CT Plumber cheat sheet

Connecticut plumbers are licensed by the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) under Conn. Gen. Stat. Chapter 393; the Plumbing and Piping Work Board advises DCP on licensing and code matters.

License tiers are P-1 (journeyperson) and P-2 (master); an apprentice (P-7) may perform plumbing work only under direct supervision of a licensed P-1 or P-2.

The State Plumbing Code is the Connecticut State Building Code's Plumbing Code, based on the International Plumbing Code with Connecticut amendments; local ordinances may be stricter but not less stringent.

Permits are required before installation, alteration, replacement, or repair of plumbing systems except ordinary minor repairs; work without a permit is a code violation subject to stop-work orders and fines.

A permit is valid for 180 days and may be extended; inspections must be requested at required stages (underground, rough-in, final) before concealment of piping.

Code administration follows the appeal chain: local building official, then the State Building Code Standards Committee (with DCP involvement for licensing matters).

Only a licensed contractor may contract for plumbing work; a P-2 may hold the license for a plumbing contracting business, and a P-1 may work only under such a contractor's authority.

Continuing education and license renewal occur on a fixed cycle; practicing on an expired or suspended license is grounds for disciplinary action and civil penalties.

Connecticut amendments supersede model-code text where they conflict; when the code is silent, manufacturer instructions and accepted engineering practice govern.

All plumbing materials, fixtures, and devices must be listed by a recognized testing agency (e.g., ASSE, CSA, UL) and installed per the manufacturer's instructions.

A minimum 1-inch air gap or an approved backflow prevention assembly is required at every cross-connection; RPZ assemblies are tested at installation and annually.

Water heaters must be protected by a temperature and pressure relief valve piped full size to a safe point of discharge, with no trap and no reduction in pipe size.

Combustion air and venting for fuel-fired appliances must conform to the code; safety devices (spill switches, flame rollout switches) may not be bypassed.

Plumbing work must not be concealed before inspection; rough-in inspections are required after piping is installed but before covering.

Pipes must be protected from freezing, corrosion, and physical damage; sleeves are required where piping passes through foundations or masonry.

Excavations for underground piping deeper than 5 feet require shoring or sloping; trenching safety follows OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P.

Piping must be supported at code intervals and not used to support other loads; hangers, anchors, and guides must allow for thermal expansion.

Water pressure must be controlled: where static pressure exceeds 80 psi, a pressure-reducing valve is required; thermal expansion control is required on closed systems.

Water closets may not exceed 1.6 gallons per flush; urinals may not exceed 1.0 gpf; residential showerheads are limited to 2.5 gpm at 80 psi.

Residential kitchen faucets are limited to 2.2 gpm; lavatory faucets to 2.2 gpm at 60 psi; metering and public-use fixtures have separate limits.

Each fixture must be individually valved, accessible, and connected to a code-compliant trap; fixtures with a concealed trap must have an accessible cleanout.

Fixture clearances: water closets require at least 15 inches from centerline to sidewall and 21 inches in front of the bowl; lavatories similar side clearance.

A water closet must be set level, securely fastened to the flange, and sealed with an approved wax or elastomer gasket; flange must be at or above finished floor.

Drinking fountains must have an adjustable stream regulator and be protected from backflow; hand sinks in food handling areas require an air gap or vacuum breaker.

Fixture drains must be at least 1-1/4 inch for lavatories, 1-1/2 inch for kitchen sinks and tubs, and 3 inch for water closets.

Shower valves must be pressure-balancing or thermostatic, and shower floors must slope 1/4 inch per foot to the drain with a curb or threshold.

Temperature and pressure relief valves must be set at or below the heater's rated pressure and 210°F, with the discharge pipe terminating 6 to 24 inches above the floor or outside.

A vacuum relief valve is required where the heater is installed with a bottom inlet and no check valve, or where code requires it to prevent back-siphonage.

Water heaters must be accessible for service and inspection; seismic strapping is not required in Connecticut, but anchoring against tipping is prudent.

Gas-fired water heaters require proper venting, combustion air, and a sediment trap on the gas line; the appliance connector cannot pass through a wall.

Expansion tanks are required on closed systems with backflow prevention; a thermal expansion control device prevents T&P relief discharge from pressure cycling.

Hot water distribution must be insulated where required; recirculation systems must be balanced, and dead legs are limited by code.

Combination space and water heating systems must be listed for that use; the potable water side must be protected from contamination.

Hot water storage tanks must be supported on a level, noncombustible base and protected from physical damage; heaters in garages must be elevated 18 inches above the floor.

Minimum service pipe size is 3/4 inch for a single-family dwelling; sizing follows the fixture-unit method or the code's tables.

Static pressure must be at least 8 psi at the fixture outlet under flow; where pressure exceeds 80 psi, a PRV is required.

Water service lines must be buried below the frost depth (36 inches in Connecticut) or otherwise protected from freezing.

Backflow protection: hose bibbs require vacuum breakers; sillcocks must be frost-proof; RPZ or double-check assemblies are required at service connections where hazard exists.

Piping must slope to drain at 1/4 inch per foot where drain-down is required, and be supported per material-specific spacing (e.g., copper horizontal every 6 feet).

Water piping must not be installed in the same trench as sewer unless separated by 12 inches vertically or 5 feet horizontally with the water above the sewer.

Shutoff valves are required on the service, on each fixture branch, and on the main; drain valves are required at low points.

