HOT AND

COLD
WATER
SUPPLY

COMMON WATER SUPPLY

SYSTEMS
COLD WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS
1. Potable water
2. Flushing water (fresh or salt water)
3. Non-potable water
4. Cleansing water
5. Fire service
6. Swimming pool filtration
7. Irrigation (e.g. for landscape)
8. Fountain circulation
9. Air-conditioning water, etc.
. HOT WATER SUPPLY (e.g. in hotels &

Cold Water Systems

The

general principles of design to be aimed at avoiding

temperatures should be as follows :All pipe branches to individual outlets should be capable
of delivering cold water at a temperature that is as close
to the incoming water temperature within two minutes of
running.
The volume of stored cold water should be minimised and
should not normally exceed that required for one days
water use although in healthcare premises, a nominal 12
hours total onsite storage capacity is recommended.
There should be a regular water flow throughout the
system and all outlets to avoid stagnation. In cold water
storage tanks this can be facilitated by locating inlet and
outlet pipes on opposing sides of the tank at different
heights.

Cold Water Systems

Thermal

gain should be kept to a minimum by

adequate lagging and separation of cold water services
pipework and components from hot water services and
heating systems; ensuring higher use outlets are
installed at the end of each branch to improve flow;
and considering, where appropriate, ventilation of void
spaces and risers.
Systems that encourage the movement of cold water in
areas of the distribution system that are prone to
stagnation and heat gain should be considered.
All pipework and components carrying fluids other
than water supplied by the water supplier and
components should be clearly labelled.
System components and associated equipment which
require maintenance are easily accessible

HOT WATER SYSTEM

General
In electric water heating practice for domestic purposes,
the accepted method is to use storage heaters in which
water is steadily heated up to a predetermined
temperature and stored until required for use.
The heating by electricity of a large quantity of water,
such as required for a hot bath, within the time normally
taken to run the water into the bath, requires a heater of
too high a rating to be practicable in normal domestic
premises.
The efficiency realized in an electric water heating system
depends upon the measures taken to minimize heat
losses which occur from the storage vessel and from the
distributing pipework and associated accessories, if any.

Storage Temperature
The design of hot water supply system and its appliance
shall be based upon the following temperature

Scalding

65C

Sink

60C

Hot bath

43C as run, for use at 41C

Warm bath

37C

Tepid bath

295C

In order to minimize the danger of scalding, to reduce

standing losses, risk of steam formation and the
possibility of damage to porcelain or other fittings and
the surface finishes, a storage temperature of 60C is
recommended.
Hot Water Storage Capacity Depending on local conditions this shall be 50-75 litres at
60C in a dwelling with a bath tub and 25 litres at 60C
for a shower or a tap (for bucket supply).
Small electric or gas storage heaters of 15-25 litres
capacity may be used to supply one or two points of

TABLE 2 RATE OF HOT WATER FLOW

Sl
No.
(1)

Fixtures
(2)

Rate of Flow
1/min
(3)

i)

Bath tub

225

ii)

Kitchen sink

18

iii)

Wash basin

iv)
Shower (spray type)
7
TYPES
OF HOT WATER
HEATERS
Electric Storage Heaters- A storage water heater consists
of a thermally insulated vessel, one or more electric heating
elements, thermostats and pipe connections and is
assembled by the manufacturer ready for installation on site.
The rated input of heater in kW for storage heaters of various
rated capacity (in litres) shall be as follows as recommended
in IS : 2082-1965* :
Rated
6
15
25 35 50
70
100 140 200
capacity in
litres
Recomme 10 10 10 15 20
20
30 40 50
nded input
in kW
NoteFor dual hot water heaters, the rated input includes the
ratings of both the elements.

Electric Storage Heaters

Solar water heater

Gas Water Heaters

Instantaneous
The
multi-point
instantaneous
heater may be connected to all
hot water taps. When a tap is
turned on, the flow of water opens
the gas valve and the gas is
ignited by the pilot flames. The
cold water flowing through the
appliance is heated immediately
and the flow of hot water will
continue as long as it is required.
When the tap is turned off the gas
is extinguished except for the pilot
jet. quantity and temperature of
water
delivered
per
minute
depends on the rate of flow of gas
and its thermal properties and the
rate of flow of water

Storage
The storage type are of two kinds,
namely:
(a) the
self-contained
unit
which
comprises heater and cylinder or
tank in one appliance and operates
independently or in conjunction with
a solid fuel boiler, and
(b) The 12circulator which has a
separate cylinder or tank and
operates in conjunction with a solid
fuel boiler. Both the above types are
capable of supplying hot water at a
uniform temperature and with a good
rate of flow at more than one tap
simultaneously up to the capacity of
the cylinder or tank

Depending on the size and complexity of the

building the types of water systems supplying hot
and cold water services are as follows :

1.
2.
3.

