Before the existence of plumbing and toilets, people often disposed of their bodily waste anywhere downstream or covered it in dirt. However, this comes at the expense of quickly spreading water-borne diseases, which has been one of the biggest health problems of all time.
These days, the existence of sewage and plumbing systems are an important part of every building and is included in every building code all over the world, especially in Singapore. Most homes, offices, or buildings will often have this system installed.
The existence of this said system to carry water and waste away to be disposed of has been recognized as one of the most significant innovations in health and well-being in modern history. So what exactly is plumbing, and how does it work?
What Plumbing Is, Exactly
Plumbing is a term that refers to not just the pipes in your home but also the valves, showerheads, faucets, and even toilets that connect to them or, at times, to each other. The common uses for plumbing are not just the delivery of potable water and waste disposal, but also when it comes to heating, air conditioning, and gas.
Plumbing infrastructure is usually connected during the foundation of a house by certified super plumbers contractor from Singapore while your home’s foundation is being constructed. It starts with a single supply line from the main source and through the foundation wall. From there, the line is run throughout the home and is connected to various outlets, such as sinks, bathrooms, and faucets.
What’s in Your Home?
Plumbing can be essentially divided into two categories: water in (the clean water supply line) and water out (waste water lines). Extreme measures are taken to make sure that neither lines leak and that the waste water does not contaminate the clean water supply.
Plumbing works are required by law everywhere across the world to keep occupants safe. Basic plumbing works (without additional amenities) are often designed specifically not just to carry water into homes without deteriorating, but also to dispose human body waste without them posing a health hazard.
Piping used in many homes and buildings today is made from many different types of material, from steel, to copper, and even plastic. PVC piping is especially chosen because of its durability and resistance to corrosion in ways that metals such as copper or steel are susceptible to.
With that said, metal pipes do have their specific purposes. Distribution pipes for potable water supply are often made of either galvanized steel or copper. Plumbers will often refer to the latter in the industry as “iron”, and can actually be quite expensive and difficult to work with.
Here are some of the parts used in indoor plumbing you will most likely encounter at home:
• Pipe fittings – From nipples, elbows, tees, and even adapters, plugs, and crosses, pipe fittings are crucial in that they are essentially the joints that connect pipes to other pipes, whether larger or smaller.
• Valves – There are different types of valves that all work in different ways, but they all serve the same purpose: to limit (at times even completely shut off) the flow of water from the main water supply line before it reaches the faucets.
• Pipes and tubing – Pipes and tubing are the core of every indoor plumbing system. The only difference between a pipe and a tube is that the former has a nominal inside diameter of two inches, while it’s the latter’s outside diameter that’s two inches wide.
• Drains – Waste water from sinks and bathrooms often go through the drain, which is connected to another series of pipes that carry the waste water away to a treatment facility before being re-introduced into the water supply.
• Faucets – Faucets work in a similar vein as valves, with the exception that faucets are the endpoint for water access. Installing or replacing faucets is perhaps one of the few things you don’t need a plumber for.
• Sinks – Sinks can either be made of stainless steel or ceramic, depending on where they are to be used. Most kitchen sinks are often made of the former as it can easily support the weight and traffic of plates without easily buckling or being prone to being cracked or broken entirely.
Meanwhile, bathroom sinks are made of ceramic specifically because they don’t usually handle as much weight and traffic as the former.
Can You Fix It?
Ideally, a well-made home, office, building, or even apartment complex should not encounter any plumbing problems provided that everything is installed and used properly. As most plumbing systems are, there is little need to call a plumber for minor things. However, if major problems arise, like leakages through walls, the expertise from a certified plumber in Singapore like superplumbers.sg is highly needed.
For minor issues, like replacing a broken faucet head or unclogging a toilet, you can certainly DIY it. Being able to do these on your own can not only save you on the cost of having to hire a plumber (in some instances, you would have to hire a 24 hours plumber), but also teach you a useful life skill that you can use to deal with future inconveniences.
However, while there are plumbing problems that you can fix on your own, there are other times that should be best approached by a reliable plumber or a professional plumbing services in Singapore.
Plumbing services can install and repair all kinds of features for your home, such as anti-scald measures for water heaters, fixture S-traps, and even gas supply lines (which work similarly to the water supply line but the one you have is directly connected to your stove range).
