If plumbing only means turning a faucet on and off to you, it will probably be a surprise to know that plumbing is largely a network of pipes and the fittings that connect them, carrying water in and out of the house. This can be done with the aid of two basic forces of nature: pressure and gravity. Each and everyone of the appliances in our homes that use water are tapped into this system. They get the fresh water from one set of pipes and let go the used water through another. It is as simple as that. Without the home plumbing system, the sinks, , tubs, showers and toilets, but also dishwashers and washing machines could not make our lives so nice!



There are a few terms that one must absolutely be familiar with, when dealing with a plumbing system situation, be it evaluation, repairing or expanding it. The water cycle is the first thing we must fully understand. Water falls to earth as rain or snow and then travels through a treatment plant, a pumping station, and a local water tower to a water main and meter or from a private well that taps into the local water table. The fresh water that comes into our homes enters through a main cold-water pipe and flows, under pressure, out of whatever faucet has been turned on.

On the other hand, the used water leaves the homes and heads for the city sewer or a private septic system. Every point in this system is placed at a lower level than the preceding one, thus the water can move by gravity. The water then goes into a treatment plant or to a septic tank, in order for the waste to be removed. Finally, the water vapors go back to the skies, to restart the cycle.

Our homes hide three separate but interdependent pipe systems: supply, drain-waste, and vent. The supply system carries pressurized water from a utility main or private well into our house and around to all the water-using appliances. The drain-waste system gets the gray water and waste out of the house into a city sewer or septic tank outside the house. The vent system carries away noxious sewer gases. So, each of these three systems has its own importance in a household.