Pipe Sizing 22.

Table 11 Iron and Copper Elbow Equivalentsa Table 13 Demand Weights of Fixtures in Fixture Unitsa
Fitting Iron Pipe Copper Tubing Weight in
Type of Supply Fixture
Elbow, 90° 1.0 1.0
Fixture or Groupb Occupancy Control Unitsc
Elbow, 45° 0.7 0.7
Elbow, 90° long-radius 0.5 0.5 Water closet Public Flush valve 10
Elbow, welded, 90° 0.5 0.5 Water closet Public Flush tank 5
Reduced coupling 0.4 0.4 Pedestal urinal Public Flush valve 10
Open return bend 1.0 1.0 Stall or wall urinal Public Flush valve 5
Angle radiator valve 2.0 3.0
Radiator or convector 3.0 4.0 Stall or wall urinal Public Flush tank 3
Boiler or heater 3.0 4.0 Lavatory Public Faucet 2
Open gate valve 0.5 0.7 Bathtub Public Faucet 4
Open globe valve 12.0 17.0 Shower head Public Mixing valve 4
Source: Giesecke (1926) and Giesecke and Badgett (1931, 1932a). Service sink Office, etc. Faucet 3
aSee Table 10 for equivalent length of one elbow.
Kitchen sink Hotel or restaurant Faucet 4

Table 12 Proper Flow and Pressure Required During Water closet Private Flush valve 6
Flow for Different Fixtures Water closet Private Flush tank 3
Lavatory Private Faucet 1
Fixture Flow Pressure, kPa (gage) a Flow, L/s
Bathtub Private Faucet 2
Ordinary basin faucet 55 0.2 Shower head Private Mixing valve 2
Self-closing basin faucet 85 0.2
Sink faucet—10 mm 70 0.3 Bathroom group Private Flush valve for closet 8
Sink faucet—15 mm 35 0.3 Bathroom group Private Flush tank for closet 6
—b
Licensed for single user. © 2009 ASHRAE, Inc.

Dishwasher 105 to 175 Separate shower Private Mixing valve 2

Bathtub faucet 35 0.4 Kitchen sink Private Faucet 2
Laundry tube cock—8 mm 35 0.3 Laundry trays (1 to 3) Private Faucet 3
Shower 85 0.2 to 0.6
Ball cock for closet 105 0.2 Combination fixture Private Faucet 3
Flush valve for closet 70 to 140 1.0 to 2.5c Source: Hunter (1941).
a For supply outlets likely to impose continuous demands, estimate continuous supply
Flush valve for urinal 105 1.0 separately, and add to total demand for fixtures.
Garden hose, 15 m, and sill cock 210 0.3 b For fixtures not listed, weights may be assumed by comparing the fixture to a listed
a Flow pressure is the pressure in the pipe at the entrance to the particular fixture one using water in similar quantities and at similar rates.
c The given weights are for total demand. For fixtures with both hot and cold water sup-
considered.
b Varies; see manufacturers’ data. plies, the weights for maximum separate demands can be assumed to be 75% of the
c Wide range due to variation in design and type of flush valve closets. listed demand for the supply.

all load devices simultaneously would be seriously oversized. Thus,

a major issue in sizing service water piping is to determine the diver-
sity of the loads.
The procedure shown in this chapter uses the work of R.B. Hunter Fig. 5 Demand Versus Fixture Units, Mixed System,
for estimating diversity (Hunter 1940, 1941). The present-day High Part of Curve
plumbing designer is usually constrained by building or plumbing
codes, which specify the individual and collective loads to be used
for pipe sizing. Frequently used codes (including the BOCA Na-
tional Plumbing Code, Standard Plumbing Code, Uniform Plumbing
Code, and National Standard Plumbing Code) contain procedures
quite similar to those shown here. The designer must be aware of the
applicable code for the location being considered.
Federal mandates are forcing plumbing fixture manufacturers to
reduce design flows to many types of fixtures, but these may not yet
be included in locally adopted codes. Also, the designer must be
aware of special considerations; for example, toilet usage at sports
arenas will probably have much less diversity than the codes allow
and thus may require larger supply piping than the minimum spec-
ified by the codes.
Table 12 gives the rate of flow desirable for many common fix-
tures and the average pressure necessary to give this rate of flow.
The pressure varies with fixture design.
In estimating the load, the rate of flow is frequently computed in
fixture units, which are relative indicators of flow. Table 13 gives
the demand weights in terms of fixture units for different plumbing
fixtures under several conditions of service, and Figure 8 gives the
estimated demand corresponding to any total number of fixture
units. Figures 9 and 10 provide more accurate estimates at the lower
end of the scale. Fig. 8 Demand Versus Fixture Units, Mixed System,
The estimated demand load for fixtures used intermittently on High Part of Curve
any supply pipe can be obtained by multiplying the number of (Hunter 1941)
 22.10 2009 ASHRAE Handbook—Fundamentals (SI)

