What size are drain pipes UK?
The most common sizes of waste pipe in the UK are 32mm, 40mm and 50mm. A 32mm waste pipe is typically used for appliances that present low volumes of water to the system (e.g. small hand basins), while 40mm is normally used for kitchen sinks, showers and baths.
The most common size pipe for modern drains is 1 1/2 inches in diameter, but there are also 2-inch and 3-inch pipes available. Some older sinks may have even smaller pipes like 1 1/4-inch in diameter but these are not as common. If you have a standard kitchen sink drain, then a 1 1/2-inch pipe is typically sufficient.
Sewer Drain Pipes
Standard size pipe such as the 110mm drainage pipe or 160mm drainage pipe in diameter, which is sufficient to carry waste in most sewer systems, however for heavy duty applications there are larger sizes of PVC pipe on the market if required.
For a domestic water supply in the UK, 25mm is the standard size and is sufficient in most cases. In some cases, 32mm may be preferred. This size is slightly more expensive but not significantly more than the smaller options. At Fastbuild, we stock both 25mm and 32mm MDPE pipes with various lengths available.
Pipes should be either:
bedded on granular material, minimum 100mm deep, or. laid directly on the trench bottom, where the trench bottom can be accurately hand trimmed with a shovel but is not so soft that it puddles when walked on.
between 75 cm and 135 cm deep from the finished ground level. The minimum depth is to ensure frost protection (under normal UK conditions) and the maximum depth is to ensure reasonable access for repairs.
In the UK the most common size of PVC underground drainage pipe for domestic housing is 110mm. (This refers to the outside diameter of the pipe). When a number of houses are joined to the same drainage system, 160mm pipe is generally used for the pipe carrying the main flow.
Drain pipes shall be sized according to drainage fixture unit (d.f.u.) loads. The size of the drainage piping shall not be reduced in size in the direction of flow.
- Wrap a string around the pipe.
- Mark the point where the string touches together.
- Use a ruler or measuring tape to find the length between the tip of the string and the mark you made (circumference)
- Divide the circumference by 3.14159.
Find the outside diameter of your pipe to the nearest millimetre, use a tape measure or vernier gauge. Then find this size down the left hand column, read across the four coloured columns on the right to find the group and description for your size pipe.
What size is residential toilet drain pipe?
A lavatory requires a 1 ¼ minimum drain and vent pipe size.
Pipe Size. According to foundation repair experts, a typical French drain system in a residential home has a four-inch diameter. But if the area experiences a high volume of water, it might be suitable to install six or eight-inch pipes.
British Standard Pipe fittings are among the most popular of all foreign threads in the world today. These threads come in two versions: parallel (BSPP), and tapered (BSPT). The thread flank angle for both tapered and parallel British threads is 55°. Although BSP is a foreign thread, it isn't actually metric.
BSP Thread Size | Outside Diameter mm / inch | TPI |
---|---|---|
1/4 Inch BSP | 13.16 mm / 0.518" | 19 |
3/8 Inch BSP | 16.66 mm / 0.656" | 19 |
1/2 Inch BSP | 20.99 mm / 0.825" | 14 |
5/8 Inch BSP | 22.99 mm / 0.902" | 14 |
The most common standard diameters are as follow: 0.5 inch (15 mm), 0.75 inch (20 mm), 1 inch (25 mm), 1.5 inch (40 mm), 2 inch (50 mm), 3 inch (80 mm), 4 inch (100 mm), 6 inch (150 mm), 8 inch (200 mm), 10 inch (250 mm), 12 inch (300 mm), 14 inch (350 mm), 16 inch (400 mm), 18 inch (450 mm), 20 inch (500 mm), 22 inch ...
It is stated by 'The Department of the Environment' that in order for soil to act as an insulator for the pipes and avoid freezing, you should bury your water pipes and MDPE pipes 600mm deep or two feet.
Laying your water pipe
The water service pipe should be laid between 750mm- 1350mm below ground, on a bed of sand, ducted and insulated as it enters the property and should be fitted with an internal stop tap and a compression fitted cap end. It's most commonly laid on private land up to the highway boundary.
