Plumbing In A High Rise Condo

mdshunk

How do you coordinate plumbing in a high-rise condo building? Say, for instance, you need to replace some shutoffs, or do a major remodel and tear out many of the water lines for a repipe. How do you get the building's water supply shut down? Does each unit typically have a main shutoff someplace? Do you have to pay the condo association a fee or fine to get the building's water supply shut down for a period of time? Do you just ask the building engineer real nice and he shuts the pumps and the water line for you? Are there pre-scheduled times during the year where work like this can be done? Do you say to heck with it all and use pipe freezing equipment? Do it live with towels and hold your thumb over the end and slam on a Sharkbite?

precisionbuild

You typically should be able to shut off what you need to fairly easily. Get with the maintenance guy. He's your best friend in this situation.

KillerToiletSpider

In the older buildings we usually schedule a riser shutdown, or even a series of riser shutdowns if it is a complete remodel, on newer buildings they generally have isolation valves on each riser in the unit itself. If space allows we have frozen branch lines and added valves, but that is rarely the case as wet columns are generally kept as small as possible. Live is not really an option, especially in the older buildings, they have no PRV's and on the lower floors the pressure can be over a hundred pounds depending on the height of the building.

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A flush is better than a full house.

Mike Finley

Like they said, each situation will most likely be different, we have the customer contact the super in the building to find out what the procedure is. They usually want a time frame for how long you need it off and usually dictate a window when it's even possible, such as after most people have had a chance to shower and get to work and before dinner time.

MALCO.New.York

What you do is post a Note stating that there will be a "Water Service Interruption" on ***X from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Do as much as can be done each day.

Most unit should have a shut of as well as "Zones".

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Something to One may be Nothing to another!

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bwalley

I think you hire a Licensed Plumber to do plumbing, not an Electrician.

You wouldn't hire an Plumber to upgrade an electrical service, would you?

MALCO.New.York

He IS Licensed! If I recall.

__________________
Something to One may be Nothing to another!

Ultimate Wisdom---------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW-cnizLDEE

bwalley

Here is what I read in his Bio, I didn't see anything about being a licensed Plumber,IMO if the guy is a licensed Plumber, it should be in his bio.

<LI class=profilefield_category>About mdshunk Location Central PA My Contracting Trade Electrical; Commercial and Residential Service

I would think a Licensed Plumber should know the answer to his question.

I am not a Licensed plumber Yet, I take the test next month, so I don't do any plumbing work or portray myself as a Plumbing Contractor, I am a Certified Building Contractor and Certified A/C Contractor in Florida.

BTW Forida is the hardest state in the US to get a contractors license in.

reveivl

You aren't gonna be one of those people who will say 'ask a plumber' to anyone not a licensed plumber (or whichever trade) asking a question are you? There has been more and more of that happening, and I find it unfortunate, and unnecessary. I find information about all the trades interesting and want to know. Not so I can steal someones job or do hack work on the side, but because it interests me and very possibly might make me do my job better so the next trade can do his job better..

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From where does knowledge come? If you need to know what is in a box, you could ask someone (not reliable), you could pray, (not useful), you can consult with the scripture (not helpful) or you could open the box (science)

bwalley

This guy is an unlicensed contractor, which in Florida is Illegal.

I thought CT was for Licensed contractors, not DIY or Unlicensed guys.

mdshunk

So far, nobody's talked about actually doing any plumbing. It was simply a question spawned by another post regarding shower valves. Just calm it down 3 or 4 notches and nobody will get hurt. I've been posting here for years and am approaching 10,000 posts. Most people know my story, but I'll forgive a newbie with 43 posts. I'm proud to tell you that I have a great many electrical licenses and two plumbing licenses, as well as my refrigerant certification. I'm not the guy you want doing any plumbing in a highrise, I'll quickly admit, however. There are several options to coordinate the shutdown in a highrise, and my question was more of a poll to get a more broad idea of which method is most favored. I have to coordinate shutdowns regularly for electrical work, and sometimes it can be brutal the hoops you're expected to jump through. Anything else nosy you want to know? I have 3 kids and 3 dogs and one wife. My ATM card PIN is....

bwalley

Typically in a highrise.

Each floor can be shut off individually.

Each individual unit can be shut off, inside each unit

The shower/tub valves should have internal stops, the toilet's, sinks, lavatories, DW, and washing machine should have a stop valve, the water heater should have a shutoff on the cold water supply, but should not have a shut off on the hot water outlet.

I don't even have my plumbing license yet and I knew the answer.

KillerToiletSpider

It wasn't the right answer, but it was an answer.

__________________
A flush is better than a full house.

bwalley

What is the correct answer?

KillerToiletSpider

And deprive myself the entertainment of watching you act like you know all the answers?

How many high rises have you designed the plumbing systems for?

__________________
A flush is better than a full house.

ct plumber

You dont just mail it in with a check like CT,no test up here any retard can call himself a builder,most plumbers up here no more then the builders.LOL

bwalley

Florida is the hardest state in the country to get a contractors license in.

I already am a Certified Building Contractor and Certified A/C Contractor, will be testing the 17th of next month for Certified Plumbing Contractor.

The Certified Building Contractors test was 19 hours over a 2 day period, since I already have a Certified Contractors License, I will only have to take the technical portion of the Certified Plumbers test which is 2 parts 4 hours 45 minutes each, which includes having to draw 5 isometrics, you can not fail the isometrics and pass the test.

In Florida there are two types of contractors, Registered which means they took a county test and may or may not be able to work in other counties, and certified, which is a state test and can work anywhere in the state.

The test for the certified contractor is more difficult than the registered contractor.

bwalley

None.

Never claimed to be a designer or a licensed plumber.

I have never designed a truck or a car either, but I know how to work on them and drive them.

In Florida Architects or P.E.'s design plumbing systems in a Highrise, unless it is under $50,000 in value, but I know how to, it is part of the test questions I will be asked next month.

Please explain where I was wrong in my previous answer if you can.

mdshunk

I humbly submit that the typical anything does not exist.

bwalley

I agree.