Your house has many important systems, one of the most important of which is plumbing. Getting familiar with your plumbing system will prepare you for annual maintenance and the occasional, and usually inconvenient emergency repair.
Plumbing spans fresh water supply and waste water systems. It also includes the septic system, or connection to the municipal sewer. Finally, there are many important fixtures and appliances that are part of your plumbing system. They include faucets, toilets, sinks, showers, hot water heaters, disposals, dishwashers, and washing machines.
Your water is usually either supplied by the city or by a well. If you have a well, it usually is located in a corner of your property far away from your septic tank. If you are on municipal water, your home is typically connected to a recessed street box with a water meter in it.
The actual material used for pipes varies by the age of your home and the quality of the home. For fresh water, copper is a very high quality material, which plastic piping is emerging as a strong contender. Older homes have a lot of galvanized steel tubing. For the drain system, older pipes are usually cast iron and new piping is a black plastic material called ABS.
It is very important to know how to shut off the water to your home. You might need to do this quickly in the case of a leaking pipe or appliance failure. Usually there will be a water shut off valve in the basement or crawlspace where the water line enters the house from either the well or the street. Also, there will be a shut-off valve at the street and the well.
The waste water from all of your drains and appliances flows through a system of waste-water pipes to either a septic tank and leach field or to public sewer in the street. This is something you should be clear about when you purchase your home. Septic tanks are typically in more rural areas, and require significantly more maintenance.
A clean out is an access point on a drain - usually located downstream from the drain - used to eliminate clogs in waste-water pipes. They are present in both septic and sewage systems and it is important to know where yours are located in case of a backup. To unclog, use a clean out tool, such as a snake or cable to free up congested pipes.
The major water appliances in your home include consumer appliances like your dishwasher, washer, or disposal, major fixtures such as toilets and sinks, and your hot water heater. Consumer appliances will have issues over time, and will require servicing. Toilets and hot water heaters often have service related issues.
Toilets may malfunction for a variety of issues. External leaks are sometimes caused by bad seals and related parts. Such parts include rubber gaskets that wear over time and bolts that sometimes loosen up. Either of these can be cause for an external leak. Hot water heaters have a metal tank that may corrode over time causing rusty colored water or smells. Sometimes they temporarily fail to heat water at all due to a simple thing like a blown out gas pilot light or a flipped electrical breaker.
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