Underground Drainage Pipe and Fittings
We supply Underground Drainage Pipes in 82mm,110mm pipe fittings,160mm,200mm,250mm, 315mm and 400mm (Outside Diameter) and a full range of Underground Drainage fittings to complement the underground drainage pipe.
For less than 1l/s, a fall of 1:40 (25mm per metre) is appropriate. For discharge from any WC, a fall of 1:80 (12.5mm per metre) is recommended.
Soil and waste pipe system design and installation
The most important bit of obvious advice ever: soil and waste pipes need to be on a downhill gradient! The “fall” or “drop” should be between 1/40 (1cm down for every 40cm across) and 1/110.
How deep are pipes in walls UK?
Building regulations for chasing pipes into a wall
Any chases that are vertical cannot be made any deeper than 33% of the wall's thickness. For example, if your wall is 100mm thick, your chase cannot be more than 33mm deep.
On average, trenches should be around 12-24 inches-deep, and wide enough to house your pipe comfortably before filling it in with soil and sod. As we've mentioned, in cold weather regions, this will need to be deeper or you'll have problems with your sewage freezing.
It's not about size. It's about water pressure. If the sewer line were larger, the water pressure would spread out and slow down your waste flow. Because the pipes are smaller, the waste flow is more focused.
DIAMETER OF PIPE (inches) | MAXIMUM NUMBER OF DRAINAGE FIXTURE UNITS (dfu) | |
---|---|---|
4 | 160 | 240 |
5 | 360 | 540 |
6 | 620 | 960 |
8 | 1,400 | 2,200 |
Iron Pipe Size (IPS)
Iron Pipe Sizing is the most popular and commonly found in general piping and industrial applications.
The most common PVC pipe sizes are 1½ inches (used as drain pipes for kitchen sinks, bathroom vanity, and tubs), 2 inches (used as drain pipes for washing machines and shower stalls), 3 inches (used in piping toilets), and 4 inches (used to connect homes to sewer system).
Fixture or Appliance | Cold Water Pipe | Hot Water Pipe |
---|---|---|
Kitchen Sink | ½” | ½” |
Dishwasher | 3/8” to ½” | 3/8” to ½” |
Washing Machine | ½” | ½” |
Laundry Sink | 1/2” | ½” |
All plastic pipe is measured on the outside diameter of the pipe, not the inside diameter. This is because the pipe needs to fit into the socket. The pressure rating of the pipe has no significance.
NPS | DN | OD in (mm) |
---|---|---|
1/2” | 15 | 0.840 (21.34) |
3/4” | 20 | 1.050 (26.67) |
1” | 25 | 1.315 (33.40) |
1-1/4” | 32 | 1.660 (42.16) |
NPS | OUTSIDE DIAMETER (IN) | INSIDE DIAMETER (IN) |
---|---|---|
3/4 | 1.050" | 0.824" |
1 | 1.315" | 1.049" |
1-1/4 | 1.660" | 1.380" |
1-1/2 | 1.900" | 1.610" |
What size are domestic drain pipes?
Land drain pipes are available in 60mm, 80mm, 100mm, 160mm and 200mm diameters.
The most common size of copper pipe has an outer diameter of 15mm, although you might find smaller sizes (10mm) feeding monobloc taps and radiators, and larger sizes (22mm and 28mm) feeding baths, storage cisterns, tanks and boilers.
No more than four water closets or bathroom groups shall be installed on a 3" horizontal fixture branch. EXCEPTION: Where the water closets are rated 3.5 gallons or more per flush, no more than two water closets or bathroom groups shall be permitted.
PVC, or Polyvinyl Chloride pipes, is the best option for underground water drainage. PVC pipes are designed to withstand pressure and are highly durable. Moreover, they are malleable and come in several different sizes. PVC drainage pipes are also very eco-friendly, which makes them a popular choice among homeowners.
French drain depth: About 8 inches to 2 feet deep should be sufficient for many water-diverting projects, though related systems, such as those built around foundations and sub-ground living spaces, as well as the bases of retaining walls, may be deeper.
