Obviously none of the people who have responded have even a remote clue about how to properly size a line. When designing a potable water distribution system you begin by selecting all the end use fixtures to determine what the end use load will be. In the case of the original post they want a shower head, body sprays, a hand shower and possibly a rain shower head. Quote:"How many fixtures will you have on at any one time? Remember that 3/4" pipe has double the capacity of 1/2" pipe." Code requires that we design a potable water system for a worst case scenario. The system must be capable of maintaining the code listed minimum fixture "Dynamic head pressure" even when every fixture in the house is turned on at the same time. The statement that a 3/4" pipe has twice the capacity of a 1/2" pipe is not true. The capacity, or properly the volume of flow is determined by the size of the metering orifice in the end use fixture. It is true that a 3/4" line has double the cross sectional area of a 1/2" line however both will supply the same volume, the difference being that the velocity of flow will be twice as fast in the 1/2" pipe. The problem here is that as the velocity of flow increases the "fiction head pressure loss" increases dramatically. In addition to the loss of pressure due to friction head if the velocity of flow exceeds 8fps we start seeing sever pipe wall erosion, which leads to premature pipe failure. In fact, while acidic water is the leading cause of pin hole failure in copper pipe, excessive velocity in undersized pipe is the second leading cause of pinholes. Preferably we should have the end use fixture data available when designing the system but in situations where that information is not yet available we use the gal/min flow rates that are published in the code. Now getting back to the original question. All the end use fixtures in question are types of shower heads and per code shower heads are restricted to 2.5gpm so let us begin putting it all in perspective. Using the code standard of 2.5gpm we get shower head (2.5gpm), hand shower (2.5gpm) and body sprays (2.5gpm)equals and a hand shower(2.5gpm) for a total load of 10gpm. Consulting the "Type L Copper Friction Loss Table" we find that if we supply this shower with a 1/2" line the velocity of flow would be 13.80ft/sec and the pressure loss would be 67.72psi/100ft of pipe. If we increase the pipe size to 3/4" the velocity of flow is 6.62ft/sec and a pressure loss of 11.17psi/100ft.

The choice is not a matter of one being better than the other. Where a wall contains a door, the difference in GWB thickness will have no effect on actual sound transmission and the thicker GWB would probably require a custom door jamb size or a trim shim (if the buck is not split/adjustable). Where there is no door, and acoustic separation is important, it is better to use one layer of 1/2" GWB on one side and two layers of 1/2" GWB on the other (imbalanced wall) which also avoids having two kinds of GWB on the job. The next step in acoustic separation is double layers of GWB each side and then adding acoustic dampening systems like resilient channels, Isomax channel clips, acoustic drywall (dampening layer), or green glue (assuming there is not enough room for a double studded wall). How a wall is sealed at the floor and ceiling and how many penetrations occur (especially back to back - insulation is effective here) is often more important in the real world than the wall design. Sounds will easily find and travel through cracks; make it work harder. So, 1/2" GWB is fine if you use it wisely. Mark up the plans in red with a symbol for "double layer" (eg, D.L., heavy line, etc.) on the appropriate side of an acoustically improved wall so the drywall contractor will know what you want. Try to trade the additional GWB for the thicker board. Regarding fire protection, non-fire-resistance-rated GWB disintegrates to quickly (as it gives up its water in a fire) for the thickness to be important. For better fire protection you must use fire-resistance-rated GWB and in that case 1/2" Type C is as effective as 5/8" Type X especially on the most important surface, the ceiling. The next step in residential fire protection would be to use solid core doors and then add a closer (or just forbid smoking in the house).

Yes, and using mixes specifically for 'potted' plants can be quite tricky to say the least. A balancing act too that is one does not master, your growing experience can be quite limited or very rewarding. For me it's all about sacrifice's, sacrifices made in order to attain the best possible growing experience possible without sacrificing the integrity of the mix and the vitality of my trees and their root systems. One has to be able to foresee any potential issues before deciding what to use. What might do a great job in the 'summer' might be the death of your trees in the 'winter' months. For instance: One could use a mix that hold much more water for the summer while in the end could kill your trees holding too much water come the winter and shorter days. One could use a mix that holds PWT that can be used to your advantage and disadvantage if it rains too much, stays cold for long periods of time, or gets worst as the mix break down. One could use a mix that dried out very rapidly, almost too fast for the summer and in the winter and then in summer loose their trees to not enough moisture. One could also use a mix in which you have to check the moisture levels quite often in each and every pot, for some hundreds, or use a mix that you can water every time you water for all at once without fear of root rot without having to check to see if they need water. The 511 to me is a good balance. You can add just enough smaller particles to keep the soil mix moist longer in summer while reasonably dry out in the winter in a good amount of time. You can use it on all your plants and water all your plants at the same time whether they are still moist or not. The 511 also allows you to store your trees at very cold temps, even though the pots are still moist without fear of rot. The 511 also dries out evenly and holds its structure much longer than peat or fine particle based mixes.. So If I were to match up the 'pros' with the 'cons'. I'd say the 'pros' far outweigh using a 511 mix or the like in my favor. It might be a great idea for each of us to decide what you are willing to sacrifice in the winter or the summer and find a happy medium that will work for ALL seasons to save yourself a lot of headache and certain trees their demise. What is forgiving in the summer time or in a nice warm brightly lit greenhouse structure might not bode so well for trees in less than ideal conditions come shorter colder wintery days indoors. MIke

Yes! The solution was so easy, I truly can’t believe how difficult it was to come up with… One dishwasher is connected directly to the punch out in the garbage disposal. The other dishwasher is connected to a simple drain pipe tap in - the type you would use if you did not have a garbage disposal installed but did have a dishwasher. I bought the tap in piece at ACE Hardware - easy peasy - and installed it myself. It has all worked flawlessly for ages now. My neighbor with the nearly $300k kitchen has hers installed the same way and it’s been doing just fine for over 2 years now. If you dream of two dishwashers, I highly recommend it. And if you can install your “main” one directly across from drawers where your usual bowls/dishes/utensils live, you will revolutionize the efficiency of your life. I get a jolt of joy every time I stand in one spot and unload 90% of the dishwasher without taking a single step!