How a Home Plumbing System Works
Understanding the home plumbing system's fundamentals empowers homeowners to address plumbing issues effectively and communicate with professional plumbers, ensuring a clean and hygienic living environment.
Plumbing plays a vital role in maintaining a clean and hygienic home environment. A home plumbing system is a complex network comprising drain pipes, water supply pipes, and venting components running behind the walls and beneath the floors. Understanding the fundamentals of the home plumbing system can help homeowners understand plumbing issues and discuss plumbing options and needs with a professional plumber.
Plumbing system parts
A home plumbing system consists of:
Pipes: A series of pipes supply hot and cold water to the various home fixtures.
Fixtures: They allow the user to access hot and cold water supplied through the pipes.
Drains: The primary function of drains is to carry wastewater to the sewage system.
These plumbing system parts need correct installation and routine maintenance to ensure optimal functioning.
How a plumbing system works
A plumbing system comprises various parts and components that allow it to work safely and efficiently.
The supply system is a series of pipes, valves, fittings, and faucets. The main water supply system brings fresh water from the communal pipelines buried under the street or a private well into the home. The water passes through the meter, which records household water usage before it is distributed to various home areas like toilets, showers, and kitchen sinks via plastic, copper, or iron supply pipes that branch out to serve various fixtures. A pressurized system helps water to travel upward and around corners in the pipework.
There are separate pipes to carry hot and cold water as required. The cold water is always ready for the user. To generate hot water, the cold water travels through a dedicated pipe to the water heater, after which a water line carries the now-heated water to the required destination.
Drain-waste-vent system
The drain-waste-vent system carries sewage and waste water from showers, toilets, sinks, bathtubs, and water-using appliances to the septic tank or the public sewer system. The drain vent system works on gravity. All drainage pipes are angled downwards to naturally guide the wastewater.
The vent system connects to the drain-waste pipes, and its primary purpose is to control airflow through the home plumbing system. They allow sewage gases to escape, prevent them from building up in the house, and introduce fresh air into the plumbing. The drain-waste-vent pipes are hidden in the walls or beneath the floors.
Bridges
The supply and drainage-waste-vent systems are separate, and water from the supply system should never mix with the wastewater system. There are bridges between the two systems that separate them and allow for the harmonious operation of the plumbing system. Any plumbing fixture or appliance that prevents these systems from submerging can be a bridge. Toilets, showers, sinks, washing machines, and dishwashers are all different types of bridges that prevent contamination.
Every home depends on a fully functional plumbing system to run smoothly. Homeowners should be familiar with their home's system and basic terminology to facilitate conversations with a plumber the next time the home requires a professional plumbing job.
With over 25 years of experience, American Discount Plumbing has offered expert plumbing service and repair in Phoenix, Arizona, and surrounding cities at affordable rates for both residential and commercial properties. We are a licensed, bonded, and insured plumbing company offering 24-hour emergency service. We provide lasting general plumbing, water leak detection and repair, toilet repair, pipe repair, and water heater repair or replacement solutions. Call 602-883-2787 today!
