B. S. M., Montreal, writes:

"A half-inch water service is all that the water company will allow here. Introduced into a dwelling of three stories and basement, with fixtures distributed as shown on the sketch, it is desired to equalize the flow from the different fixtures so as to prevent the shutting off of the supply from a fixture in an upper flat by the opening of a cock on a flat below. The service is increased to three-fourths inch and run to the highest fixture. The cocks are graded in size for the flats below, being three-eighths inch for the basement, one-half inch for ground floor, five-eighths inch for the first floor, and three-fourths inch for the top floor. Will this arrangement shown in Fig. 2 have the desired effect? The architect proposes running the main direct to the top floor, bending and dropping to the flats below, taking cocks from the drop pipe (see Fig. 1). Will that be an improvement I propose running the ½ - inch service into a closed tank, say a 30 gallon galvanized kitchen boiler, and taking a separate branch from it to each flat, Fig. 2. What would be the effect of that plan ?"

[We would not advise the consideration of any of the three plans proposed. Carry your ¾-inch supply directly to a tank placed in the attic, the tank to have a ball cock and float to control the supply of water. From the tank take out a house supply large enough to supply hot and cold water to all fixtures, the pipe to start as a 1¼ - inch with a ¾ - inch branch to the upper floor; then reduce at the branch to 1 inch for second floor, reduce again to three-fourths inch for first floor, and from there carry a ½ - inch pipe to the basement. A 5'x4'x3^' tank would give about 450 gallons, and with the piping mentioned would furnish a plentiful supply for all the fixtures. We have not sufficient data as to the length of the pipes and pressure on the main to say which of the plans would be the most satisfactory, but know that the method illustrated by Fig. 2 has been used with success. The drawback to it in your case is the small supply pipe from the street main, but if the pressure is excessively high, we believe the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 would give the best result of those you propose.]