A Brief Guide to Essential Plumbing Components

The more water-using appliances we have in our houses, the more we need to rely on the experience of professional plumbers to handle maintenance and repairs. When you need assistance with your plumbing in Villanova, PA, don't rely on amateurs or a few on-line "how-to-guides": look to the expert plumbers at Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling.

Here are some of the basic components of your plumbing, from the large (water main) to the small (p-trap). If you encounter trouble with any of these, such as leaks or clogging, you need to contact a plumber immediately.

Water Main

This is the line the runs from the municipal water supply into your home and delivers fresh water to you. It must be kept in good repair or you risk contamination of your water supply or the possible loss of all your running water.

Sewer Main

This is opposite component to the water main. The sewer line runs the waste water from your home out to the municipal sewer system. Damage to this line can result in sewage flooding into your home, as well as smaller but still troublesome issues such as sinks backing up and pest infestations.

Copper / PEX pipes

Pipes are, of course, essential for home plumbing. However, the material from which modern pipes are constructed is key to how well they perform their function. Pipes used to be constructed from galvanized steel, which is strong but inflexible and prone to corrosion with age. Today, PEX and copper are the most popular material for pipes. Copper is durable but less costly than steel, resists corrosion, and won't crack and crumble from age. PEX (crosslinked polyethylene) is a synthetic material that is more flexible than rigid plastic or steel, won't corrode, and is resistant to limescale and chlorine.

P-traps

You probably see the p-traps of your sinks more often than any other part of the piping of your home: they are the curved pipe right below the drains. P-traps are responsible for maintaining a barrier of water in the piping near the drains, and this water serves as a plug to prevent sewer odors from escaping through the septic system and into your home. P-traps can often become clogged with debris and food particles and require cleaning.

Source: https://www.carneyphc.com/blog/plumbing/a-brief-guide-to-some-essential-plumbing-components/

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