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Plumbing 101 As Said by a Toronto Plumber

Many people know absolutely nothing about their plumbing system until there is a problem. They have no idea where to find the main valve until they are face to face with a leak or asked by the Toronto plumber they hire about the plumbing line in their homes. Having some knowledge about the pipes that take water to your house and waste away from it is part of the duty of any homeowner. This article will explain the basic concepts that are used in plumbing  that everyone should know.

What Makes Up A Plumbing System

There are essentially two systems that are in any house that usually require the input of a Toronto plumber: the water system and the sewage system. The water supply system normally involves a main storage system from which the water is stored and pumped  to the house to reach the final user. There is also the direct water supply system where water is not stored, but taken directly from the main source to every where in the house.

The sewage system on the other hand involves  water being taken from a main source to be distributed to various sanitary objects. The waste that leaves these sanitary objects pass through drainage pipes  that take them from the house to their final destination. Any normal plumbing system is made of: 45-degree street  ell, 90-degree street  ell, couplings, wye, sanitary tee, male adapter, female-insert adapter, glue joint coupling, pipes, tubes, unions, valves, water meters, backflow preventers, pumps,  etc. The type of material that will be used to conduct a water system or a sewage system is governed by laws and regulations for Canadian buildings. Plastic pipes are more commonly used to conduct water, whereas copper is used for sewage.

Pipe or Tube – Which do I Use?

Many people use the words pipes and tubes interchangeably as if there are no differences that exist between the two. While they both are used in a plumbing system, they have different purposes and are treated differently. A pipe for example is straight and relies on the conventional methods of welding or casting to take form. The material that is used to make a pipe is different from the material used to make a tube. More focus is given to the internal diameter of a pipe and as such this is usually thicker than that of a tube. A pipe can be welded or threaded based on the thickness of the walls that they have. A tube on the other hand is usually connected or dealt with using different methods such as: compression fitting, solvent welding, crimping, etc.

Gravity or Pressure- What is the difference?

Gravity and pressure are terms that any Toronto plumber will use in his or her routine. While at first these two terms may seen just the same, the type of system that they are used to make reference to will differ. A water system in any house moves based on pressure, where water moves from the point that has the highest pressure to the point that has the lowest pressure. There are cases when a pump have to be introduced to apply pressure in the system and facilitate the movement of water from one point to the next. This is commonly seen in building that have different stories.

Gravity, however, is used when reference is made about a sewage system. The sewage that is built up in your house is not taken away by pressure, but by gravity. This happens because each point in the sewage system has a slight inclination (slope) making it possible for a higher area to deposit waste to a lower area.

Why Dr. Pipe?

We treat your home the way we expect workers to treat our homes.  That means coordinating with you from the moment you call for a quote all the way through the final work we perform.  Our team will cover and clean everything in their work area so you don’t have the added stress of a mess to tidy up and we’ll finish as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Give us a call today: 416 663 4777 for a free upfront estimate!

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