Residential cabins help with healthy living by providing the most natural ambience and living conditions. However, constructing a residential cabin is more complicated than building a regular traditional house. One of the most complicated and difficult part of constructing a log cabin is the identification and installation of the plumbing system. The plumbing system requires due consideration and planning because it is essential to have a system in place that allows for easy draining of sewage water out of the cabin and bringing clean and fresh water into the home. It is also critical to ensure that the plumbing should not be faulty to result in the mixing of fresh and sewage water and there is no water logging.
For transporting fresh water from the fresh water source like the storage or a well, polyethylene or galvanised steel pipes are good options. Galvanised steel pipes are stronger but are not ideal for hot water pipe lines. Also, polyethylene pipes are more flexible and therefore more suited for residential cabins. Likewise the pumps used for pumping the water out of cisterns, water storage tanks and wells must be compatible with the requirements of the residential cabins. The suction capacity of these pumps is based on the height of the log cabin above the sea level and is reduced by a foot for every 1000 feet over sea level. It is therefore critical to know the height of the location above the sea level where the residential cabin is being constructed and accordingly the right pumps must be used. The selection of the pump must also be based on the height of the storage tank to which the pump will lift the water. Pumps have specific capacities for lifting water to specific heights and therefore a pump with the capacity to lift the water to the level of the storage tank must be installed as part of the plumbing system.
The pipes used in the plumbing system must be installed appropriately while the residential cabin is being constructed. These pipes are fitted on the interior walls and the pipes and fixtures generally run through the walls. It is therefore important to get them rightly installed while the cabin is being constructed as it will be difficult to change them later. Installing the pipes on the internal walls prevents them from harsh weather conditions. It is important to ensure that the fixtures are properly installed to avoid leakages of any kind.
Drain pipes need due care while selecting them and also while installation. These pipes carry sewage out of the house to the disposal bin. The sewage generally contain elements that result in the corrosion of the pipes and can cause significant damage to them over a period of time. Hence, pipes of good quality must be bought so that they have minimum corrosion over time. Also, they must be installed carefully in order to prevent them from getting damaged in the process of installation. As these pipes would also be installed on the internal walls of the residential cabin, repairing or replacing them frequently is not a viable option.
Vent pipes of the air conditioners should also preferably installed on the internal wall to protect them from the harshness of the weather. If the wooden cabin is situated in a location that has low temperatures and severe winters, there is a possibility that the pipes would get frozen and therefore they must preferably be in the interiors rather than the exteriors. For the lines that supply hot and cold water, copper pipes can be used. The diameter of the standard supply lines is generally around half of an inch and this is sufficient for supplying water to kitchen or regular bathroom. For Jacuzzi tubs, pipes with diameter of ¾ inch are ideal.
Once the pipes have been installed appropriately, it is crucial to have the right quality septic tanks installed. It is equally critical to determine the location of the septic tank especially if the residential cabin has been constructed in a cold region. The pipe connected to the outlet and inlay of the septic tank as well as the tank itself must be sufficiently below the frost line specified for the region where the tank is installed. The water storage tanks and pipes must ensure such precautions being taken to avoid freezing of the water in the tanks. The pipes used in the toilet for flushing and the flush tank must also be of good quality to avoid any leaks.
In case of residential cabins, the quality of the overall plumbing system and its individual components must be good to avoid any hassles later. Since the plumbing system has several requirements like the storage tanks, sewage system and outlay, septic tanks, water storage tanks and pumps, the approval from the local authorities must be obtain and all the elements of the plumbing system and its quality must be according to the specifications and approvals from the local authorities.
The manner in which a plumbing system is installed and managed determines its efficiency and most importantly help avoid additional costs that might be incurred if the quality of the plumbing system in not good. Since most of the plumbing system has pipes that run through the internal walls and tanks that are installed based on various environmental requirements, it is not possible to easily replace them without causing significant damage to the cabin itself. This will result in significant costs in terms of repair and maintenance.
Similarly, if the plumbing system is not in accordance with the guidelines of the local authorities, the authorities might penalise the owner of the log house and would require that the system or a specific part of the plumbing system be replaced. This will incur huge financial cost. To ensure that such instances are avoided, it is advisable to hire the services of a local plumbing expert who is well aware of the environmental and regulatory requirements of the particular region where the residential cabin is being built. Such an expert is best placed to determine the structure of the plumbing system.