PVC-U is the most common PVC type for pipes and fittings including transportation of drinking water, soil and waste, sewage and underground drainage and industrial applications.
Plumbing in France is no different to the UK except for the component sizes (in France they don't use a 15mm supply pipes like the UK). Although lots of things like waste pipes are the same. If you have UK fittings to install, don't despair! There is a simple and cost effective solution.
BSP threads come in two different variants:
The way to tell the difference between the two is the flank angle. The flank angle for NPT is 60° compared to the BSP tapered which is 55° (this can be verified with a thread gauge). BSP threads are measured in imperial measurements such as 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 etc.
The United Kingdom has its own standard of pipe fittings BS1965 and flange BS4504, but since they belong to the European Union for many years, the European standards EN10253 and EN1092 are often used instead.
Common Waste Pipe Sizes in the UK
40mm – Used under kitchen sinks and also bathroom showers/baths. 50mm – Less popular and usually found in commercial buildings, occasionally seen in larger residential dwellings. 110mm – This is the soil pipe, used from the toilet and as a primary drainpipe on the property.
How many mm is a 3 4 inch plumbing fitting?
3/4" about 10 to 14mm.
Imperial sizes are measured using the approximate bore diameter, for instance the outside diameter of 1/2″ copper pipe is about 15mm and 3/4″ is about 22mm and 28mm is about 1 inch in diameter.
Piping standards define application design and construction rules and requirements for piping components as flanges, elbows, tees, valves etc. - how to do it. A standard has a limited scope defined by the standard.
They're typically 110mm, whereas waste pipes are more likely 21.5mm, 32mm or 40mm, depending on exactly where they're used.
The inside diameter of a 4-inch schedule 40 is 4.029″. The outside diameter is 4.50″, which gives the wall thickness around 1/4 inch.
The string method (which measures the pipe's circumference) is probably the best way to determine your pipe diameter size. The circumference is the distance it takes to go around the pipe once.
Plastic (ABS, PVC) Sewer Pipes
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, plastic sewer pipes became the best choice for new lines. Plastic is cheap and easy to install and transport. Because plastic pipes fit tighter than cast iron or clay pipes, tree roots rarely get into the joints.
Copper. If your house is from the 1960s, there's a chance you have copper pipes. Copper pipes are one of the best types of pipes you can have.
In the 1950s, ductile iron pipe was introduced as an improvement on cast iron. It has higher strength and similar corrosion resistance, making it an attractive material for water and wastewater uses. Similar to cast iron, there were also many types of linings developed to prevent corrosion in line interiors.
If you have a small area that needs draining, a 4-inch pipe may be all you need. However, if you're working with a larger space, you may need multiple 4-inch pipes or a larger diameter pipe. Second, think about the amount of water you need to move.
How many toilets can be on a 4-inch drain?
DIAMETER OF PIPE (inches) | MAXIMUM NUMBER OF DRAINAGE FIXTURE UNITS (dfu) | |
---|---|---|
4 | 160 | 240 |
5 | 360 | 540 |
6 | 620 | 960 |
8 | 1,400 | 2,200 |
Fixture or Appliance | Cold Water Pipe | Hot Water Pipe |
---|---|---|
Kitchen Sink | ½” | ½” |
Dishwasher | 3/8” to ½” | 3/8” to ½” |
Washing Machine | ½” | ½” |
Laundry Sink | 1/2” | ½” |
Commonly used sizes are 1⁄8, 1⁄4, 3⁄8, 1⁄2, 3⁄4, 1, 11⁄4, 11⁄2, 2, 21⁄2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 inch, as pipe and fittings by most US suppliers. Sizes smaller than 1⁄8 inch are occasionally used for compressed air, while sizes larger than 6 inches are often joined by other methods.
ABS waste pipes are available in three size options. 32mm is generally used for washbasins and bidets, 40mm is used for baths, showers, kitchen sinks and dishwashers. 50mm waste is commonly used for commercial applications or where a number of waste pipes come together in a single flow.