PEX and CPVC must be installed per manufacturer instructions and listing; PEX requires protection from UV and from physical damage at penetrations.

Fixture units convert different fixture types into a common drainage load; a 4-inch building drain handles about 216 fixture units at 1/4 inch per foot slope.

Slope requirements: 2-1/2 inch and smaller drain pipe at 1/4 inch per foot; 3 inch and larger may slope at 1/8 inch per foot where approved.

Each trap must be vented; the vent must be taken within the trap-to-vent distance, which is 5 feet for 1-1/2 inch and 3 feet for 1-1/4 inch traps.

A vent stack must extend at least 6 inches above the roof or above the snow line; a 1-1/2 inch vent is the minimum for a single fixture.

Wet venting is limited: a wet vent may serve only one or two fixtures and must be at least 2 inches; the total fall may not exceed the pipe diameter.

Cleanouts are required at the base of the stack, at the building drain, and every 100 feet horizontally; cleanouts must be accessible and full size.

Horizontal drainage piping must be supported at intervals of 4 feet for 2-inch and smaller, and 10 feet for larger pipe; vertical stacks every floor.

A building drain must be at least 3 inches and connect to the building sewer, which must be at least 3 inches and sloped to the public sewer.

Backwater valves are required where the building drain is below the flood level rim of the lowest fixture; they must be accessible for service.

Roof drainage is sized by the 100-year, 1-hour rainfall intensity for the site; leaders and gutters are sized from the roof area and rainfall rate.

Primary roof drains must be sized to carry the design rainfall; secondary (overflow) drains or scuppers are required to handle the design storm.

Storm drainage may not connect to the sanitary sewer; separate storm systems are required and must discharge to an approved point of disposal.

Roof drain strainers must be at least 4 inches in diameter and have an open area at least twice the leader's cross-section.

Storm leaders must be supported per code and must be protected from freezing; leaders may not be used as a vent.

Sump pumps and storm water pumps must be installed with check valves and discharge to an approved point; discharge may not create a nuisance or hazard.

Area drains and trench drains must be trapped if connected to the storm system, and traps must be protected from evaporation.

Storm water must not be discharged onto a neighboring property or into a sanitary sewer; downspouts must terminate at least 3 feet from the foundation where practical.

Sizing tables give leader and drain sizes based on roof area in square feet and rainfall in inches per hour; the code's tables must be used, not guesswork.

Every trap must have a liquid seal of 2 to 4 inches; traps must be self-cleaning, with a uniform bore and a cleanout on traps 3 inches and larger.

A grease interceptor is required for commercial kitchens and must be sized by fixture units, with a capacity based on the code's formula; the flow rate and grease retention capacity must both be met.

Grease interceptors must be installed outside the building, accessible for cleaning, and vented; the inlet and outlet must be baffled.

A sand and oil interceptor is required for garage and repair facilities; the interceptor must be sized for the discharge and have a vent.

Special wastes (acid, chemical, photographic) require approved neutralization or dilution tanks; the material of the tank and piping must resist the waste.

Traps may not be double-trapped or trap-sealed by a second trap; a trap may serve only one fixture except where code allows a combination fixture.

A trap primer is required for floor drains that may lose their seal; the primer must be accessible and connected to a potable water source with backflow protection.

Clothes washer standpipes must be at least 18 inches and not more than 42 inches above the trap, with a 2-inch trap and vent.

Interceptors may not be installed where they would be subject to freezing; cleanouts and covers must be gas-tight and accessible.

Gas piping must be sized using the code's tables based on the total connected load in BTU/hr, the length of the longest run, and the specific gravity of the gas.

A sediment trap is required at each appliance and must be installed downstream of the shutoff valve, with the trap leg vertical.

A shutoff valve is required within 6 feet of each appliance; a union or flanged connection is required for appliance removal.

Gas piping must be supported every 6 feet for horizontal runs and every 10 feet for vertical runs, and must not be concealed in a way that prevents inspection.

Combustion air for appliances in confined spaces is calculated from the volume of the space and the input rating; two openings are required, one near the top and one near the bottom.

Gas piping must be tested at 1-1/2 times the working pressure but not less than 3 psi for a minimum of 10 minutes for low-pressure systems.

Appliance connectors must be listed and may not pass through walls, ceilings, or floors; the connector length is limited (typically 6 feet for a flexible connector).

A gas water heater in a garage must be elevated 18 inches above the floor to protect the ignition source from vapors.

Gas piping may not be installed in a duct, chimney, or concealed space without protection; it must be protected from corrosion and physical damage.

An isometric drawing shows piping in three dimensions at 30-degree angles; the vertical axis is drawn vertically and the horizontal axes at 30 degrees.

A plumbing plan shows the building layout with pipe runs, fixture locations, and riser diagrams; the riser diagram shows vertical relationships and sizes.

Pipe sizes on drawings are given as nominal diameter; symbols for valves, cleanouts, and vents must be read from the legend.

Slope is indicated by a note such as '1/4 inch per foot' or a slope symbol; the direction of flow is shown by arrows.

Elevations are given in feet and inches above a datum; invert elevations are the inside bottom of the pipe at a given point.

A floor plan must be cross-referenced with the structural and architectural plans to avoid conflicts with beams and footings.

Drawing scales must be checked against the scale bar; dimensions govern over scaled measurements.

The plumbing plan must show the building sewer, water service, and vent termination; the site plan shows the connection to the public main.

Isometric drawings are used for complex piping layouts; the drawing must show all valves, cleanouts, and changes in direction.