Basic Plumbing Tips: Maintaining the Water Supply System
Plumbing leaks in America waste 1 trillion gallons of water each year. While plumbing may seem technical to many, some of the plumbing leaks can easily be managed with basic plumbing knowledge from your local all day plumber. This article simplifies plumbing to make it easier to tackle some plumbing problems at an early stage.
Plumbing basics
Plumbing may appear very complex just by the simple look at the pipes and valves at home. Understanding some plumbing basics, however, makes it possible to tackle various plumbing issues like a professional.
There are two main plumbing systems at home that are installed by your local all day plumber. These include the water supply system and the drain water system otherwise known as the DWV.
1.The water supply system
This system consists of a network of pipes that deliver fresh water into a home. The water system highly relies on pressure. The sources of the freshwater are wells and city water.
City water is delivered to houses using the main pipe and one is expected to contact a plumbing professional if the ‘main’ pipe encounters any problem. For those with no access to city water, their fresh water comes from wells and is piped into homes using high pressure. When there is low pressure, water supply is largely affected.
The Water Supply System could encounter plumbing issues. These may include disintegration of the installed piping. The water system is very sensitive to any damage because water supply occurs when there is high pressure.
Any leak in the water system leads to damp-related issues and also affects the pressure of the water. When there is low pressure, showers and flush toilets run short of water supply. Leaks are a common plumbing problem when it comes to water supply systems and such issues are best handled by professional plumbers as they are sensitive. One can outsource a professional plumber on alldayplumber.com.
2.Drain Water Vent (DWV) System
The DWV system and the water system intersect at bridges called fixtures. These fixtures include sinks, washing machines and more. The DWV or drainage system works to remove waste water from a home and to accomplish this, it relies on gravity.
This system consists of three major parts which are the drain pipes, drain traps and drain vents.
The drain pipes are much larger than water supply network pipes and have a downward angle and require gravity to be able to facilitate movement of water from the fixture to the sewer line. The size of the drain pipes makes it possible for them to carry waste and not block.
Drain Traps have a U shape and work to prevent backflow in the system. The shape of the pipes also makes it possible for them to hold water for a long time. The drain traps help to prevent bad odor from the sewer and also allow waste remains to be able to sediment.
The drain vents give air into the plumbing system for there to be good drainage. The vents are placed from the roof to the drain pipe. When any of these three systems is damaged, the entire DWV system malfunctions. The biggest plumbing issue with the DWV system is clogging and this can be managed by ensuring that the plugs are cleaned out often. One also needs to be keen when it comes to leaks as they result in structural damage.
This basic plumbing knowledge gives one a general idea on how to handle a few plumbing issues to prevent huge plumbing problems. At home, one can unclog the pipes by simply using baking soda, vinegar and hot water. Another good plumbing remedy is emptying clean out plugs. Should the problem continue, it is advisable to contact a professional plumber and alldayplumber.com is one platform where one can get a good professional plumber.