Plumbing - All About The Basics

Unless you went to a specialized school, chances are you didn’t learn much about plumbing when you grew up. They don’t tend to teach that alongside math and science courses (though perhaps they should). As a result, many people find themselves adults with no clue of how to fix simple problems that go wrong with their faucets, toilets, and bathtubs. While you can always call a plumber to come out and fix these problems, this can be an expensive proposition, especially when you consider the smaller jobs that could have been done for a fraction of the cost. Plumbing isn’t rocket science by any means. While there are some jobs that should be kept strictly for the professionals, others can be done by anyone with the slightest intelligence as long as they know what to look for. Here is a basic overview of how your home’s system works.

When people speak of plumbing, they are talking about the system of pipes that run through the house, delivering water to and from the various fixtures. This is not to be confused with sewage systems and other outside-the-house distribution centers, which are not part of the home. You won’t need to be concerned with those, as they will almost always be the exclusive province of a plumber or another type of professional and will have very little bearing on common household problems. 

Pipes are the integral system through which water is driven to your home and waste is taken away. Pipes can be made with a number of different materials, depending on how old your house is and where you live. Steel, copper, and plastic are just three of the common materials pipes are comprised of. Water flows through these pipes and the flow is controlled by valves along the way. Their destination point is a fixture of some kind, be it the bathroom faucet, the kitchen faucet, or the toilet. 

Even knowing this may not tell you all you need to know about how your plumbing system really works. For example, what type of force brings the water to and from your home? Well, it is almost always a system of pressure. The water is under pressure inside the pipes. This pressure is created with powerful electronic pumps. In the old days, it was all gravity based. When you turn on a water faucet, it releases a valve and allows water to flow without impediment through the fixture.