Plumbing is the system of pipes, fixtures, and appliances that carries water and sewage throughout your home. It’s important to maintain your plumbing to avoid costly repairs and protect your health.
Plumbers often work in homes, but they can also be found in schools, hospitals, factories, and office buildings. They may also collaborate with construction teams and architects to ensure that plumbing is properly integrated into building projects. Contact Plumbing Express, Inc. for professional help.
Valves are one of the most important parts of a plumbing system. They are used to stop and regulate the flow of water, allowing for different water usage needs. There are many types of valves, each with its own specific purpose. Some of the most common are gate valves, ball valves and check valves.
Gate valves have an internal gate that can be raised or lowered to open and close the valve. These are often used in industrial applications, and can be operated manually, electrically or pneumatically. These are not commonly used in residential piping systems, but may be found controlling the main water pipes to a commercial building.
Ball valves have a perforated ball sitting inside of a cylindrical body, and can be operated with an external lever-type handle. These valves can be opened or closed by turning the handle, and are able to shut off the flow of water completely. They also allow the user to see at a glance whether the water is ON or OFF, which can be useful for users who don’t have extensive experience with plumbing systems.
Check valves, sometimes called non-return valves, are a one-way valve that block the flow of water from a system in one direction while allowing it to return back the other way. They are a necessary component for plumbing environments that need to prevent backflow, which can lead to contamination and damage to fixtures and pumps.
Isolation valves are used to temporarily disconnect a section of a piping network for maintenance or repairs. They are a vital component for plumbing in commercial environments, and should be easily operable by anyone on site. They can be found under sinks, near showers and in other places that are frequently used, such as the garage or workshop.
Pressure-reducing valves are a type of regulating valve that reduces the incoming water pressure from the main pipeline to a preset lower level, which helps ensure the safety and longevity of the pipework throughout a commercial project. These are often used in areas where the incoming water pressure is significantly higher than what will be needed for the building’s water usage, such as in manufacturing and food production.
Plumbing and Piping
The plumbing system brings water into your building and safely removes wastewater from it. It’s composed of two subsystems: the pipes that supply potable water and the pipes that drain and vent wastewater.
Valves, the unsung heroes of the plumbing system, are responsible for regulating water flow to each fixture and pipe. They can be closed and opened to shut off or allow water in and out of a pipe. Pipes, made of materials such as copper, PVC and PEX, transport water throughout the system. They’re often shaped to change the direction of water flow or increase or decrease the diameter of a pipe. Pipes are also joined by fittings, which connect them, reduce their size, or provide additional functions like reducing pressure and increasing temperature.
Piping is used to transport fluids in buildings, and it has a number of different applications including fuel and water supply, fire-suppression systems, and more. It must be designed to meet specific codes and regulations to ensure the safety of occupants. Pipes can be made from a wide range of materials, and the choice depends on the application and the required performance of the pipe.
The pipes in a plumbing system can be made from materials such as copper, steel, galvanized metal, PVC and CPVC. The most common option for residential and commercial buildings is copper. This material is durable, affordable and environmentally friendly. It’s a good choice for potable water supply lines, water removal drains, and pump fittings. It’s also commonly used for venting and gas lines.
While plumbing handles basic operational materials that are fairly inert, process piping handles manufacturing chemicals and other hazardous, reactive or specialized substances. These must be transported in a way that ensures their integrity. It’s important to work with an experienced professional when designing, installing and maintaining these systems to avoid leaks or failures.
There are also a number of different types of pipe fittings, each with its own function and benefits. These include elbows, tees, couplings and unions. All of these are available in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit the specific needs of the project.
Riser Diagrams
Providing a visual depiction of the plumbing network within a building, riser diagrams represent the arteries of any structure’s water flow system. Whether detailing how pipes move from one floor to another or preempting potential conflicts with other systems, these diagrams provide the guiding hand for a project’s success, allowing builders and architects to navigate through a maze of walls and floors without compromising efficiency.
Designed to withstand high-pressure, risers are often made of durable materials like galvanised steel and copper to ensure longevity and reliability. Typically located in core areas of a building such as utility rooms or stairwells, risers are used to transport gas, water, and waste. They are often built with multiple ports to accommodate various types of outlets and appliances. The pipes connecting these outlets are known as branch risers and are usually smaller in diameter. Branch risers allow for efficient distribution of water and gas to each outlet, ensuring they receive an adequate amount to function properly.
As the arteries of a plumbing system, risers are responsible for delivering water and removing wastewater from each fixture in the building. They also maintain balance and pressure across different levels, preventing the lower-floors from losing water to the upper-floors. In addition, risers also help reduce the noise caused by water hammering by directing the supply lines of plumbing fixtures to connect to them at a suitable angle.
The creation of a plumbing riser diagram requires an intricate blend of spatial ingenuity and technical knowledge. It’s a process that demands attention to detail, as even slight errors can lead to costly design issues and delays in construction. For this reason, it’s important to have a skilled engineer who can draw them quickly and accurately. This could be a mechanical engineer, master plumber, or even an architect with plumbing experience.
A well-drawn riser diagram is essential for any multi-story building. It acts as the spinal cord of a structure’s plumbing network, ensuring that all floors have access to freshwater and that plumbing systems comply with safety regulations. Effective riser diagrams can save time and money by minimizing the potential for mistakes that could be costly to the project.
Drainage System
A drainage system whisks wastewater and rainwater away from buildings, structures, and landscapes. Without it, water would pool in places where it shouldn’t, resulting in flooding and water-related issues like mildew, mold, and structural damage. This system includes drain pipes, traps, and vents. It also features a main sewer line that connects to the public wastewater or private septic system.
The drainage system’s main function is to transport waste and wastewater from toilets, sinks, showers, appliances, and other fixtures in a house to the sewer line or septic tank. This is accomplished with drain pipes, traps, and vents that connect to individual fixtures and run through the walls of a building.
These pipes are generally made from durable materials such as PVC, ABS, or cast iron. They are typically 3 to 6 inches in diameter. These pipes are often buried underground or in the ground to avoid interference with landscaping and other important infrastructure.
The drain pipe’s curved sections or “Traps” are vital components that help keep wastewater inside the drain pipe. These traps hold a small amount of water, creating a barrier that prevents sewer gases and odors from escaping into a dwelling. Traps are commonly found beneath sinks and in the drains of bathtubs and showers. Toilets are self-trapped, while older tubs have drum traps that help keep hair and other debris from clogging the drains.
A house’s plumbing system may include a venting system that extends up through the roof. This helps to prevent negative pressure from forming within the drainage system and allows air to enter. It also helps to release sewer gasses that might build up inside a house.
The drainage system may also include a stormwater drainage system that handles excess rainfall and surface water runoff. This is important in urban areas to prevent flooding and protect the foundation of homes, buildings, and other structures from water-related damages. This is often incorporated into the sewer system in larger cities and towns, but it can also be an independent drainage system. This system may be composed of gutters, downspouts, and drainage pipes that direct water to the municipal stormwater or a sewage treatment plant.
