Plumbing 101 for New Homeowners

When you first buy a home, plumbing can be overwhelming. There are quite a few plumbing maintainence items to do. There are a lot of plumbing terms, and things to know so you can handle little things on your own. 

What Makes Up a Plumbing System

There are three different things that make up a plumbing system, water supply, water heating and drainage. 

Water Supply

Water supply can come from two different sources: your city (or municipality) or well water. With city water the water first flows through a water meter, the meter will let the city know how much water you are using. After that it flows to your house for you to use. There are a couple advantages to using city water. The first is that it is reliable, it should always be there and you don’t need any extra equipment to use it. The second is the city tests the water frequently to ensure its safety. 

Well water comes from a well on your property. Well water isn’t free but there aren’t any water bills. It’s cost is generally parts and maintenance. Parts and maintenance generally include pumps, water testing kits, and more. A well built well (no pun intended) should provide you with clean and safe drinking water. 

Water Heating

Whether you are using well or city water, cold water flows freely from the main line into the home. Hot water, however, needs to be heated before going to your shower, faucet or wherever else. To do that, water flows from the mainline to your water heater, to be heated before going to the fixture that needs it. 

Drainage

Any water that comes into your home, has to come back out in some way. This is what drains do for us. They take any waste water and send it to either your septic tank or municipal sewer. There are three subsections of the drainage system. The first is a vent, they generally are on top of your roof and provide the venting necessary to let wastewater flow through the system. The second is a trap, this is generally in your sink and toilet and it keeps water trapped there at all times. This keeps sewer gas from coming into your home. The last subsection is a cleanout. The primary function of clean outs is to allow access to your trap to get a clog cleared out. 

Things You May Need to Know

Shut Off Valve

The first thing you may need to know is where the water shut off valve is. There are shut off valves behind toilets and under every sink. These shut off valves will stop water at that specific location. If your toilet is overflowing, turning that off will stop the water. There is also a main shut off valve, sometimes it’s by your water meter and sometimes it’s in your utility room. This will shut off water to the whole house. It generally looks like a wheel with spokes in it or just a lever. A lot of the time it is labeled but if it’s not, it is wise to label it!

Leaks

Leaks can be a bigger deal than you may think. It may look like a little bit of water coming from your faucet or your toilet running for a day. Water leaks add up quicker than you think. It is important to get leaks taken care of when they start because they can cause a lot of damage in a short amount of time.

Toilets

Toilets also tend to give a lot of trouble. We have several different blogs that can help you with quick fixes. It is important to note that only water, waste and toilet paper can be flushed down the toilet. “Flushable” wipes claim they can flush with no big deal but they actually cause a lot of clogs. 

Water Pressure

It is important to maintain a safe water pressure in your home, too low and you may continually get annoyed and too high would mean it can break your plumbing fixtures. The safe range is 40-45 pounds per square inch or PSI. Your system may let you take up to 60 PSI. 

Final Thoughts

Plumbing in your home can be a confusing topic but with a little background knowledge it will make it easier to understand.  The more you know about plumbing the better you can maintain it. Remember, 1-Tom-Plumber is always here to help you out when you get in a jam.

Call 1-Tom-Plumber 

Don’t hesitate to contact us here or call us at 1-Tom-Plumber (1-866-758-6237) if you need any plumbing, drain cleaning, water damage, or excavation service. 1-Tom-Plumber’s certified team of plumbers and drain technicians respond immediately to any emergency plumbing, drain cleaning, or water damage problem. We also handle the excavation of underground water lines and sewer main lines. Our immediate-response team is available every day and night of the year, even on holidays.