14 DESIGN : DEAR MR PLUMBER
SABS plays essential part in our lives
By
Vollie Brink , Pr Eng
The objective of the SABS is to ensure best practice and best quality of materials — equipment and standards in our case — in relation to the water services of buildings and what you would call the plumbing installation .
Vollie Brink
Vollie Brink is one of the industry ’ s longest serving wet service engineers . He continues to serve on SABS committees and has been involved in the Green Building Council Star rating system . Brink continues to consult for various organisations while enjoying a wellearned retirement .
I have been sitting around the committee tables and the working group tables of the SABS since the 1970s . Likewise , people such as Martin Coetzee and others from manufacturers have spent many hours free of charge to the SABS but in the interest of the country and to ensure that we have the best standards and the best quality of what we use in our water and drainage systems .
This work ensures that when you purchase a wash hand basin , a bath , a water pipe , a drainage pipe , or a tap washer with the mark of the SABS , you can be assured that it is best quality and appropriate for the intended use .
In the 1970s , most of the materials and equipment were locally manufactured and complied with the SABS standards ; nowadays , most are imported and made according to other standards , such as the EN and ISO , and the quality is in some cases not what we were used to , not always acceptable , and non-compliant with the SABS standards .
In terms of the sanitary drainage system , there are only seven ‘ regulations ’. One of these , namely P2 , refers to the design of a drainage system . An important requirement thereof is the integrity of the piping .
See the following : P2 Design of Drainage Installations 1 . ( d ) all components and materials used in such installation are watertight ; ( e ) no nuisance or danger to health will be caused as a result of the operation of any such installation .
These two requirements are crucial in terms of the design and the selection of the pipe materials .
In the 1970s , plastic pipes were a new trend of piping for sanitary drainage systems and many people were sceptical and reluctant to use it , but today , it has become common practice . However , it must be used correctly . Most important is the underground and above ground type of piping ; yet , in terms of the above ground piping , the correct pipe material in terms of ultraviolet ( UV ) resistance is critical .
It has been discovered that some plastic piping that is not up to standard and not UV compliant has found its way onto the market . These are sold as above ground piping , which is in contravention of the SABS standard for piping , and design and installation standard SANS10400-P and SANS10252-2 .
The longevity of these pipes and suitability thereof for external use are in question , and it seems it is also used in low-cost housing , which will cause serious problems in future in terms of compliance with the performance regulations . It could also cause problems for the designers , plumbers , and the owners of the buildings where these have been installed .
It is critical that the standards are maintained and that correct piping be used for the external systems in terms of UV resistance .
The building inspectorate has a responsibility to ensure that approved materials are used in installations . PIRB registered plumbers must also ensure that the correct approved pipe materials are used in installations and that these materials are guaranteed by the manufacturers and the suppliers .
The designers and plumbers depend on the manufacturers to produce materials that are compliant with the applicable standards ; therefore , the role of the manufacturer is central to ensure proper materials and equipment .
The sanitary drainage piping of a building is supposed to last for at least 20 – 25 years and is a costly longterm investment . Consequently , the quality of the pipe
August 2017 Volume 23 I Number 6 www . plumbingafrica . co . za