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How Does a Home Plumbing System Work Exactly?

People often take their plumbing systems for granted. They assume that when they turn on the sink, water will flow from the spout. They expect the toilet to flush when they press the button or pull the lever.

The problem is, sometimes these appliances don’t work as they should. When that happens, people have no clue what could cause the problem.

In most cases, this confusion happens because people don’t understand how their home plumbing system works. If you’d like to clear up the mysteries of your residential plumbing, then you’ve come to the right place!

In this guide, we’ll explore how your plumbing construction operates. Read on to learn more!

Home Plumbing System Basics

Plumbing systems rely on straightforward principles to function. The three most important principles are gravitational law, pressure, and water seeking its level. When plumbing companies work on your system, they’re essentially making sure it allows these principles to play out.

Your plumbing system requires two subsystems to meet your water needs. One of these subsystems brings fresh water into your home, while the other removes wastewater.

When water enters your home, it relies on the pressure in your pipes to travel. That pressure allows it to travel upstairs, around corners, and anywhere else.

When you need hot water, pipe pressures move the water into your water heater, which later allows heated water to come through your pipes. When your water takes a long time to heat, something usually inhibits this travel. See here to learn about solutions.

When wastewater exits your house, it relies on gravity to make it into the sewer system. Gravity pulls this waste through your pipes and out of your home. If you face a clog, it usually happens because something prevents gravity from working as it should.

Drainage Systems

The distinguishing feature of drainage systems is that they don’t rely on pressure. Instead, as mentioned before, they rely on gravity to pull waste out of the pipes. In theory, this sounds simple.

However, several other parts assist in drainage. These include vents, traps, etc. Vents, for example, use air from outside in drainage. When air enters the drain pipes, it helps push wastewater down.

Traps also play a significant role in drainage. Traps store enough water to seal out sewage water. This way, your freshwater remains clean when it comes out of your appliances.

Supply and Drainage Subsystems

Supply and drainage subsystems operate separately from one another with no overlap. However, these systems allow bridges to exist between them, which makes them worth having.

The plumbing industry refers to these bridges as fixtures. These include appliances like toilets, bathtubs, showers, sinks, washing machines, faucets, etc. Any device that draws freshwater or removes wastewater qualifies as a fixture.

However, although these bridges exist, they each help keep the two subsystems separate. Some fixtures have specific supply valves to shut off their water, so you don’t have to shut down the main supply for repairs.

Learn More About Your Plumbing Today

When you understand your home plumbing system, you can better solve plumbing problems yourself. You won’t have to be at the mercy of plumbing companies. So, spend some time researching your system more!

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