All drain, air or waste pipes and connections are immediately examined and any odor of peppermint detected will be evidence of a defect which must be remedied. Great care must be taken in apply ing this test which should be done by separate parties, one outside and one inside of the house, and no direct communication should be held until the test is pronounced satisfactory.
Another method of applying the peppermint test is to close all vent pipes and vaporize the oil of peppermint in the receiver of a small air pump, and then force the vapor into the system under pres sure. The receiver is provides] with a gauge so that any leak will cause a fall in the mercury' and can then be located by the odor of the peppermint.
The smoke test is required in our case and is done by closing the system as for the peppermint test and forcing into the pipes smoke from oily waste or some similar substance by means of a bel lows. When the pipes are filled and a slight pressure produced it is shown by a float which rises and remains in this position if the joints are tight. If there is a leak the float falls as soon as the bel lows are stopped and the leak may be located by the issuing of smoke from the joint. Special machines are to be bought for making these tests, which should be clone in the presence of the architect or superintendent.
Fixtures. In general, the ideal of any kind of plumbing fix tures consists of a bowl, tub or closet in one piece, supplied by a sure and quick flow of water, and emptied by a simple and ample dis charge. The superintendent should see that the quality and pattern are as called for by the specifications, that they are perfect in every respect and set up in a workmanlike manner. In regard to closets there are several types from which to choose. The simplest of these is the "short hopper". This consists of an earthenware bowl (Fig. 46), and a trap, the latter being sometimes made of earthenware, and often a lead or iron trap to which the bowl is bolted (Fig. 47), the contents being washed into the soil pipe by a discharge of water all around the top rim, which is curled over and perfo rated or brought to a narrow opening.
An improvement of this form known as the "wash down" closet (Fig. 48), in which a deeper trap and a larger water area is formed than that made by the regular hopper and trap, is a well-known pattern. This closet requires a large flush of water to remove the
contents and is somewhat noisy on that account. To overcome this and to assist in the discharge as well, there has been invented what is known as the "syphon-jet" closet. (Fig. 49.) In this closet a small inlet in the bottom of the basin is connected with the flush pipe, so that when the bowl is flushed a jet of water shall be projected upward which assists in removing the contents of the basin and also in filling the outlet, which is contracted somewhat, in order that the flow of water may fill it completely and produce on a large scale the vacuum as viously described in relation to the S-trap, so that the pressure of the air upon the water in the basin helps to push out the contents. An objection to the jet is found in houses which are to be left cupied during the winter, since the water which is to be thrown out to form the jet remains in the bowl even when the trap has been emptied, and requires especial attention. Another form of syphon closet produces the syphonic action without the jet by making a sud den turn in the outlet pipe, which causes the flush of water to com pletely fill the pipe and produce a vacuum with the same result as described. A type of closet called the "washout" closet was formerly much in vogue (Fig. 50), but it is not so positive in its action as the others described, and is less popular than formerly.
Connections and Vents.
Close attention should be paid to the connection between the closet and the soil pipe as this, except in the case of the hopper closet with metal trap, will come on the sewer side of the trap and must be made abso lutely tight. Some of the best closets arc constructed so that the connection shall be under water and any leak will at once betray itself. (A, F ig. 48.) Another pat ented connection retains about a pint of water in a ring where the connection is made, which will appear upon the floor if the connection is not perfect. The connection from this point to the soil pipe is usually made with a lead bend, which is caulked, by means of a brass ferrule, into the soil pipe.