The term “mechanicals” refers to the hidden components of your home—the wiring, plumbing, ducts, furnaces and fans that give you control over your indoor environment. Specialty subcontractors—electrician, plumbers, HAVC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) specialists—will typically be brought in to the project by your builder to install your home’s mechanical systems. Most municipalities publish highly detailed codes that mandate the proper installation of mechanical systems. These rules emphasize safety, but in the process they sometimes ignore other important variables. As always, it pays to get involved. Look for the missing pieces of your mechanical puzzle—details that will simplify maintenance, save money on energy bills and increase your home’s value.

Plumbing
Even with the code book open at their feet, plumbers still can make mistakes. Sometimes they follow poorly designed construction plans. Or they may work to strictly to code, disregarding unwritten extras such as the ones described below. These often overlooked details are worth considering since each can improve your plumbing system’s performance.
Water Heater Location To prevent excessive energy loss in hot-water lines, water heaters should be installed close to major fixtures. If this proves impossible, energy-saving in-line water heaters can be installed.
Branch Plumbing Improper pipe sizing may result in loss of shower water pressure when someone turns on the dishwasher or flushes a toilet. To solve this problem, branch pipes that run main supply lines to various fixtures should have smaller diameter. Pressure-balance shower valves also help.
Shutoffs, Drains and Alarms Supply-line shutoffs allow you to repair leaky faucets without shutting off water to the entire house. If you also specify a drain valve near the maim water inlet, you can empty all pipes when you go away on vacation. As added insurance, install electronic alarms that sense overflowing water around toilets, bathtubs and washing machines.
Insulation Many codes now require that all hot and cold supply lines be wrapped with insulating material. On cold-water lines, insulation prevents condensation from causing moisture damage to walls or ceilings. On hot water pipes, it reduces heat loss.
Sound Buffers Pipes that contact hard surfaces may vibrate and create noise. Your plumber or builder can prevent these rattles and thumps by wrapping both drain and supply pipes with buffering material.