. An ice cube has a mass of 145 grams and a width of 7 centimeters. Determine the density
in kg/m³.
9. A jar of water with 18 cm in height. Find the pressure of water at the bottom of the jar,
ignore the atmospheric pressure and use the acceleration due to gravity of 11 m/s² and
density of water at 100 kg/m³.
10. A city locates at 400 m above sea level. If the atmospheric pressure at sea level is 86 cmHg,
find the air pressure in the city show in cmHg.
2.3 References
Wujek J.B. and Dagostino F.R. (2010) Mechanical and Electrical Systems in
Architecture, Engineering and Construction. Fifth Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall
2.4 Acknowledgment
The images, tables, figures and information contained in this module were
taken from the references cited above.
