Info About...Construction

Plumbing

Plumbing is the work done with water pipes for both drainage systems and drinking water systems. A plumber carries out the repairs or installs the piping, and are generally a strong trade with there always being a need for clean water. The difference between plumbing and drainage systems is that where drainage systems can serve a large number of buildings at the same time, only one plumbing system can operate for one building at each time.

Plumbing first started in ancient Roman times when the use of public baths meant that they needed to not only form a system to drain away they waste but they also needed to put in place a system which could supply people with disposable water. However the development in the plumbing area was a very slow moving one and it wasn't until around the 19th century that the separate sewage and underground water system was developed.

Plumbing is done by using a number of high pressurised pipes and a series of pumps that are made of several metals and plastic. The pipes that are used in a plumbing system are put in place by a process of casting or welding whereas the tubing use in the system is done through extrusion, due to the tubing being extremely thinner than piping is tends to have to be put in place by more specialised joining technique, unlike the piping with is welded. There are also other elements involved in the plumbing system which are called tees, elbows, valves and unions.

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