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Most modern western water systems are directly fed
from a municipal water system by a high-pressure pipe,
usually located under the road or street.
Many houses still use a cistern or a well where
convenient water supply is not available; a pump and
pressure tanks are used to maintain system pressure.
Older houses (or houses that need gravity fed cold water)
may also have a cold water tank.
In such a case, drinking water (usually the kitchen tap) is
usually fed directly from the main water supply due to
the risk of contamination in the cold water tank.
COLD WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM Any external water supply is almost always a cold
water supply.
The Cold water supply system may include filter or
water softener appliances and fixtures.
This cold water is then fed to other fixtures, taps, and
appliances that require cold water, such as sinks,
water heaters, faucets, bathtubs, showers, toilets,
etc.
Domestic hot water is provided by means of water
heaters, appliances intended to provide a hot water
supply by heating a volume of water supplied by the Cold
water supply system.
The hot water from these systems is then piped to the
various fixtures, taps, and appliances that require hot
water, such as sinks, bathtubs, showers, washing
machines, etc.
In modern hotels and apartment blocks and service
apartments, centralized storage and distribution systems
are adopted, where other energy sources such as oil, gas,
solar panels, etc., may be used for the generation of hot
water as these options prove more economical and
convenient in heating large volumes of water for storage.
HOT WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM
In old construction, lead plumbing was common. It was
generally eclipsed toward the end of the 1800s by
galvanized iron water pipes which were attached with
threaded pipe fittings.
Copper with soldered fittings became popular around
1950, though it had been used as early as 1900. Plastic
supply pipes have become increasingly common since
about 1970, with a variety of materials and fittings
employed.
Galvanized iron supply pipes are commonly found with
interior diameters from 1/2" to 2", though most domestic
systems won't require any supply pipes larger than 3/4".
(iron is also often used in drain/waste/vent)
MATERIALS
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Pipes have NPT ("National Pipe Thread") standard
threads, which mate with inside threads on elbows,
couplers and other fittings.
Galvanized iron (often known simply as "galv" or
"iron" in the plumbing trade) is relatively expensive,
difficult to work with (due to weight and requirement
of a pipe threader), and suffers from a tendency to
obstruction due to mineral deposits forming on the
inside of the pipe.
It remains common for repair of existing "galv"
systems and to satisfy building code non-
combustiblity requirements typically found in hotels,
apartment buildings and other commercial
applications. It is also extremely durable.
Generally, copper tubes are soldered directly into copper or
brass fittings, although compression or flare fittings are
commonly used by residential plumbers (Note: the annealing
quality of the pipe or tube can affect the performance of
compression fittings and their ability to "make-up" during
installation).
Formerly, concerns with copper supply tubes included the
lead used in the (50%tin-50%lead)solder at joints. Some
studies have shown significant "leaching" of the lead into the
potable water stream, particularly after long periods of low
usage, followed by peak demand periods.
In hard water applications, shortly after installation, the
interior of the pipes will be coated with the deposited
minerals, which had been dissolved in the water and
therefore the vast majority of exposed lead would be
prevented from entering the potable water. Building code
requirements often require lead-free solder for copper and
brass. Building Codes throughout the U.S. require the use of
virtually "lead-free" (<.2% lead) solder or filler metals.
Plastic pipe is in wide use for domestic water
supply, waste or vent pipe, polyvinyl chloride
(PVC), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC),
polypropylene (PP)
PVC/CPVC - rigid plastic pipes similar to PVC
drain pipes but with thicker walls to deal with
municipal water pressure, introduced around
1970.
PVC should be used for cold water only, or
venting, CPVC should be used for hot and cold.
Connections are made with primers and solvent
cements, consult pipe and fitting manufacturer
for best combination.
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Water Pipes and Fittings
Plastic pipe is used in many plumbing applications because
it's relatively inexpensive, easy to install and impervious to
corrosion. In some locations, plastic pipe is not allowed by
codes for supply piping.
Rigid pipe may be PVC (polyvinyl chloride) for cold water or
DWV plumbing, CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) for hot
and cold water and ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) for
DWV piping. Flexible plastic tubing is made from PB
(polybutylene) and PE (polyethylene). Plastic pipe is rated for
the pressure it can handle; this rating is stamped on the
outside of the pipe.
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Rigid copper pipe is widely preferred for water supply piping.
It's sturdy and durable, resists mineral buildup and can handle
both cold and hot water. Hard supply pipe is sold in three
thicknesses: M (thin wall), L (medium wall) and K (thick wall).
Most above-ground plumbing is Type M.
Soft copper supply pipe is more expensive than hard copper
pipe but is flexible enough to be routed without as many
fittings. Type L (medium wall) is more commonly used than
Type M (thick wall) for above-ground applications. Copper
pipe may be joined with permanently soldered fittings or
flare/compression fittings that can be disassembled.
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Galvanized iron pipe and fittings were standard for water
supply plumbing before 1960 and are still common. The
galvanized zinc coating on the outside of this pipe resists
rust and corrosion but insides of pipes clog up with
mineral deposits and corrode over time. Water-tight
connections are made with threaded fittings. Larger-
diameter galvanized iron pipe is used for vent plumbing
in some houses.
To prevent corrosion from electrolysis that occurs when
two dissimilar metals are joined together, a dielectric
union should be used anywhere copper is connected to
an iron pipe.
Cast iron pipe is a strong, durable material used for
drain, waste and vent (DWV) plumbing. Two types are
common: the older "hub" or "bell-and-spigot" type that
is joined together with lead and oakum and newer "no-
hub" or "hubless" fittings that are connected with special
rubber gaskets and stainless steel band clamps.
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House Plumbing
A house actually has
several plumbing systems.
Water supply piping brings
water to the house and
distributes it to fixtures and
appliances, including
outdoor sprinklers and
irrigation.
Drain and waste plumbing
disposes of used water and
waste.
Vent piping exhausts sewer
gasses and provides proper
pressure for the drainpipes.
And some homes even
have pipe systems that
serve specialty needs-
swimming pool plumbing
and built-in vacuum piping,
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Water Valves and Hose Bibb's A hose bibb, an outdoor faucet, is threaded to receive a
garden hose. The type with a wall-attachment flange is called
a sillcock.
The globe valve serves as a shutoff valve that also controls
water pressure. Unlike the gate valve, this shutoff valve can
be used partially open. Angled varieties are also available.
Water meter &water shutoff valve
Water travels under pressure through a system of
pipes to our homes.
The water company uses a water meter to measure
how much water you use (unless your water use isn't
tracked). This meter is often buried in a housing with
a removable lid, located in front of the house, near
the street. In cold-winter areas, it may be inside the
basement or crawl space-often placed where the
meter reader can check it monthly without
disturbing you. The water company delivers water to
the meter through a large pipe called a main, which
often parallels the street.
A gate valve, used as main shutoff valve, is designed to be
used either completely open or closed. As you open the valve,
a tapered wedge retracts from the water channel into valve's
body, allowing water to flow. When closed, the wedge creates
a seal. Other valves control the flow of water through parts of
your supply system. A valve near the house may shut off all
water indoors; another may control all garden water.
A main shutoff valve is often located on each side of the water
meter. The one on the street side is the water company's
valve-the one used to shut off the system when they want to
work on or change your meter. The other one controls water
that flows to your house. This is your main shutoff; turning it
completely clockwise will stop all water flowing through your
water supply system-both indoors and outdoors.