Avoiding Plumbing Troubles 
PRACTICAL HINTS ON HOUSEHOLD PLUMBING FOR NEW WORK AND REPAIRS — 
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE MAN TO WHOM ALL MODERN PLUMBING LOOKS ALIKE 
by Charles K. Farrington 
W HEN you come to select the plumbing for a new house, 
or purchase some to replace what may be in an old 
house and which needs renewing, you will undoubtedly be puzzled 
to decide what to purchase. You will also find a wide varia¬ 
tion in prices. To an inexperienced person all plumbing looks 
about the same, except it be some decorated fixture such as a 
bath-tub or wash-basin. But a person with a knowledge of 
good and poor plumbing can see much more. Let me tell in 
language which can be understood by the non-technical reader 
how he may determine what kind of plumbing is in a house he 
may wish to purchase; or what would be the best for him to 
use in a home he may be building for himself. The hints will 
also be of service if he is replacing old plumbing with new. 
LEAD OR GALVANIZED IRON PIPE: WHICH IS BEST? 
Galvanized iron pipe is used these days for the hot and cold 
water supply pipes in many houses, but lead is far superior, for 
it will not rust as time passes on. In my own house not a 
single piece of the lead piping has been renewed, although the 
house was built over twenty years ago. Be sure to specify the 
best quality of lead pipe throughout your house. Galvanized 
iron will rust in time. 
THE VALUE OF A 
maker's name 
OR TRADEMARK 
Never allow 
any fixture to be 
used which is not 
marked with the 
maker’s name or 
trade-mark. Poor 
goods are not so 
marked. A manu¬ 
facturer who has 
built up a reputa¬ 
tion by making an 
excellent grade of 
goods will always 
mark them with 
his name, for the 
reason that he de¬ 
sires you to use 
them always. I 
have in mind a brass faucet which was removed because it 
proved unsatisfactory. As I expected, when I examined it it 
had no maker s name upon it. I compared it with the new one 
ynich was to be substituted. There was a great difference. 
The moving parts were much more strongly made, and the 
amount of metal far greater in the new than in the old one. 
The new one was made by a reliable maker, and while it cost 
a little more it was well worth it, for others like it had given long 
service under hard conditions of usage; while the discarded 
one had proved unsatisfactory in a very short time. It continu¬ 
ally allowed the water to run to waste, and as the house in 
which it was had a water meter, there was a large additional 
consumption of water. When one considers that in the average 
home there are twelve faucets (not counting shut-off valves) 
in constant use — two at the kitchen sink, two at the butler’s 
Whether your faucets are for the kitchen 
sink or for the bathroom water-basin, see 
that they bear the maker’s name or trade¬ 
mark. The faucet that is not good enough 
to be stamped with the maker’s name will 
probably not last long 
pantry sink, four in the laundry tubs, two for the bath-tub and 
two for the wash-basin in the bathroom, it will be seen how 
necessary it is to keep them from wasting water. 
Each fixture, 
such as the bath¬ 
tub, wash - basin, 
etc., should also 
have the maker’s 
name upon it. Usu¬ 
ally it is on a label 
pasted on such 
goods; or it may 
be on some metal 
fitting attached to 
them ; or, if the ar¬ 
ticle is porcelain, 
it may be stamped 
on it. But be sure 
it is there. 
Every length of 
leader you may 
use for carrying 
the water from the 
roofs should also 
have the maker’s 
name upon it. Also 
each sheet of tin 
for gutters, val¬ 
leys, or roofing pur¬ 
poses, should like¬ 
wise be stamped. 
Gas piping is usually included in the plumbing contract. Do 
not by any means use a poor quality. I have known of instances 
where leaks have occurred inside walls, and to reach and repair 
them necessitated tearing down much plaster and woodwork, 
which of course was very expensive, not to mention the annoy¬ 
ance it occasioned. Gas liberated within the walls will enter the 
different rooms even some distance away from where the leak 
occurs, and every precaution should be taken to prevent its do¬ 
ing so. Purchase only the best quality of fixtures also. Poor 
fixtures often allow a small quantity of gas to continually escape. 
The lead pipe connections shown, although 
subjected to unusual strains from expan¬ 
sion and contraction, have lasted over 
twenty years and will probably last many 
more. Use lead connections 
INSTAL ONLY A STANDARD MAKE OF RANGE 
Buy only a standard make of range. You will have to pur¬ 
chase new fire-brick, grates, etc., as time goes on, and to find 
that you have a make of stove which is no longer manufac¬ 
tured is very annoying, for you will then be unable to purchase 
these parts. I have known people to be obliged to buy a new 
stove because they could not obtain them. 
It will pay you to investigate carefully before you order any 
furnace or stove, to find out if it has been in use for some time, 
and is made by a company who will be likely to continue in 
business. 
THE QUALITY OF LEADERS, ELBOWS, ETC. 
You will doubtless be puzzled to decide whether to use copper 
leaders, elbow T s, etc., or just galvanized iron ones. Figuring 
copper at fifty-four cents, first-class galvanized iron at twenty, 
(Continued on page 186) 
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