WATER SUPPLY. The pipe leading from the street main to the building is called the house vonnection or service pipe and is frequently laid, at least as far as the curb or sidewalk line, by the water department. The service pipe, and the water pipe system within the house as well, may be of lead or wrought iron; or if the building be large, the main piping may be of cast iron. In highly finished, expensive work, brass or nickel-plated pipe is sometimes used, and copper may be employed for hot-water piping. As some waters attack and decompose lead and give rise to lead poisoning, the materials for service and house piping should be chosen accordingly. (See SANITARY LAWS; WATER-WORKS.) A valve at the sidewalk enables the water department to turn on or shut off the water to the consumer at will, and another valve, just inside the cellar wall, permits the householder to control the house supply from that point also. The water butler's pantry, and, in large houses and semi public and public buildings, in various other places. Most commonly they are of iron, and have hot and cold water. Laundry tubs are placed in a separate room or in the kitchen, and consist of two or more rectangular compart ments, with the front side sloping, provided with hot and cold water, and composed of soapstone, artificial stone, cement, iron, or other material, with or without hinged wooden covers.
chief essential in the material for laundry tubs is lack of porosity, on which account wood, with its high absorbing quality, is unsuitable. Net wash bowls are provided in bathrooms and lay meter, if employed, is generally placed just in side the latter shut-off valve. Except in the smaller and cheaper houses the water piping is mostly in duplicate, one set of pipes being for hot and one for cold water. The water is heated by circulating through a pipe or a water back at the rear of the kitchen range, from which it goes for storage to the kitchen o• range boiler. These boilers are made of wrought iron, steel, o• cop per, with riveted joints, and should be tested to withstand a high pressure. When the water sup ply is liable to be inadequate at times, or when the direct pressure is too heavy for safety to the plumbing, a tank is provided in the upper part of the building. great care is necessary to secure and maintain water-tightness. Tanks must be provided with automatic valves to in sure a constant supply therein, and to prevent water going to the tanks when full; also with overflow or waste pipes.