Not enough people understand how their plumbing works. Your plumbing is a crucial part of your standard of living! From hot showers to cold drinking water, they help keep you comfortable. When something goes wrong, it can cause an inconvenience. It is paramount for you to read our Plumbing 101 blog series! If you know how your plumbing works is the first step in preventing an issue. Learn about the ins and outs of your sink plumbing parts below!
Gravity Versus Pressure: How Water Goes From Here to There
First things first: you have two lines of water flowing to and from your sink. The water that comes in is under massive amounts of pressure; the pressure forces it around corners, up walls, and into your sink. It may make a brief stop at the water heater, depending on whether you turn the hot or cold tap. If it stops at the water heater, the water will be rapidly heated and forced out, still under pressure, to your tap. Once the water comes out of your faucet. The pressure massively decreased, and it can safely pass into the next phase. You use your h2O to wash dishes, hand washing, or bathing little ones. It has to be flushed away. The second line of water: wastewater. Wastewater is any water getting flushed away, either down the sink or toilet.
Sink-Specific Plumbing Parts and Components
The way your sink is structured is relatively simple. The visible parts are the least complicated. The taps are connected to your water supply. They tell your supply, whether to pass the water through the heater or shoot it straight to the sink. There’s also the faucet, which propels water downwards into the basin. Where your plumbing parts get complicated is under the sink. Drainage is crucial for hygienic water disposal. Your sink likely has a garbage disposal and a U-bend pipe underneath the basin. The disposal traps and grinds any large debris from going down into the pipes where they can easily clog your system. The U-bend works oppositely by preventing toxic gasses from the waste system from coming up the pipes, out of your sink. Both are super important to the overall health of your plumbing system, so make sure to check regularly for wear and tear.
Pump the Brakes! Shutting Off During An Emergency
Knowing that pressurized water shoots through them every time you want to wash your hands. It’s easy to picture how much of a beating your plumbing goes through. Your plumbing parts all need individual care to run smoothly. Keeping them free of debris with regular cleaning is an excellent start. Having a professional plumber come out and do a plumbing wellness check is an even better idea. Should you have an emergency, the most important thing you can do is close the supply. Most sinks have their shutoff valve, located near the drain trap underneath the basin, but you can always be extra cautious and turn off the main supply.
What Could Go Wrong? Fixing Broken Plumbing Parts
One good thing about your sink is that it’s relatively easy to fix should something go wrong. On the surface level. Replacing fixtures like the faucet and garbage disposal can usually be a DIY. Even harder repairs like replacing the U-bend can be taken care of by someone with a basic knowledge of plumbing. You should call a plumber for anything involving damaged pipes. Burst, cracked, or leaking pipes are all dangerous. If you’re not careful, a DIY repair could end up worsening the problem by not properly controlling the water pressure. Remember, we’re always here to help!
For more common plumbing and other related tips, please contact Sin City Plumbing.
