Hello, I have a question about the water supply configuration in a very small (600 sq ft) bungalow with an unfinished full basement. It was built in 1953 (Edmonton, Canada) and was my home growing up, so I know that various pieces were added by my dad (who worked construction but not as a plumber ). It is a mix of ½ inch copper and galvanized pipe, nothing newer than 30 years old. I use the house as a personal studio/working space, not as a residence, so the water demands are quite light: toilet, sinks, outdoor yard use and very occasionally a load of wash. This winter the furnace went out and a lot of the connections between the galvanized pipes popped open. Fortunately, I had the water shut off to the house, but unfortunately had not drained the pipes (life lesson learned). No real damage though because the water emptied onto a cement floor with a drain. (Not too sure about the water heater, as it was set on low, but that’s another story.)

Anyway, instead of focusing on the negative, I’m thinking it’s a chance to replace the old piping with PEX, and to check with some experienced people about how the lines are set up. Some things look not right (like pipes running directly on a cement wall without any form of insulation) and others make me wonder if there is a better way to do things. I don’t want to invest a lot of money in the project because the house is essentially a tear-down although it suits my purposes as a studio space. I plan to do the work myself and connect to the existing copper, keeping the fixtures upstairs intact.

I’m posting the current configuration and a few others I doodled, hoping someone will let me know if there are better alternatives, or if I should just follow the current design. The only thing I can’t move is the water heater and (obviously) the main supply line, but anything in the basement level is open to change. The current setup works fine, I just wonder if less is more when it comes to the number of lines and tees.
Any comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Current configuration: shower, washer and sink added between 1975 and 1980-ish. [drive.google.com]

A few ideas, none of which might work, but if there's one better than the others, please let me know! Or suggest something better? Again, thanks for reading!

2 [drive.google.com]
3 [drive.google.com]
4 [drive.google.com]
6 [drive.google.com]



Edited 1 times.

either 4 or 6 looks good to me

or

the original is also good

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

Thank you for reviewing. I'm guessing that the cold water run to the upstairs fixtures was too long in 2 and 3? I will probably go with a blend of the original configuration and 6 (adding a remote manifold and shut off to the downstairs fixtures so I can have them shut off when not in use). It gives me peace of mind to know that the plan is reasonable before I get started on the job.

One last question: for the below-grade cement wall, would you put some insulation between that and any pipes running down it? I don't intend on finishing the basement, but could stick some polystyrene behind them if that will help prevent any future problems.

Thanks again to all the members and mods on this board for your time and for sharing your knowledge!
Cheers,



Edited 1 times.

insulation merely SLOWS temperature loss

it may, or may not, prevent a freeze up



drain when away in the winter

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638