The typical home has a lot of pipe in it. Pipes are designed to carry fluids and not all fluids are water. Air is a fluid and so is natural gas. Water is a fluid as is the refrigerant in you air conditioning and is present in both the liquid and gas phases. Air conditioning lines need to handle very high pressures and therefore they need strong lines and fittings. AC systems generally use copper lines. Condensation lines, usually PVC are used to carry away condensation water present in all AC systems.
Plumbing Valves & Fittings
Fluid flow is controlled by valves. These come in the form of hose bibs, for the outside hose and anti-syphoning and electrically controlled valves in your sprinkling system. Or via your bathroom, kitchen and laundry faucets. Ball valves are incorporated to shut down water delivery to the hose or just an individual line. Check valves only allow flow in one direction, blocking it in another.
Bathroom, Kitchen, Laundry & Other Faucets
Faucets contribute to the overall design and aesthetics of a home as well as to their utility in controlling water. In modern homes PEX tubing in red and blue allow for the rapid identification of hot and cold systems. The plumbers will create a manifold with ball valves to control water to each individual area, allowing water to a single fixture to be controlled without affecting the whole house. Its kind of like having a breaker box for water control instead of electricity.
PEX VS Copper Pipe
Most high-pressure supply water plumbing is accomplished by PEX a synthetic tubing, PVC a plastic pipe and copper for water. Your split AC system will have copper tubing for the refrigerant transport between the condenser/compressor outside and the air handler/evaporator inside. PEX has the advantage of coming in colors to identify hot and cold lines. PEX is also much cheaper than copper lines.
PVC Pipe
Low pressure gravity drain systems are PVC pipe. Other materials have been used but for residential use PVC is the dominate material used in both new builds and renovations. Vent piping is those lines those pipes that stick up above the roof and the fluid is air that flows to prevent air-locking in the drainage system. When water flow down a drain it creates a vacuum behind it. The vents allow air to equalize the pressure.
Natural Gas Pipe Material
But there are also gas lines incorporated into the drain system. Natural gas is carried by steel schedule 40 pipe that refers to the national pipe standard for diameter and wall thickness. Usually wrapped black steel pipe is used. The wrapping is to avoid corrosion when buried. There special codes for gas line plumbing, given the inherent flammable nature of gas. The same precautions are used if the home uses bottled propane for fuel. Things that require heat, like your furnace, water heater and gas fired clothes dryer, work better with natural gas or propane as there is a direct conversion to heat.
Accurate Water Pressure Gauge
Plumbing lines need to carry up to 60 psi gauge pressure. Gauges are set to zero at the factory but there is an ambient pressure of the atmosphere of about 14.7 psi or pounds per square inches. Gauges measure pressure relative to air pressure. Positive if above air pressure, negative if below.
Water & Gas Line Pipe Services & More in Spring, The Woodlands, Magnolia, Montgomery & Conroe Texas
The total piping length in a home is only rivaled by the length of the wiring. Plumbing is a critical element of any home. Even commercial office buildings have restrooms and break rooms that have the need for plumbing. M&C Orsack Plumbing Company can handle all of your plumbing needs. Call us today!
