Plumbing Installation Information

Subject: Plumbing Installation Information Homeowner; Recently this office received a Plumbing Installation Permit for your property. The permit states the homeowner will be installing the plumbing. Homeowners may install their own plumbing as long as it is for their primary residence and they have submitted a signed affidavit affirming this.

Since you will be installing your own plumbing, we want to take this opportunity to inform you of some of the common mistakes homeowners have made in the past and the required inspections. The plumbing system must be approved prior to occupying the home.

It is the homeowner’s responsibility to schedule any needed inspections prior to covering the plumbing. It is also the homeowner’s responsibility to test all the plumbing and be present during the inspection. Please refer to section 312 of the Ohio plumbing Code for approved testing procedures.

There are usually between two to three inspections for plumbing in a home. The first one is the underground inspection if there is plumbing under the concrete in a basement or a slab home. The second is a rough plumbing inspection of the drain waste and vent system and water lines that are in the walls. The last inspection is the final after all the fixtures are installed.

If one of the plumbing inspections is not approved and a re-inspection is required, the fee is $50 which must be paid prior to the re-inspection.

Inspections are scheduled depending on location. Please refer to the inspection schedule listed below when planning for an inspection.

Please feel free to call the plumbing inspector at 740-385-3030 ext. 242 Tuesday or Thursday between 8:30 AM and 3:00 PM if you have any questions concerning the plumbing code or scheduling a plumbing inspection. Plumbing inspections may be scheduled through the Environmental Office at 740-385-3030 ext. 2.

Plumbing in Hocking County is governed by Sanitary Regulation 5 and must be installed in accordance with the Ohio Plumbing Code. A copy of the code can be viewed on line at http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/st/oh/st/b9v11/index.htm?bu=OH-P-2011-000004 or a code book can be purchased from the Hocking County Health Department. Some of the more common mistakes we have seen are listed below.

1. 1. Sanitary tees used for drainage fittings. (Only allowed for horizontal to vertical flow)
2. 2. Mixing of different materials. (Black & White Pipe)
3. 3. Lack of hangers. (4’ on plastic drain & vent pipe)

(3’ on CPVC water pipe and 32” on PEX water pipe)

1. 4. Lack of protection plates. (3”x 5” for base and top holes, 1 ½”x 3” for middle holes) (protection plates may need to be larger to cover the pipe size)
2. 5. Lack of shut off valves for showers, outside faucets, and at each fixture supply.
3. 6. Covering plumbing prior to inspection.
4. 7. S-traps are not code compliant.
5. 8. No sleeve around drain exiting structure or through any load supporting wall.
6. 9. Vents installed too low.
7. 10. Minimum hot water temperature to be 110F and maximum of 120F at tubs and showers.
8. 11. Vent through roof less than 3”.
9. 12. Lack of a pan on Water Heater.
10. 13. Plastic fittings screwed into Water Heater inlet, outlet and temperature and pressure relief valve. (Must be a brass or dielectric fitting.) (Gas water heaters to have metallic piping 18” above ) (plastic water pipe to be 12” above horizontal flue pipe and 6” from vertical flue pipe)
11. 14. Air Gap on Water Conditioner and Temperature & Pressure Relief Valve drains less than 2”.
12. 15. Hose Bibbs to be anti-siphon and frost-proof.