PLUMBING, the name applied to the system of pipes, valves, fittings and fix tures installed in buildings which supply water and remove human excrement and liquid wastes. Heating systems and fuel piping are not in the strictest sense con sidered plumbing.
The earliest pipes were made of lead, but in modern practice this material has been to a large extent replaced by vitrified clay tile, cast or wrought iron, brass and copper. The exposed pipes in modern high grade buildings are nickel plated brass or white enameled metal.
The water is usually brought to the property line by the water company, and connected with the house by a service pipe; the flow through is usually con trolled by two valves, one for the water company, which may be located at the curb, and one for the building. Modern practice places a meter in the service pipe just inside the building. Usually there are two sets of pipes, one for hot water, the other for cold. The water is heated by a water front in a range, by a coil in the heating system of the house, or by a special copper coil which is heated by gas, the water usually goes from the heater to a riveted storage tank and is then circulated through the pipes to the various outlets.
The end of each pipe from which water is to be drawn is fitted with a special type of valve called a faucet, and a good design demands that several valves be placed in the pipes in order that the water may be shut off from parts of the system without depriving the entire building from water.
Fixtures. The materials used for fix tures range from solid porcelain to iron. Solid porcelain fixtures are very expen sive, liable to break in the handling nec essary to installation and are very heavy. Metal fixtures upon which a heavy coating of porcelain has been fused are sanitary, resemble solid por celain in appearance and are much more common and inexpensive. Marble has its vogue, but is seldom used now. Iron is used for heavy low grade sinks and soapstone for laundry tubs. The com mon fixtures are sinks, used in kitchens and pantries, laundry tubs, wash bowls, bath tubs, water closets, shower baths and urinals. The modern water closet is of the siphon type in which the flow of water is controlled by a valva. The incoming water takes the place of water i already in the bowl of the closet, which carries with it the wastes.
Drainage. All waste water is carried from the house by a system of pipes which connect with the sewerage sys tem. A drain pipe leads from each fix • ture and the water flows by gravity through a trap or water sealed curved pipe or chamber which prevents gas from the sewer from backing up into the dwelling.