A person who looks after and maintains these pipes and fixtures is called a plumber. He either repairs or installs piping and other plumbing equipment, like taps, tubes, water heaters, toilets and toilet fixtures, etc. It is important that the pipes and drainage system are well in place, as it is a matter of not only convenience, but also hygiene and good health.
About Plumbing
Plumbing refers to the pipe systems and the installed fixture in a home or in a building for the purpose of transporting water and getting rid of waterborne wastes. The plumbing industry today is a substantial and very well developed industry, without which basic day-to-day functions, like washing your hands or using the toilet, would be tedious tasks. Every household and building requires clean water and collection and removal of wastes. Plumbing, though, is very much distinguished from sewage systems, as plumbing is for a home or for a building, whereas sewage systems are for a group or complex of buildings or even an entire city.
What is required for a Plumbing System?
Pipes and Tubing Systems
Water systems installed in the olden days made use of gravity for the supply of water, which was transferred through pipes made of bamboo, lead or clay. Today, modern water systems use a Seattle Plumber complex network of pipes, which are made of copper, brass, plastic and other non-toxic materials connected to high pressure pumps. Lead has been discontinued in its usage as it is highly toxic, so a bad option to transfer water. Today vent lines and drain lines are made of steel, cast iron or plastic. The straight sections we see in a plumbing system are called the pipes or tubes. A tube is generally made through extrusions, but a pipe is made through casting or welding. Pipes have thick walls and can be threaded or welded, whereas tubing has thinner walls and is joined with special joining techniques, like compression fitting, brazing or crimping. Plastic tubing requires solvent welding to join it.
Fittings
Plumbing also requires certain fittings in addition to the pipes and tubes. Valves, tees, elbows and unions are some fittings that will be required.
Fixtures
Fixtures are those that are used by the end users. Fixtures are taps, urinals, showers, bathtubs, urinals, water closets that are toilets, kitchen sinks, ice makers, humidifiers, drinking fountains, etc.
Equipment
Equipment required for plumbing includes:
o Pumps
o Water meters
o Backflow preventers
o Water softeners
o Expansion tanks
o Water heaters
o Gauges
o Heat exchangers
o Filters
o Control systems
o Hydro jets
o CCTV cameras
Systems and Subsystems for Plumbing
o Surface, subsurface and rainwater drainage systems
o Vents, traps and drains
o Portable hot and cold water supply systems
o Septic systems
o Fuel gas pipe lines