Plumbing systems can be incredibly complicated, with valves and pipes delivering potable water into your house and carrying waste fluids away. Most homeowners know the basics of unclogging a sink or toilet drain, but few take it on themselves to repair or replace fittings or piping on their own.
Whether you plan to contact a professional plumber or do a fix-it job yourself, it's wise to educate yourself on the different plumbing parts and supplies along with their purpose in your home. The following is a guide to replacement parts and materials you'll need to understand:
Pipes
If you plan to do a repair job yourself, it's essential that you know the make of the pipes in your home. Many houses and apartments built in recent decades have copper or plastic piping made of polyvinyl chloride, commonly called PVC, or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, otherwise known as ABS, to handle drain, waste and vent systems.
Many homes constructed in the 1970s or later have PVC or ABS pipes due to their relatively low cost and the ease at which homeowners can put them together. PVC is also a very convenient pipe material since you can attach or repair it using glue, liquid cement and a bit of primer. Plus, the size and inspection codes that the material meets are usually stamped right on the pipe. While PVC is inexpensive compared to copper, it's not as long-lasting as the metal alternative.
Copper duct and water lines can withstand corrosion longer than plastic tubing and pipe, tolerate higher temperatures and take up less space than other materials.
While many modern homes feature either PVC or copper piping to handle water flow, older houses built during the 1960s or earlier usually have cast-iron lines and fittings. This style, unfortunately, can be the most arduous pipe material to replace. Older cast iron pipelines can corrode and rust over time, which means they can be too big of a job for a do-it-yourself task. It's best to play the part of customer and call in a plumber to fix this style of water line.
Fittings
There's a host of different pipe fittings in terms of size, shape, thread and material. These plumbing parts are essential to keep water flowing through the pipes of your toilet, faucet and shower. Fittings allow you to join two pipes together, change the directional flow of the liquids through the pipes or seal off one end from another, according to ThePipeFittings.com.
One thing to keep in mind before making a trip to your local hardware store is you'll need to match the material, size and connection type of your pipes with the fittings you decide to purchase.
Pipe fittings can be made of many materials, including brass, bronze, galvanized iron, copper, chrome, stainless steel or PVC. Whatever make the attachment is, it needs to match the metal or plastic of the pipe used and must follow both national and local building codes for safety. If you are unsure whether your fitting or pipe is up to code, ask a knowledgeable salesperson or contact a plumber.
What kind of task do you need the fitting to perform? Will you be using it for your toilet, your kitchen faucet or outside to water your lawn with? Certain styles of attachments are used for a specific job, such as a PVC closet bend fitting that's shaped at a 90-degree angle to freely carry wastewater out of your home. Other types, such as flared brass fittings, are commonly used with water that's highly pressurized.
Besides the material and size of the attachment, you'll also need to know whether your pipe is a slip fit, i.e. the fitting and pipe have complementary sleeves that accommodate each other, or if they use a thread system. If they happen to be threaded fits then make sure you properly fit the male ends, those attachments and pipes with exterior threads, to female threaded fittings, or those with an interior thread.
Valves
Another key item in controlling the flow of water in and out of your living space comes in the form of valves. There are three general types of valves - stop, ball and gate - all with their individual advantages and disadvantages, so make sure you get the right one for the job.
Stop or globe valves allow you to better direct the amount of water flow.
Stop Valves - Stop or globe valves allow you to better direct the amount of water flowing through your pipes because you can incrementally twist the knob to adjust the stream. When you tighten or loosen the wheel, a stopper seal lowers to stop the outflow or rises to let it move. This type of valve is usually used to control the water flow on your faucet and toilet. Even though you put the device to use everyday, educate yourself regarding its positioning, as installing one the wrong way will cause a mess.
Ball Valves - Ball valves are just that - a joint with a ball that can rotate to allow water, gas or oil through and can also shut off the flow with just a twist of the handle. A drilled hole in the center of the ball lets the liquids and gases pass while plastic bushings enable the user to rotate it.
While this type of valve is convenient since you can tell by the position of the handle whether it's turned on or off, you can only turn the lever at certain angles. Therefore, your choices in how much water you want to move through your pipes is limited. Since the device features a handle to operate it, the valve can also be cumbersome if you install it near a wall or a tight and narrow space.
Gate Valves - If all you need, however, is a type of spigot that will simply open and close water to your pipes, then a gate or full-flow valve is your solution. While it has a wheel or knob for you to fasten or loosen it much like the globe valve, the tap features a brass gate that you can only raise or lower. This type doesn't give you as many flow options as ball or globe valves, though.
Before you start any home plumbing repairs, remember to examine and understand the pipes, fittings and valves that your faucets, showers and toilets use. Plumbing parts can affect everything from your lavatory to lawn, so it's essential to fully comprehend what you're working with.