# bit of aussie underfloors =)



## PrecisePlumbing (Jan 31, 2011)

As requested these are a few snaps of the way we do it here in the land of oz. It's a few branches of underfloor drains on a nurses hub/laundry/commercial kitchen here at a mental health facility under going major new works. All this leads to a massively oversized ( number 6 if that means anything to you yanks) grease arrestor. I'm not sure what you guys call it but it is mostly HDPE with a few rollovers converting to DWV. I'll be posting a few of the plant room and suspended reticulated copper lines when I get a chance to wander over there again. Right now I'm stuck doing a big block of mental health units which are interesting because they have to be suicide proof, semi handicap standardized, no hide spots and are all massively scrutinized by every wanker with a clipboard under the sun. I'll post up more if they are well recieved. I spend many a spare minute looking at and trying to figure out how the plumbing code works over there via this forum. I struggle with the different terminology but I'm figuring it out


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

In your first picture in the center of the pic there is a trapped line with a second line that looks like it is sharing the trap whats with that?


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## PrecisePlumbing (Jan 31, 2011)

It's what we call a FWG or floor waste gully and that branch leads to another gully which is under a floor grate for surge protection in the doorway of a trolley wash room. The riser on the first FWG is for a floor waste. We are required to trap grates and floor wastes seperately but we can plumb them in line with eachother ; )


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Do you normally run PVC and ABS on the same job? Why the blue paint spots?


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## PrecisePlumbing (Jan 31, 2011)

Only when the hydraulic plans specify it for whatever reason the engineer gets in his head. We only run HDPE for commercial or industrial waste and the rest in DWV but occaisionally if those above feel like blowing some cash we do everything in HD or stainless which I love working with. I do the paint dots for my own peace of mind when i'm doing anything electro-fusion. We usually have to initial and date each weld on the bigger jobs


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## BROOKLYN\PLUMB (May 21, 2010)

I'd love to see a set of plans from down under love the pics

Sent from my EVO 4G using Plumbing Zone


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

PrecisePlumbing said:


> Only when the hydraulic plans specify it for whatever reason the engineer gets in his head. We only run HDPE for commercial or industrial waste and the rest in DWV but occaisionally if those above feel like blowing some cash we do everything in HD or stainless which I love working with. I do the paint dots for my own peace of mind when i'm doing anything electro-fusion. We usually have to initial and date each weld on the bigger jobs


That's cool! I wish the powers that be would pull their collective heads out and let us use HDPE inside structures. What do you use for your electro-fusion?


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## PrecisePlumbing (Jan 31, 2011)

We use electro fusion collars and a simple fusion welder which just plugs into mains power. There are butt welders around but are much too cumbersome and leave too much to human error. I mark all my welds so I know everything has been welded. As you are dummy fitting and welding as you go it's easy to forget a weld. Aren't you guys allowed to use HDPE underfloors or inside structures? Our codes pretty much make it a necessity for any hot, greasy or chemical waste. I'm not a fan of adapting it to PVC under slab but sometimes your left with no choice


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

PrecisePlumbing said:


> ...Aren't you guys allowed to use HDPE underfloors or inside structures?....


Nope. I am under the International Plumbing Code and it only approves HDPE for building sewers, not building drains. It is far superior to PVC in many ways but still not approved.

Would you post some info on the fusing tool you use? I've only used butt fusion but I'd like to see the other options.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

plbgbiz said:


> Would you post some info the the fusing tool you use? I've only used butt fusion but I'd like to see the other options.


I'd like to see that too! :thumbup:

I really enjoy seeing stuff I've never seen before...
Keep the pics coming!:thumbup:


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## PrecisePlumbing (Jan 31, 2011)

I don't have the fusion welder with me today but it's pretty boring lookin anyway. It's simply a nylon covered shoe box lookin thing with a lead and two electrode plugs coming out of it with stop and go buttons and weld cleared lights and weld failed cross. It plugs into these little nipples on the collar shown and heats the coils to fuse the lot together. It's pretty basic but very effective =) the only thing I hate about it is trying to get bows out of the lengths when your doing a straight run. They curve like bannanas if left in the wrong spot. Sometimes it works to your advantage if you need a bit of a sweep and your excavator drivers crosseyed ; )


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Redwood said:


> In your first picture in the center of the pic there is a trapped line with a second line that looks like it is sharing the trap whats with that?


 We do that with floor drains and indirect hub drains here in Seattle all the time.

It is essentially a 'Continuous Waste' set up similar to one you would see under a kitchen sink.


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## SPH (Nov 4, 2008)

Great post, cant wait to see more pics


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## Prscptn Plmbng (Feb 15, 2011)

Widdershins said:


> We do that with floor drains and indirect hub drains here in Seattle all the time.
> 
> It is essentially a 'Continuous Waste' set up similar to one you would see under a kitchen sink.


And no need to install or maintain a trap primer...

Prescription Plumbing Inc 
P.O.Box 6378 
Oceanside, CA 92502


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