If there’s anything in the world we would advise you about, it would be to bear in mind that plumbing is not one of the easier DIY jobs.
Expert Plumbing Service. strongly advises you against fixing those pipes by yourself. It might look easy, it might seem logical, but there are so many obscure aspects about construction related services, which would never stand out for the untrained eye. Benefiting from the constant services of the same plumber is advantageous to you and to whomever resides with you or works in your office or building.
Why Plumbing Should Be Reserved to Specialists
As you know, plumbing refers not only to the visible fixtures installed for the distribution of water, but the whole system of drains, pipes, fittings or valves. As a whole, this industry reflects the level of economic development a country has, as plumbing is essential and substantial to every community. Plumbing also involves the waste system around buildings, so if you think of it in a larger scale, it’s one of the most important aspects in any human settlement, even if we all tend to forget about plumbing in times when we’re not having any trouble with any parts of the system. Basically, a plumbing expert must understand a thing or two about physics, technology, and construction.
The Historic Context of Modern-Day Plumbing
Plumbing is not a modern invention. It originated during ancient civilizations. The ancient Greek, Persian, Indian, Roman and Chinese cities developed public baths, which only meant providing water and evacuating it. Providing potable water for larger numbers of people became a priority, as wastewater removal too. The word itself, plumbing, has a Latin origin, and the practice itself is dated as far as 2700 B. Chr.
The artistry of plumbing (yes, you probably never imagined it this way, in these terms), reached a milestone in ancient Rome. Expansive systems of aqueducts were introduced, tile wastewater was removed and lead pipes, which prevented theft, became of widespread use. A proper plumbing system is connected culturally to sanitary communities and expanding economies. The Fall of Rome sadly certified that, hence both water supply stagnated and sanitation regressed. From that moment, it is known that modern societies have never returned to better hygiene until the 19th century, and cities like Paris have had difficulties especially with wastewater management until later on. Epidemics and diseases are linked to health and hygiene standards, which are guaranteed in a city through the invisible connections of plumbing. If you can imagine a community making a living without electricity or authority, that wouldn’t be so shocking and perhaps it would actually be quite manageable. But a community of people living together, with or without a political organization, cannot exist without water – and the times of buckets carried on people’s shoulders from the public fountain to their homes are long gone.
Plumbing integrates the whole cycle of water in nature, not only in your apartment. Your use of water is provided by natural phenomenons, waste-water returns to its natural setting, and any plumbing system is a sort of intermediate. If you look at it this way and understand how come it’s so critical to have efficient plumbing solutions for your environment, you get the bigger picture.
Some people did, in earlier times. Little did they know that collecting waste and dumping it elsewhere, like on the ground or into a river, wouldn’t be enough. Authorities later developed separate, underground water and sewage systems, which eliminated cesspools and sewage ditches.
Today, the majority of large cities pipe solid waste to sewage treatment plants. That way, water can be separated and partially purified. Galvanized iron piping, followed by copper piping (adjusted through soft copper with flared fittings firstly, after which came to use the rigid copper tubing, utilizing soldered fittings) are essential to the history of plumbing. After World War II, lead pipes were changed and declined, as they posed a health risk through lead poisoning. Even if ancient water systems relied on pipes or channels made of clay, bamboo, wood or stone and also on gravity, today it’s pretty hard to imagine a system involving any of those in any modern city. In our times, most plumbing supply pipe consists of steel, copper and plastic.
Terminology
Well, if you were wondering what some of the above terms mean, like pipes or tubes, learn that they are the straight sections of plumbing systems. Any plumbing expert knows that a pipe is usually formed through casting or welding and that a tube is typically made through extrusion. Depending on the level of wall thickness, these two are intercorrelated to provide the best solutions. A pipe is normally thicker than a tube. Tubes require special joints, like brazing, crimping or compression fitting. In the case of plastic components, the joining system is solvent welding. The current present-day water supply and wastewater removal systems are based on a network of high pressure pumps. Those copper pipes, alongside brass, plastic or other non-toxic materials pipes are the linking elements. The majority of single-family homes use a material called PEX in their plumbing system. Lines for draining and venting are made of plastic, steel or lead, but lead has been banned in 1986 in the US and avoided since the 1930s across the U.S.
How Does Plumbing Actually Work?
There are a few plumbing systems available on the market nowadays, which can be classified under a few major categories.
- Potable cold and hot tap water supplies
- Septic Systems
- Rainwater, sub- and surface water drainage
- Fuel Gas Piping
- Plumbing Drainage Venting
Some residential buildings use hot water heat recycling units in order to save relevant amounts of energy as well as benefit the environment. The preoccupation for water shortage has generated awareness among authorities, which also invest in greywater recovery systems for sewage.
Plumbing is not only relevant for supplying and removing water, but also for heating and cooling systems which utilize water in order to transport thermal energy. This system is called hydronics, and New York City is an example of a steam system, part of a large district heating plan.
What Equipment is Needed for Plumbing?
