Introduction to Revit MEP: Copy Monitoring Plumbing Fixtures and Adding Water Heater

Welcome back to the CAD Teacher VDCI video course content for the BIM 321 course, Introduction to Revit MEP. Having successfully configured our complete mechanical system in the previous modules, we're now ready to tackle the plumbing infrastructure for this project. This transition from mechanical to plumbing systems demonstrates the integrated nature of MEP design, where each discipline builds upon the foundational elements established by the architectural model.

Our first critical step involves copy monitoring the architect's existing plumbing fixtures into our MEP model. This process ensures dimensional accuracy and maintains design intent while giving us the MEP-specific connectivity and properties we need for system design. The architect's fixture placement determines our routing strategies and system sizing, making this coordination step essential for project success.

Let's begin by navigating to our first floor plumbing floor plan view. This specialized view type filters our model to display only plumbing-relevant elements, reducing visual clutter and improving workflow efficiency—a key principle in professional BIM practice.

Just as we previously copy monitored grids, levels, and other datum elements during our initial project setup, we can extend this coordination workflow to include plumbing fixtures. This maintains the parametric relationship between the architectural and MEP models, ensuring that any fixture relocations by the architect automatically generate coordination warnings in our model.

Navigate to the Collaborate tab and select Copy Monitor, then choose the architectural link. If the system prompts you to save the project, proceed with saving to ensure all recent changes are preserved before establishing new monitor relationships.

After selecting the architectural link, choose Copy, then switch to Multiple selection mode. Hold Control while selecting each plumbing fixture on the first floor. This multi-select approach is more efficient than individual fixture selection and reduces the likelihood of missing elements—a common source of coordination issues in complex projects.

Once you've selected all fixtures, click Finish to initiate the copy monitor process. The system will process the selected elements and establish monitoring relationships. This operation may take several moments depending on the complexity and number of fixtures being processed.

Upon completion, examine your newly created fixtures. Each will display the appropriate MEP connectors—hot water supply, cold water supply, and waste connections as applicable. For example, typical lavatories will show hot and cold water inlets plus a waste outlet, while drinking fountains display only cold water supply and waste connections. Understanding these connector types is crucial for proper system routing and sizing calculations.

Now let's replicate this process on the second floor. Navigate to your second floor plumbing plan view and repeat the copy monitor procedure. Access Copy Monitor again, select Multiple, and choose the corresponding second floor fixtures. Remember to avoid accidentally selecting walls or other elements—if you do, hold Shift while clicking to deselect unwanted items.

After completing the second floor copy monitor operation, you'll notice both the original architectural fixtures and your new MEP fixtures are visible simultaneously. If you accidentally move a monitored fixture, Revit will generate a coordination warning indicating that the "coordination model relative position of two fixtures changed." This warning system is designed to maintain project coordination integrity.

To clean up the display, we need to hide the architectural fixtures while preserving our MEP versions. The key challenge here is that simply turning off plumbing fixtures in the view's Visibility/Graphics settings would hide all fixtures, including our newly created MEP elements.

Instead, access the Visibility/Graphics dialog (VV shortcut) and navigate to the Revit Links tab. Change the display settings from "By Host View" to "Custom," then select Model Categories. Set the model categories to Custom and locate Plumbing Fixtures in the list. Uncheck this category, apply the changes, and confirm. This approach selectively hides only the linked architectural fixtures while preserving your MEP fixtures.

Repeat this visibility adjustment for the first floor plumbing plan to maintain consistency across your documentation set. This attention to view management is essential for producing clear, professional construction documents.

With our fixtures in place, we can now introduce the domestic hot water generation equipment. Navigate to the Systems tab and select Mechanical Equipment. Note that water heaters are categorized as mechanical equipment in Revit MEP's classification system—this reflects the fact that water heaters often include both plumbing and mechanical components such as gas connections, flue requirements, and combustion air considerations.

Since we previously hid mechanical equipment to clean up our plumbing view, we'll need to temporarily re-enable this category. Access Visibility/Graphics, locate Mechanical Equipment, and turn it back on. Rather than showing all mechanical equipment permanently, we'll selectively hide the HVAC units that aren't relevant to plumbing design by selecting them individually and using Hide in View > Elements. This targeted approach maintains view clarity while providing access to plumbing-related mechanical equipment.

Load the water heater family by selecting Load Family from the Mechanical Equipment panel. Navigate to the Plumbing > MEP > Equipment > Water Heaters folder and select an appropriate water heater family. For this project, we'll specify a 75-gallon unit, which is typically suitable for a building of this size and occupancy type.

Place the water heater on Level 1, positioning it in a logical location that allows for proper venting, maintenance access, and efficient distribution to the fixtures. Consider factors such as code-required clearances, structural loading, and proximity to gas and electrical services when determining placement.

In this session, we've successfully established the foundation for our plumbing system by copy monitoring architectural fixtures, configuring appropriate view settings, and placing our domestic hot water generation equipment. These preparatory steps are crucial for the system design phase that follows.

In our upcoming videos, we'll dive into the technical aspects of piping system creation, exploring routing strategies, sizing methodologies, and system connections. We'll also cover advanced topics such as pipe insulation specification, slope requirements for drainage systems, and integration with fire protection systems. These skills are increasingly important as the industry moves toward more sophisticated BIM-based design and analysis workflows.