Water quality in housing, especially for human consumption is a priority. For this, the legislation requires that the equipment meets health requirements. First, the size of the installation must be in line with the flow and pressure of it. As for materials, pipes and fittings should not show pollutant concentrations that exceed the permitted values. What is appropriate is that the pipes are copper or PVC. In fact, lead facilities are obsolete and there is a general tendency to disappear. The materials used must not alter “the drinking, smell, color or taste of water. Nor should promote the migration of substances in quantities that pose a risk to the safety of water, provides the Basic Document HS of Health of the Technical Building Code.
This rule also determines that the pipes are corrosion resistant interior, able to function “effectively” in the conditions of service provided, not to electrochemical incompatibility with each other, withstanding temperatures of up to 40 ยบ C and be compatible with the water supplied. Ultimately, the installation must have appropriate characteristics to prevent the development of germs. Valve systems prevent sewage-that is escaping through the drain-back to the grid. To do this, make sure that the facility has with these systems at strategic points, and after the counters or before refrigeration and air conditioning.
Other ways to prevent the return of the water taps are to enable that serve to drain any stretch of the network, not to connect the bathroom water supply facilities to disposal facilities and ensuring that the arrival of water for different appliances and equipment is carried so that there are no returns. The devices themselves should prevent the return of the water that has left them. In this sense, bathtubs, toilets, bidets, sinks or even a hand shower sprays, should have built a device valve. The same rule applies to facilities that have a water treatment system.
Regarding the design, the pipe network must be accessible for care and repair. In addition, we have to separate the cold water pipes and hot water so that the first are not affected by heat sources. The minimum distance is four inches. With respect to gas pipelines, should be kept at least three feet away, while the electrical / electronic devices and telecommunication networks have to be at a parallel distance of at least 30 centimeters.