If you’re interested in the mechanisms of plumbing, then you should know that the majority of plumbing devices are usually installed behind walls or in utility spaces. A plumbing system includes pumps, water meters, water filters, backflow preventers, expansion tanks, heaters, heat exchangers, water softeners, gauges, control systems and UV sterilization lights. Among the tools needed to operate these devices are pipe wrenches, pipe vices, pipe bending machines, flaring pliers, pipe cutters, joining tools as crimp tools or soldering torches. Nowadays, expert plumbers use video cameras to inspect and detect problems, hidden leaks or possible risks, high pressure hydraulic pumps or hydro jets. There is a huge improvement to this field in the past years, as the authorities increased their level of implication in this whole story. Vacuum raw sewage trucks are specialized equipment designed to assist citizens affected by flooding from excessive rain or clogged sewers.
Services Provided Through Expert Plumbing
If you need any of the below listed services, from high water bills troubleshooting to proper repairs, you can count on specialists and it’s highly advisable that you stay away if not adequately trained.
- Garbage Disposals
- Backflow Testing and Certification
- Broken and Frozen Waterline Repairs
- Toilet, Faucet Installation and Repair
- Water Heater Installation and Repair
- Water Line and Gas Line Re-Pipes
- Sewer Camera and Gas Inspections
- Water and Sewer Pump Replacement
- Drain Stoppages, Maintenance and Cleaning and Leaking Drain Repair and Replacement
- Bathroom and Kitchen Renovations
- Hose bibs
- Pressure Regulators
- Floor and Area Drains
- Valve Replacement, Tub and Shower Valve Installation and Repair
- Gas Leaks, Slab Leaks and Re-routes
- Lines to Septic Tank Maintenance
- Gas-to-Barbecue and Gas-to-Fireplace Connections
- Commercial Plumbing, Urinals, Bidets
- Ice Maker Lines, Drinking Fountain Repair and Replacement, Foul Plumbing Odor Troubleshooting, Supply Feed to Irrigation and Pools
- Laundry and Dishwasher Hook-up, as well as Stove and Oven Connection
- Sewer Line Replacement
- Polybutylene and Galvanized Repair and Replacement
- Water Softener Installation
- Swamp Cooler Supply Lines
The plumbing business nowadays is dynamic enough to allow for plenty of local services providers. Wherever you need expert plumbing: Tucson, or elsewhere in Arizona, you can be sure to find a business to suit your needs. For expert plumbing, Naperville is also a good choice, and, in case you live in Florida, they’ve also got certified plumbing experts, Boca Raton residents. You might take into consideration that it’s quite important to profusely evaluate the plumbing providers who are going to take care of a whole plumbing system. It’s one thing that a faucet might be leaking for a couple of days and you can call basically anyone with a wrench, but it’s a totally different story in the case of ample works.
This business encounters the other side of the coin as well, represented by the plumbing expert witness element. There is a Directory of Plumbing expert witnesses, legal consultants, forensic and litigation experts, specialists who provide services to attorneys and law firms and not only. The plumbing experts sometimes get checked by plumbing witnesses, which sometime can be requested and recommended, especially in the case of works for the public domain.
The Dangers of Do-It-Yourself Plumbing
Before you get overexcited about all those Interned pages recommending you how to fix your sink, slow down and temper your tutorial-inflated enthusiasm. If you are a handy person, there is absolutely no doubt that you can handle a few easy tasks, but don’t undermine the expertise of a specialist. There are plenty of hidden secrets in plumbing that don’t stand out to a beginner. Some people attempt repairing their plumbing system without being able to locate their main shut off valve for their water line or estimate if it’s working properly. Wouldn’t you agree that it’s more comfortable and overall perhaps even cheaper to call a plumbing expert right from the beginning?
Here’s a List of DYI Plumbing Errors:
- Don’t attempt repairs at night or during weekends. If somethings goes wrong, you will pay an emergency fee while seeking help, which takes your plumbing adventure to some bitter expensive bills.
- If you’re going to try drilling into a water line, a pipe might burst doing your attempt. That can lead to little plumbing-related damage, but to serious disasters around the house, which might cost you a fortune and even pose a risk for your health and even life. You can ruin floors and furniture or destroy any electrical device.
- A specialist will have an available sump pump in case a water line bursts during repair work. You do not have that, nor any idea about how it is to clean the whole basement after a flood.
Seriously, do you know how to remove a handle, a flange, a tap bonnet or a tap spindle, the body washer or the tap valve? Is there anything more that you can recognize besides the stainless steel seal? The free associations we are making thanks to our mental collection of images representing plumbers fixing issues in no more than minutes have no correspondence in real life if we are not trained to understand these systems and how they can be repaired. A five minute job for a plumber can turn into hours of work and frustration for you, zero results, and more money gone down the drain per se, as you will need more repairing than in the initial case. Not to mention the emergency fee if you’re feeling brave at 3am. It’s the same case with friends who have seen tons of tutorials online and think they can solve any problem bravely. The intention is admirable, but we would warmly recommend that your friend visits you and keeps you company while especially trained people handle your plumbing issues in a proper manner.
In hopes that you enjoyed discovering a thing or two you might have not known about plumbing and its context and history, you should definitely keep in mind that it’s best to rely on specialists at the end of this article. The same way you trust a doctor with your medication in case of a disease, you should trust a plumber with your pipes. It’s quite a symmetrical comparison too! We provide professional service to the areas of: Hinsdale, Joliet, Orland, and many more cities in the area. Don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Image sources: SampsellsPlumbingInc.com, EducationPlanner.ca, BlogCDN.com