Plumbing 



213 



pipe from the attic tank may be as large as i^ inches, as the branches a:e 

 numerous and the pressure low. 



The stop cock is a shut-off introduced in a length of pipe to stop the flow of 

 water. As it is usually necessary to drain the water from the pipe beyond the 

 supply in case of repairs or to guard against freezing, the cock should be fitted 

 with a waste. This contrivance allows the waste to flow back through an outlet in 

 the cock simultaneously with the shutting off of the water. Thus it is necessary to 

 provide a vessel of some sort to catch the waste. In some instances, notably 

 where the flow of the waste takes a downward turn, with an outlet below, the waste 

 cock is not necessary. 



A stop cock and waste should be provided close to the entry of the supply into 

 the house, and should be capable of draining the entire cold-water system. A plain 

 stop cock should be fitted to the cold-water supply to the boiler near its entry. 

 Other cocks may be distributed so that individual fixtures or groups of fixtures 

 may be cut off without interrupting the main circuit; these are handy in case of 

 repairs. Never put a stop cock in an 

 overflow pipe. 



A tank valve is an automatic cock 

 used to control the flow from the sup- 

 ply pipe into the tank. It consists of a 

 hollow metal ball attached to the end 

 of an arm which is connected with the 

 valve. The ball floats on the water; 

 the lowering of the water opens the sup- 

 ply valve, by downward inclination of 

 the arm; the water, rising, raises the 

 ball, decreasing the flow until the valve 

 is finally closed. If the valve be slow or 

 weak, an increase in the length of the arm 

 or the size of the ball will strengthen it. 



The old-fashioned make of faucets 

 of the groundwork type is now little 

 employed. It was similar to the com- 

 mon wooden spigot used for casks and 

 barrels. The compression cock, the most 

 common form to-day, although made in a 

 variety of types, is closed by the compres- 

 sion of a sliding disk screwed down 

 upon the valve opening; this disk has a 

 washer affixed to it to prevent leakage. 



A variation of the compression cock is the self-closing faucet. In this a 

 spring holds the valve on its seat when not in use, the application of hand 

 pressure being necessary in order to get water. Such an arrangement prevents the 

 dangers attending the leaving of the cock open. By the use of the above little 

 Willie's pleasant pastime of spoiling ceilings is fortunately avoided. With the 

 overflow the running water can do no damage, but the waste is a considerable 



A laundry stove for the heating of flat-irons 



