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Get the plumbing job done
Backflow repair, DWV venting, hydro tests, water mains, pools, service proof, and chemical dosing.
Run the numbers
Plumbing field calculators for sizing, quantities, and loads.
Dehumidifier sizingSize dehumidification for a water loss: AHAM pints per day = affected volume divided by the class factor.Pipe velocity calculatorFind water velocity in a pipe from the flow rate: V = 0.4085 x GPM / diameter squared, in feet per second.Pipe volume calculatorFind the water a pipe holds from its inside diameter and length: V = pi/4 x diameter squared x length, in gallons.Propane runtime calculatorFind how long a propane tank lasts: hours = usable tank energy divided by the appliance BTU load.Fill/drain time calculatorFind how long a tank takes to fill or empty: time = volume divided by flow rate.Tank volume calculatorFind the gallons in a vertical cylindrical tank from its diameter and height: V = pi/4 x diameter squared x height, in gallons.
All Plumbing calculators Check you're ready
Readiness checks before you start the work.
Backflow test readinessCatches the expired cert, the out-of-cal gauge, or the unbled line that gets a clean assembly reported wrong or the report bounced.Confined space readinessA 2 minute check on whether your confined-space entries are permitted, tested, and rescue-ready, before an atmosphere or a would-be rescuer turns one death into three.Fire protection readinessA 2 minute check on whether the sprinklers, fire pump, and standpipes would actually do their job in a fire, before an inspection or an incident finds out for you.Fire restoration readinessA 2 minute check on whether your fire and smoke cleanup matches the soot type, dries the water first, and kills the odor at the source.
All Plumbing readiness checks Choose between options
Side-by-side decision guides with a decision table.
Gravity GI vs grease trapGravity grease interceptor vs Hydromechanical grease trapHeat pump vs gas storageHeat pump water heater vs Gas storage water heaterPEX vs CopperPEX vs Copper pipeSeptic vs municipal sewerSeptic system vs Municipal sewer
All Plumbing comparisons Learn the work
Start with the plumbing pillars, then go deep.
Sewage lift station field guideSize the wet well to the cycle, run duplex pumps that alternate, push the force main fast enough to scour, and prove the alarm and the backup work before anyone walks away.Septic system field guideThe soil treats the wastewater, not the tank. Get the soil evaluation first, size to the flow, protect the field with a filter and no compaction, and permit it with the setbacks the health code demands.Fire sprinkler system design guideClassify the hazard, pick the system type for the space, size the pipe by hydraulic calculation against the water supply, and detail the heads, hangers, and bracing to NFPA 13 and the AHJ.Fire pump and standpipe guideBoost the pressure the city main cannot deliver, carry it up the building to a hose valve on every floor, size the pump to its curve, zone the high-rise, and regulate the pressure that would hurt a firefighter.Wet venting and common vent guideUse one oversized pipe to both drain and vent a bathroom group, tell a wet vent from a common vent, size it by the load it carries, and keep the closet downstream.Water heater typesCompare tank, tankless, heat pump, and condensing water heaters by how they work, what they cost to own, what they need to run, and how to match the type to the job.
All Plumbing field guides Prove it and get paid
Capture the plumbing job in the field, build the proof, and send a clean record.