Plumbing
Plumbing,
from the Latin for lead (plumbum), is the skilled
trade of working with fagets, pipes, tubing and
plumbing fixtures for potable water systems and
the drainage of waste. Plumbing originated during
the ancient civilizations such as Roman, Persian,
Indian, and Chinese civilizations as they developed
public baths and needed to provide potable water,
and drainage of wastes. A plumber is someone who
installs or repairs piping systems, plumbing fixtures
and equipment such as water heaters. The plumbing
industry is a basic and substantial part of every
developed economy due to the need for clean water,
and proper collection and transport of wastes.
Plumbing is a system of pipes and
fixtures installed in a building for the distribution
of potable water and the removal of waterborne
wastes. Plumbing is usually distinguished from
water and sewage systems, in that a plumbing system
serves one building, while water and sewage systems
serve a group of buildings or a city. Improvement
in plumbing systems was very slow, with virtually
no progress made from the time of the Roman system
of aqueducts and lead pipes until the 19th century.
Eventually the development of separate, underground
water and sewage systems eliminated open sewage
ditches and cesspools.
Much of the plumbing work in populated
areas (cities, towns, etc...) is regulated by
government or quasi-government agencies due to
the direct impact on the public's health, safety,
and welfare. Plumbing installation and repair
work on residences and other buildings generally
must be done according to plumbing and building
codes to protect the inhabitants of the buildings
and to ensure safe, quality construction to future
buyers. If permits are required for work, plumbing
contractors typically secure them from the authorities
on behalf of home or building owners.
Materials Water systems of ancient
times relied on gravity for the supply of water,
using pipes or channels usually made of clay,
lead or stone. Present-day water-supply systems
use a network of high-pressure pumps, and pipes
are now made of copper[2], brass, plastic, steel,
or other nontoxic material. Present-day drain
and vent lines are made of plastic, steel, cast-iron,
and lead. Lead is not used in modern water-supply
piping due to its toxicity.
The 'straight' sections of plumbing
systems are of pipe or tube. A pipe is typically
formed via casting or welding, where a tube is
made through extrusion. Pipe normally has thicker
walls and may be threaded or welded, where tubing
is thinner-walled and requires special joining
techniques such as 'soldering', 'compression fitting',
'crimping', or for plastics, 'solvent welding'.
Fittings and valves
In addition to the straight pipe or tubing, many
fittings are required in plumbing systems, such
as valves, elbows, tees, and unions. The piping
and plumbing fittings and valves articles discuss
them further.
Fixtures
Plumbing fixtures are the devices installed for
the end-users. Some examples of fixtures include
water closets (toilets), urinals, bidets, showers,
bathtubs, lavatories, utility and kitchen sinks,
drinking fountains, ice makers, humidifiers, air
washers, fountains, eyewashes, floor drains, garbage
disposers, and hosebibbs.
Equipment
Plumbing equipment, not present in all systems,
include, for example, water meters, pumps, expansion
tanks, backflow preventers, filters, water softeners,
water heaters, heat exchangers, gauges, and control
systems.
Systems
The major categories of plumbing systems or subsystems
are:
Potable cold and hot water supply
Traps, drains, and vents
Septic systems
Rainwater, surface, and subsurface water drainage
Fuel gas piping
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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