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Related Articles and Information About
Plumbing Issues
Plumbing, from the Latin for lead (plumbum), is the
skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing
fixtures for potable water systems and the drainage of
waste. Plumbing originated during the ancient
civilizations such as Roman, Persian, Indian, and
Chinese civilizations as they developed public baths and
needed to provide potable water, and drainage of wastes.
A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping
systems, plumbing fixtures and equipment such as water
heaters. The plumbing industry is a basic and
substantial part of every developed economy due to the
need for clean water, and proper collection and
transport of wastes.
Plumbing a system of pipes and fixtures installed in
a building for the distribution of potable water and the
removal of waterborne wastes. Plumbing is usually
distinguished from water and sewage systems, in that a
plumbing system serves one building, while water and
sewage systems serve a group of buildings or a city.
Improvement in plumbing systems was very slow, with
virtually no progress made from the time of the Roman
system of aqueducts and lead pipes until the 19th
century. Eventually the development of separate,
underground water and sewage systems eliminated open
sewage ditches and cesspools.
Much of the plumbing work in populated areas (cities,
towns, etc...) is regulated by government or
quasi-government agencies due to the direct impact on
the public's health, safety, and welfare. Plumbing
installation and repair work on residences and other
buildings generally must be done according to plumbing
and building codes to protect the inhabitants of the
buildings and to ensure safe, quality construction to
future buyers. If permits are required for work,
plumbing contractors typically secure them from the
authorities on behalf of home or building owners.
Materials
Water systems of ancient times relied on gravity
for the supply of water, using pipes or channels usually
made of clay, lead or stone. Present-day water-supply
systems use a network of high-pressure pumps, and pipes
are now made of copper, brass, plastic, steel, or other
nontoxic material. Present-day drain and vent lines are
made of plastic, steel, cast-iron, and lead. Lead is not
used in modern water-supply piping due to its toxicity.
The 'straight' sections of plumbing systems are of
pipe or tube. A pipe is typically formed via
casting or welding, where a tube is made through
extrusion. Pipe normally has thicker walls and may be
threaded or welded, where tubing is thinner-walled and
requires special joining techniques such as 'soldering',
'compression fitting', 'crimping', or for plastics,
'solvent welding'.
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