Smaller hot and cold water

systems,
Gravity-fed cold water systems
Pressurized systems

Smaller hot and cold water systems

Typically

found in smaller buildings such as domestic

dwellings and small office buildings.
Cold water outlets are fed directly from the water supply
without storage.
Combination boilers or instantaneous water heaters
provide hot water directly from the cold water supply.
These units supply continuous hot water at a rate that is
usually limited by their power rating.

GRAVITY FED SYSTEM

1.

Gravity system without recirculation

2.

Gravity system with recirculation

2.1Gravity system without

recirculation
Generally

installed in domestic dwellings and small

buildings.
Cold water enters the building from a rising main
and is stored in a cold water tank.
The cold water tank provides backflow protection to
the mains supply and a stable pressure and reserve
in the system if the mains pressure fails or demand
exceeds the capacity of the mains supply.
Cold water from the tank is fed to the calorifier (hot
water cylinder) where it is heated and drawn via
pipes that branch to sinks, washbasins, baths,
showers etc. In contrast to recirculating systems, the
water only flows when it is being used and is usually
allowed to become cool in the pipes after use.

2.2 Gravity system with

recirculation
Typically

installed in larger buildings such as commercial premises.

Cold water from this storage tank is fed to the calorifier.
There is a continuous circulation of hot water from the calorifier
around the distribution circuit and back to the calorifier by means
of one or more pumps, usually installed on the return to the
calorifier.
This is to ensure that hot water is quickly available at any of the
taps, independent of their distance from the calorifier and reduces
the risk of localised temperature fluctuations.
The circulation pump is sized to compensate for the heat losses
from the distribution circuit so that the return temperature to the
calorifier is not less than 50 C.
Discharge into the cold water storage tank is not advised as this
can result in warm storage water temperatures and increase the
risk of microbial growth.
In the cold water system, water is fed by gravity directly from the
cold water storage tank to the points of use without recirculation.

3. Pressurised systems
These

systems are fed directly by a pressurised

supply (sometimes via a break tank and booster set)
connected to the calorifier, water heater or heat
exchanger.
In these systems, water expands when heated,
requiring an expansion vessel, safety temperature
and pressure relief valve (in a pressurised hot water
system there is no open vent to a high level).
Hot water distribution can be a recirculating or nonrecirculating system.
Larger systems or those that require higher pressures
to reach the top of the building often include break
tanks and booster pumps, in place of direct mains
water, that subsequently feed the water heater.

Installatio
n for 8Storeyed
Building

Installation
for 20Storeyed
Building

Installati
on for 8Storeyed
Building
with
Individu
al Water
Tanks

The hot water distributing system

shall be so designed that the hot
water runs quickly at the draw-off
taps when opened to avoid the
running to waste of an undue
amount of water which has cooled
while standing in the pipes when
the taps are closed. With this end
in view a secondary circulation
system with flow and return pipes
from the hot water tank shall be
used where justified.

TABLE 4 MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE LENGTHS OF

HOT WATER DRAW-OFF PIPES
SlNo.

Largest Internal
Diameter of
Pipe

Lengthm

(1)

(2)

(3)

i)

Not exceeding
20 mm

12

ii)

Exceeding 20
mm but not
exceeding 25
mm

75

iii)

Exceeding 25
mm

30

NoteIn the case of a composite pipe of different

System layout
When

planning a water supply layout, the following must be

considered:
Pipe runs and lengths Keep pipe runs as short as possible. Pass
pipes close to fixtures to minimise the number of branches and
unnecessary elbows, tees and joints. Having longer pipe runs and
more fixtures will reduce flow rate, increase heat losses, and
increase use of materials
Point of entry into the building This should be into a utility space
such as garage/laundry and include an accessible isolating valve,
line strainer and pressure limiting valve (if required)
Water heating system Locate centrally to reduce the length of
pipe runs to fixtures because longer pipe runs require more water
to be drawn off before hot water is discharged. Install a separate
point-of-use water heater for fixtures that are more than 10 m
from the main water heater
Noise prevention Avoid running pipes over or near bedrooms
and living areas.