Are You a Plumbing Pro or Just a Drip?

Plumbing deals with liquid processes. In particular, it's concerned with bringing in clean water into houses and structures.

Any house or establishment produces some kind of waste water. Plumbing work is also needed to take that dirty liquid out.

Anywhere in the world, you can find three general systems of plumbing work. They are: potable water system, sanitary drainage system, and stormwater drainage system.

Plumbing knowledge entails knowledge of pipes. Half of plumbing work actually consists of pipe problems, especially in older buildings.

A valve is usually attached to a piping system to regulate the flow of water. That's why it's such a disaster if the valve itself is the plumbing problem!

Plumbing systems usually take out two kinds of wastewater in the building. Household water waste is what you expend when washing the laundry or doing the dishes, while human waste has something to do with your after-toilet time activities.

A tank carries and stores water in the plumbing system. It's also important to clean these once in a while, to avoid contamination.

Often, plumbing troubles start in the kitchen sink. That's why it's important not to clog it up.

Pressure is a much-needed force in specific plumbing problems. One such problem can occur with the lack of pressure in a shower system inside the bathroom.

A drain pipe's main purpose is to carry the waste water out. So careful when opening up one, as it could be stinky!

Plumber's putty is basically a sealant. It's especially useful to make watertight repairs, so there's no danger of leakage again.

A gasket should be used to seal two joined water pipes. It assures the avoidance of leaks when done properly.

Plumbing fixtures are at the servicing end of any plumbing system. There are always two connecting systems here: the delivery of clean water, and the draining of dirty waste water.

A bathtub, bidet, shower, and toilet system are general examples of plumbing fixtures. They can be movable, so the plumbing system that supports them should also be ready for such moves.

Check valves are kinda like the check-and-balance system of plumbing valves. It makes sure that the liquid flows in one direction only when opened, and are usually attached to drainage systems.

A pipe wrench is specifically designed to tinker with pipes. This is especially designed for plumbing work, since some wrenches may be too tough on pipes.

Lead used to be the leading element in plumbing, as the pipes were made out of this heavy metal. However, the eventual discovery of lead poisoning discontinued its usage.

A trap is the U-shaped device found underneath sinks, built to prevent gases from escaping through the pipe systems. That's why it's commonly called a sink trap, but they're also found in other plumbing fixtures.

Plumbing systems are required to have some form of vent to let out air or gases. This is much needed in the drain-waste-vent system.

A plumber's snake is designed to remove clogs in the sanitation system. You can usually see plumbers use this device when a typical toilet plunger won't save the day.

PVC is a synthetic plastic polymer that's used worldwide as material for many construction stuff, such as pipes in plumbing systems. It stands for Polyvinyl Chloride.

Private wells in houses require a pump mechanism to help the water flow. This is needed in some households where the water supply is very low or weak.

There are many types of pipe fittings. Plumbers need to choose wisely for the kind of plumbing work they need to do, because choosing and installing the wrong one could spell disaster.

PVC pipes and other types as well could be glued together. But ask the hardware store which kind of glue works for this kind of plumbing work, since there is a special kind designed for this purpose.

Hose clamps are needed to securely fit pipes. It also helps pipes to stay put, and helps secure your plumbing work better.

Copper pipes are popularly used for water supply systems. It's surely safer than lead!

Plumbing work is not solely limited to fitting pipes for water and liquids. Those that do natural gas pipe works are called gasfitting plumbers.

Water lines are considered as "live" when they are still operational, meaning water is still flowing. Make sure to turn off the valve first before trying to do any plumbing work involving live water lines.

The main water supply of a community provides one major pipe that leads to their system and into a structure, say a house or building. From that one major pipe source, a network of smaller pipes venture out into the different parts of the building.

The compression faucet type usually has a rubber washer inside of it. When it gets closed, the washer tightens to stop the water's flow.

Shut-off valves sometimes look like small faucets underneath some bathroom fixtures, like a lavatory sink. Its main purpose is to shut off the water supply in a particular area so one can do plumbing work in that specific area only, without shutting off the main water supply of the building or house.

The community sewer system is where all the wastewater of households get funneled in. A community should learn how to take care of this system well, for the benefit of everyone living there.

When doing DIY plumbing in installing a toilet, it's best to remember to install them part by part. The first part is the bowl itself while the second is the tank that will be plugged into the water pipe systems.

A soil stack is what you call the main drain line of a house. This is vertically installed, and is supposed to carry all the wastewater away and towards the main sewerage system of the community.

A reducer is a very versatile kind of pipe fitting. It can actually connect different sizes of pipes, so that's a great feat!