Plumbing 101: What Are the Different Parts of a Plumbing System?

To keep your building free of all kinds of issues, whether it is your home or commercial space, having a properly working plumbing system is essential. Imagine a house or a commercial building without a working plumbing system. You won't be able to shower, wash your hands, use the toilet, wash the dishes, run the washing machine, or water your lawn. Moreover, you will have a massive problem with getting potable water for the entire place.

Most people have the idea that the only function of your plumbing system is just for water distribution. What they don't know is that plumbing systems are responsible for something bigger than just water distribution.

Most people already know that the plumbing system supplies water in certain areas of buildings. It is responsible for providing water to kitchen toilet outlets and the other regions of the property where people need to use water via pipes' distribution system. As a building owner, you must have a basic understanding of how your plumbing system works for you to take proper care of it and prevent repairs that can make you spend a lot of money. Read this blog post to learn some things about the different parts of a plumbing system.

There are three major parts of a plumbing system:

1. Pipes and Fittings

These are what you would specify as the skeleton of a plumbing system. The function of pipes is to transport clean water from the main city line or water well throughout your building, where it will end eventually up to the specific places where it needs to go. Some might mistake this as a drainpipe, but the drain and water pipes are the opposite. Water pipes need to be clean all the time while drain pipes transport dirty water to the city sewers.

On the other hand, the fittings are the parts that connect each pipe to the next one. Fittings are responsible for allowing the lines to change angles and make the best use of the space beneath your walls, ceilings, and floors. Most plumbing systems are composed of two sets of pipes and fittings where one set is for cold water, and the other is for hot. The most commonly used materials for pipes in a plumbing system are copper, brass, PVC, or lead. 

2. Fixtures

The water that is carried by pipes throughout your building needs a place to go. It is where your fixtures come in. When we say fixtures, we mean your bathroom sinks, kitchen sinks, tubs and showers, water heaters, washing machines, dishwashers, and any other appliance in your building that requires water. Some fixtures draw water on an as-needed basis, while others draw water from the pipes at the turn of a button's handle or press.

3. Drainage

After traveling through your pipes and then out of your fixtures, it needs a place to go once again. When you don't have a drainage system in place, your building could quickly get flooded after a couple of showers. Each fixture has its drain connecting the main drain line where excess water and any other liquid waste that goes down will end up in the city sewer or your septic system.

It is one of the primary explanations for why it is essential to make sure your drains are cared for properly. It can be a huge problem to deal with (and both a messy and smelly problem!) if your gutters get backed up and start overflowing. Doing plumbing maintenance at least once or twice every two months can prevent specific issues such as clogs from ever happening. If you have even a bit of experience doing the job, you can always do a simple drain cleaning without having to do a ton of work. There are drain cleaning products you can buy. You can pour these products into the drain and let the liquid clean the inside walls for you.

Final Thoughts

If you're still not aware of it, your plumbing system is much more complicated than this. But with a couple of these basics in mind, you will be able to grasp a better understanding of how your entire plumbing system works and know where a potential problem could occur.

Keep in mind that a plumbing system like BA-AHD-SS Universal Stainless Steel Plumbing Access Panel is one of the essential parts of a building to ensure the occupants' comfortability and functionality. Always ensure that they are planned in compliance with plumbing code and home design because they are responsible for water distribution and waste disposal. Any building you can think of without a properly working plumbing system falls under an inhabitable building classification. Water is necessary for people around, so it just goes to show how extremely important keeping a plumbing system healthy is.

Another good tip before you finish reading this article is never to do the plumbing work on your own if you lack experience doing it. Many people have tried doing the job independently because they think it's an easy task to accomplish. Later on, they would damage the plumbing system even more, which leads them to pay for more than intended. For large commercial buildings, specific plumbing problems might occur every day. It would be best to consider having it maintained every month to avoid repairs that might become too expensive if you ignore it for a long time.

What you've just read was your entire plumbing system in a nutshell. It can get confusing for some beginners, but hopefully, this article can help them know the parts of their plumbing system even better. Do you have more time to spare in reading more engaging and informative blogs like these? Best Access Doors has all kinds of blogs about construction projects or any other related topic. If you wish to read them, visit our blog page.

While you're at it, you can also check out some of the high-quality products that we sell to people who require access doors and panels. We offer different access doors in several available and custom sizes that can meet any unique construction requirements.