Is every water tower a standpipe? I know of a few water towers that are generally referred to as standpipes, for example the Thomas Hill Standpipe in Bangor, ME. I realize that not every standpipe is a water tower, but is every water tower by definition also a standpipe, or is that only the case if certain criteria are met?
Water tower versus standpipe
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It seems the other way around. The term standpipe is used I interchangeably with water tower. Reality is standpipes are no longer made and typically there for legacy reasons.
I always thought a standpipe was a system in a building that the fire department could tie into and draw water on different floors instead of running hose up stairs, or augment the sprinklers.
Everything else was a water tower to me.
Then again, maybe it depends where you live as to what you call it.
Everything else was a water tower to me.
Then again, maybe it depends where you live as to what you call it.
I always considered a stand pipe as a way to raise the level of a drain so that it can vent but not flood the floor. I am going to do this in my crawl space. It has a 4" tile opening that is even with the dirt. But water backs up from flooding and floods the crawl space. So I will extend the pipe up about 3'.
Originally Posted By: Wheel
I always thought a standpipe was a system in a building that the fire department could tie into and draw water on different floors instead of running hose up stairs, or augment the sprinklers.
Everything else was a water tower to me.
Then again, maybe it depends where you live as to what you call it.
This what I thought. In many buildings you can see a 5 inch or so thick vertical pipe, clearly labeled "standpipe," going from the lowest to the higheest level of the building for the purpose of having access to pressurized water in case of a fire. I don't know if tis pipe is connected to some kind of reservoir on teh roof or not.I had never heard anyone call a water tower a standpipe until I came a across the Thomas Hill Standpipe, which i would have called a water tower. T me, a standpipe is a feature allowing to draw water in a building, and a water tower is a tank or building containg a tank, usually on top of a hill or on top of a building. But once I looked for examples of standpipes, I did find more than a few water towers.
I always thought a standpipe was a system in a building that the fire department could tie into and draw water on different floors instead of running hose up stairs, or augment the sprinklers.
Everything else was a water tower to me.
Then again, maybe it depends where you live as to what you call it.
This what I thought. In many buildings you can see a 5 inch or so thick vertical pipe, clearly labeled "standpipe," going from the lowest to the higheest level of the building for the purpose of having access to pressurized water in case of a fire. I don't know if tis pipe is connected to some kind of reservoir on teh roof or not.I had never heard anyone call a water tower a standpipe until I came a across the Thomas Hill Standpipe, which i would have called a water tower. T me, a standpipe is a feature allowing to draw water in a building, and a water tower is a tank or building containg a tank, usually on top of a hill or on top of a building. But once I looked for examples of standpipes, I did find more than a few water towers.
> In many buildings you can see a 5 inch or so thick vertical pipe, clearly labeled "standpipe," going from the lowest to the higheest level of the building for the purpose of having access to pressurized water in case of a fire. I don't know if tis pipe is connected to some kind of reservoir on teh roof or not.
Around here they are kept empty until the fire dept. hooks into a street-level extension and pressurizes it.
Standpipe has a different meaning for farmers.
Standpipes are attached to pressure-fed systems to allow output valves to be positioned at a convenient height. Standpipes are attached to gravity-fed piped water systems for cheap water control. Irrigation ditches below the level of the supply water are plumbed with pipes that have an upward-facing ell on the end. Water spills out of the ell and into the irrigation ditch. To shut off the flow you stick a piece of pipe into the ell that is long enough so that its top is above the supply level.
Around here they are kept empty until the fire dept. hooks into a street-level extension and pressurizes it.
Standpipe has a different meaning for farmers.
Standpipes are attached to pressure-fed systems to allow output valves to be positioned at a convenient height. Standpipes are attached to gravity-fed piped water systems for cheap water control. Irrigation ditches below the level of the supply water are plumbed with pipes that have an upward-facing ell on the end. Water spills out of the ell and into the irrigation ditch. To shut off the flow you stick a piece of pipe into the ell that is long enough so that its top is above the supply level.
Originally Posted By: spackard
Standpipe has a different meaning for farmers.
Standpipes are attached to pressure-fed systems to allow output valves to be positioned at a convenient height. Standpipes are attached to gravity-fed piped water systems for cheap water control. Irrigation ditches below the level of the supply water are plumbed with pipes that have an upward-facing ell on the end. Water spills out of the ell and into the irrigation ditch. To shut off the flow you stick a piece of pipe into the ell that is long enough so that its top is above the supply level.
These standpises are just a couple feet tall, right?
My question boils down to "Is every water tower also a standpipe?"
Standpipe has a different meaning for farmers.
Standpipes are attached to pressure-fed systems to allow output valves to be positioned at a convenient height. Standpipes are attached to gravity-fed piped water systems for cheap water control. Irrigation ditches below the level of the supply water are plumbed with pipes that have an upward-facing ell on the end. Water spills out of the ell and into the irrigation ditch. To shut off the flow you stick a piece of pipe into the ell that is long enough so that its top is above the supply level.
These standpises are just a couple feet tall, right?
My question boils down to "Is every water tower also a standpipe?"
![[Linked Image]](http://s124.photobucket.com/user/bradfo63/media/20190727_111044.jpg.html "[Linked Image]")
Originally Posted by BRZED
Originally Posted by spackard
Standpipe has a different meaning for farmers.
Standpipes are attached to pressure-fed systems to allow output valves to be positioned at a convenient height. Standpipes are attached to gravity-fed piped water systems for cheap water control. Irrigation ditches below the level of the supply water are plumbed with pipes that have an upward-facing ell on the end. Water spills out of the ell and into the irrigation ditch. To shut off the flow you stick a piece of pipe into the ell that is long enough so that its top is above the supply level.
These standpises are just a couple feet tall, right?
My question boils down to "Is every water tower also a standpipe?"
I don't remember where I read it, but I remember reading that a water tower is an elevated standpipe, so I guess the answer to your question is "yes".
Here's a standpipe from Lisle, IL.
![[Linked Image]](https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/attachments/usergals/2019/07/full-5683-34816-lisle.jpg "[Linked Image]")
Photo belongs to Google Maps.
Originally Posted by spackard
Standpipe has a different meaning for farmers.
Standpipes are attached to pressure-fed systems to allow output valves to be positioned at a convenient height. Standpipes are attached to gravity-fed piped water systems for cheap water control. Irrigation ditches below the level of the supply water are plumbed with pipes that have an upward-facing ell on the end. Water spills out of the ell and into the irrigation ditch. To shut off the flow you stick a piece of pipe into the ell that is long enough so that its top is above the supply level.
These standpises are just a couple feet tall, right?
My question boils down to "Is every water tower also a standpipe?"
I don't remember where I read it, but I remember reading that a water tower is an elevated standpipe, so I guess the answer to your question is "yes".
Here's a standpipe from Lisle, IL.
Photo belongs to Google Maps.
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