Plumbing Plan Overview: Symbols, Accessories, and Legends Explained

Understanding Plumbing Plans: Detailed Overview of Symbols, Accessories Program, and Legend Abbreviations.

Explore the intricacies of plumbing plans, with detailed explanations about common symbols and abbreviations, their relevance to construction, and their practical application. This article provides an in-depth look at how plumbing lines, connections, and ventilation systems are depicted on architectural plans.

Key Insights

  • The article presents a comprehensive breakdown of plumbing plans, including general notes, standard symbols, accessories' program, and mandatory notes that must be fulfilled during construction.
  • It delves into specifics like sink and toilet connections, and the ventilation system behind the tub, emphasizing the importance of accurate measures such as a 1.5-inch diameter pipe for efficient functioning.
  • The article also explains the legend in the plumbing plan, demonstrating how different symbols and letters denote varying plumbing lines, thereby providing an insight into the intricacies of planning and implementation.

Our plumbing plans are very similar to our mechanical and electrical plans, in which we start with a cover sheet. So you can see that we have some general notes, a standard symbol, a program of accessories, mandatory notes that must be definitively fulfilled during construction, and also the symbol and the legend of abbreviations. So, let's look at this condensed detail.

Again, you just see that in this area is where you could have a sink. So they are talking about the sink, the connections that are passing from the sink. We have the trap, and then it will be ventilated to the ceiling.

So you can see how the work line becomes discontinuous. So it is ventilating towards the ceiling, a 1.5-inch diameter pipe ventilating towards the ceiling. And then we are showing it going down to the rest of the building.

In our accessories program, we have the number of items. Item 1 would be the toilet. If I zoom in a little more, you can see that we are talking about the connections in gross.

The size of the pipe that is needed for a drain line, for ventilation. And for the cold water lines that feed the toilet itself. And then you can see that we have a description of that particular toilet.

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So, the same kind of thing is happening, the bathtub, BT-1, requires a 1.5-inch gross connection drain. And a 1.5-inch trap. The ventilation is 1.5 inches.

And again, when you, for example, have a tub and you are going to empty the tub. There has to be a ventilation that goes up behind the wall that allows the air to help the system to eliminate the water. You can see that we are showing a 1.5-inch diameter of cold water entering and a 1.5-inch diameter of hot water entering the tub.

We have our legend, and in the legend you can see that we have different symbols. What usually happens is that we have a line. And then the line has letters inside that detail what is happening here.

So for a gas line, the line that appears has a G in it. For my plumbing drain, an SD. For a condensate drain, a D. So again, the types of plumbing lines usually have letters inside that explain what is happening.

That is our cover sheet.

Al Whitley

AutoCAD and Blueprint Reading Instructor

Al was the Founder and CEO of VDCI | cadteacher for over 20 years. Al passed away in August of 2020. Al’s vision was for the advancement and employment of aspiring young professionals in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industries.

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