Living in a small home or studio apartment poses challenges when installing or maintaining your plumbing system. Having less square footage makes installing full-sized fixtures and pipes difficult.
However, you can configure functional, efficient plumbing with clever tips and smaller products. This guide shares our favorite small-space plumbing solutions for bathrooms, kitchens, laundry, and more.
Space-Saving Toilets and Sinks
When square footage is scarce, opt for corner toilets and pedestal sinks that occupy less area. Corner toilets fit nicely in cramped bathrooms, while pedestal sinks with no underlying cabinetry save space.
For even more room, install wall-mounted fixtures. Hanging toilets and floating vanity sinks open up floor space below. Just ensure weight-bearing walls are used for mounting. You can also consider small rectangle or oval sinks that fit in a smaller area while still offering the functionality of a standard sink.
For laundry, stackable washer-dryer units condense both appliances into one narrow footprint. Some homeowners even install fixtures below raised countertops. These tips help make your bathroom and laundry room feel less cramped.
Clever Plumbing Layouts
Carefully map plumbing lines so pipes serve multiple fixtures while running efficiently—position back-to-back bathroom fixtures on shared walls for more straightforward routing. Run water supply behind vanities for integrated temperature controls and hidden piping. Consider running plumbing lines under the floor or through unobtrusive corners whenever possible.
For kitchens, install fixtures along fewer walls to localize lines. Drainage and supply will require less overall material and fewer superficial elbow joints or T-connectors between termination points.
Pro tip: Draw detailed plumbing schematics when remodeling so contractors can optimize layouts. And always call Yoder Plumbing to enable flawless execution.
Efficient Water Heaters
Traditional water heaters devour precious square footage. Replace it with a tankless model that mounts on walls and heats water on demand. Their unlimited hot water capacity can keep up with all your hot water needs. To save even more space, choose a small point-of-use water heater that can be mounted under sinks.
For quick hot water, keep lines between heaters and fixtures short. Insulate all plumbing to prevent cooling in unheated home areas. Adjust the water temperature to the lowest comfortable setting to minimize energy usage.
Fixes for Common Small Home Plumbing Issues
Low water pressure is common in small multistory homes. Check the building water main pressure first. For adequate 30-80 PSI flow, install a compact booster pump next to the main line.
Is your pipework too noisy? Secure loose fixtures and add insulation wraps to prevent vibration. For persistent pipe clanging, transform straight vertical drops into gentle curves to minimize turbulence.
By leveraging space-saving fixtures, strategic layouts, compact appliances, and targeted tweaks, small-space plumbing can function beautifully—with room to spare. When remodeling or building out a smaller house, consult with an experienced plumbing professional early in the process to identify space-saving opportunities and avoid costly mistakes down the road.
Contact the experts at Yoder Plumbing in Ohio for personalized guidance on configuring your pipes. With decades of experience across residential and commercial projects of all sizes, their extensive expertise translates perfectly to the unique challenges of plumbing for small spaces. Whether installing new fixtures or rerouting pipes, rely on their masterful space-saving solutions to make the most of minimal square footage.