Fig. 6 Estimate Curves for Demand Load Fig. 8 Pressure Losses in Disk-Type Water Meters

Fig. 11 Pressure Losses in Disk-Type Water Meters

Fig. 9 Variation of Pressure Loss with Flow Rate for Var-

ious Faucets and Cocks

Fig. 9 Estimate Curves for Demand Load

(Hunter 1941)

Fig. 7 Section of Figure 9 on Enlarged Scale

Licensed for single user. © 2009 ASHRAE, Inc.

Fig. 10 Section of Figure 9 on Enlarged Scale

each kind of fixture supplied through that pipe by its weight from A. 12.7 mm laundry bibb (old style)
Table 13, adding the products, and then referring to the appropri- B. Laundry compression faucet
ate curve of Figure 8, 9, or 10 to find the demand corresponding C-1. 12.7 mm compression sink faucet (mfr. 1)
to the total fixture units. In using this method, note that the C-2. 12.7 mm compression sink faucet (mfr. 2)
demand for fixture or supply outlets other than those listed in the D. Combination compression bathtub faucets (both open)
table of fixture units is not yet included in the estimate. The
E. Combination compression sink faucet
demands for outlets (e.g., hose connections and air-conditioning
F. Basin faucet
apparatus) that are likely to impose continuous demand during
G. Spring self-closing faucet
heavy use of the weighted fixtures should be estimated separately
H. Slow self-closing faucet
and added to demand for fixtures used intermittently to estimate
(Dashed lines indicate recommended extrapolation)
total demand.
The Hunter curves in Figures 8, 9, and 10 are based on use pat- Fig. 12 Variation of Pressure Loss with Flow Rate for
terns in residential buildings and can be erroneous for other usages Various Faucets and Cocks
such as sports arenas. Williams (1976) discusses the Hunter
assumptions and presents an analysis using alternative assumptions.
So far, the information presented shows the design rate of flow to by multiplying the difference in elevation in metres by the conver-
be determined in any particular section of piping. The next step is to sion factor 9.8.
determine the size of piping. As water flows through a pipe, the Pressure losses in the distributing system consist of pressure
pressure continually decreases along the pipe due to loss of energy losses in the piping itself, plus the pressure losses in the pipe fit-
from friction. The problem is then to ascertain the minimum pressure tings, valves, and the water meter, if any. Approximate design pres-
in the street main and the minimum pressure required to operate the sure losses and flow limits for disk-type meters for various rates of
topmost fixture. (A pressure of 100 kPa may be ample for most flush flow are given in Figure 11. Water authorities in many localities
valves, but reference should be made to the manufacturers’ require- require compound meters for greater accuracy with varying flow;
ments. Some fixtures require a pressure up to 175 kPa. A minimum of consult the local utility. Design data for compound meters differ
55 kPa should be allowed for other fixtures.) The pressure differential from the data in Figure 11. Manufacturers give data on exact pres-
overcomes pressure losses in the distributing system and the differ- sure losses and capacities.
ence in elevation between the water main and the highest fixture. Figure 12 shows the variation of pressure loss with rate of flow
The pressure loss (in kPa) resulting from the difference in eleva- for various faucets and cocks. The water demand for hose bibbs or
tion between the street main and the highest fixture can be obtained other large-demand fixtures taken off the building main frequently