Your home’s plumbing is one if it’s most essential systems – and one of the most complex. Sure, you turn a faucet handle and out comes clean water, but behind the scenes are various components and parts that keep water flowing when you need it, stop it when you don’t, keep wastewater separate from drinking water, and so much more.
So before tackling any DIY plumbing project, it’s important to familiarize yourself with your plumbing system, how it works, and what kind of problems can occur. Read on as we take a closer look at the network of components that make up a home’s plumbing system.
Main Parts of a Plumbing System
Each home’s plumbing system has three main parts: supply, drainage, and venting. These are all vital to maintaining a safe, clean water supply, and keeping it separate from wastewater.
• The supply system is made up of pipes, valves, fittings and faucets. It utilizes pressure to move water to the plumbing fixtures and water-using appliances that need it, and at the desired temperature.
• Drainage system components rely on gravity to naturally guide waste to the sewage lines or septic tank. From there, the waste is delivered to the public sewer system or a home’s septic tank.
• The venting system performs a critical role: preventing the plumbing supply and drainage system from mixing. It acts as a bridge between the drainage and supply systems, emitting air into the draining pipes which prevents sewer gasses from mixing into the drains by causing the traps in the drain to stay shut.
Gravity Versus Pressure
The path water travels throughout a home relies on pressure and gravity. As it enters plumbing pipes, water travels with sufficient pressure to move around pipe elbows, uphill, and so on. To exit, the drainage system relies on gravity to flush wastewater out.
The Role of the Water Heater
Cold water is always available whenever you need it. Should the need arise for warm or hot water, that cold water will travel through a dedicated pipe to the water heater which will generate hot water. It will either get stored in a water heater tank, getting reheated when a faucet calls for hot water, or pass through a heating element if the home is equipped with a tankless or on-demand water heater.
Your household depends on a clean, safe water every day. And that depends on an effective plumbing system. At Eagle Service Company, we’re dedicated to ensuring that your plumbing system delivers every last drop of the safety, comfort, and convenience you deserve.
For water heater inspection, repair, or installation, water leak repair, sewer and drain repair, and so much more, Eagle is ready to assist you.
