Understanding Plumbing Drawings: Storm Drains and Sanitary Drains on Level 4, Part A

Analyzing Plumbing Drawings for Storm and Sanitary Drain Systems on Level 4, Part A of the Building

Explore the intricacies of plumbing designs in a building, focusing on how different systems are represented and function. Gain an understanding of how storm and sanitary drain systems are displayed in drawings and the calculations that drive their designs.

Key Insights

  • The plumbing drawing shows two core types of information: structures of storm drains and sanitary drains; the storm drains are depicted with heavier lines.
  • Keynotes and general notes are included in the drawing to give detailed information, such as pipe diameters, which are calculated based on the load placed on the system by the building occupants.
  • Sanitary lines, representing drains from sinks, toilets, and tubs, are shown as dashed lines feeding into the main waistline, ensuring consistent flow throughout the building.

Note: These materials offer prospective students a preview of how our classes are structured. Students enrolled in this course will receive access to the full set of materials, including video lectures, project-based assignments, and instructor feedback.

Let's look at another plumbing drawing on level 4 in part A of the building. We have a keynote legend and some general notes. When we zoom in, we're going to notice that we are really showing two different types of information.

We're showing the storm drains and we're showing the sanitary drains. So this heavier line right here is the storm drain. There are keynotes.

We can see that it's six inches. This is coming from the roof drain up on the roof. It comes down, goes over, turns in, and continues down the building through walls stacked between the floors.

There's another storm drain up here. It comes down, ties in, and runs between the walls. The lines that are dashed represent the sanitary lines.

This is the drain—from the sink, the toilet, and the tub. So here's the drain.

Learn Blueprint Reading

  • Nationally accredited
  • Create your own portfolio
  • Free student software
  • Learn at your convenience
  • Authorized Autodesk training center

Learn More

It's feeding into the four-inch waste line. Same behind the toilet, behind the sink, into the waste line, alongside the other suite, and it turns down, comes over, and goes down the wall right through there. So again, this kitchen sink feeds into the same line and goes down.

This vanity sink and toilet feed in and go down. The same thing is happening with this bathroom. It's coming in, going down the wall.

So it's another way of feeding into the system. Again, over here, these fixtures are feeding into the lines that go down the wall. So you can see we have consistency.

There are keynotes. We're coming from each of these sinks, collecting here, going through, collecting down here, and then going down the wall over here. We have another storm drain system.

So here's the roof drain coming down, coming in, collecting with this one, and going down the wall. And there are no real surprises. We have the storm drain systems, and we have the sanitary systems.

And when the engineer does their work, they're calculating the load that each of these systems will accommodate. So the diameters of the pipe are driven by the load that's being placed upon the system by the occupants in the building. Let's move on to our next drawing.

Al Whitley

AutoCAD and Blueprint Reading Instructor

Al was the Founder and CEO of VDCI | cadteacher for over 20 years. Al passed away in August of 2020. Al’s vision was for the advancement and employment of aspiring young professionals in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industries.

More articles by Al Whitley

How to Learn Blueprint Reading

Gain the ability to interpret and create technical blueprints for construction and engineering projects with comprehensive training.

Yelp Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Twitter Instagram