Every residential plumbing system requires basic components to supply water and drain waste. Issues with any of the following components could affect the entire system and require professional plumbing services.
Water meter
The water meter tracks the amount of water flowing into the home, detects leaks in pipes, and provides general information about the system’s health, such as contamination.
Water pressure regulator
Abnormal water pressure can lead to leaks and other issues. The water pressure regulator is programmed to provide alerts when the pressure needs to be adjusted.
Water main valve
The water main valve controls water flow throughout the home and is typically located in a basement or crawl space. It’s important for homeowners to know where this valve is located in case the system springs a leak. Shutting off water supply to the home at the water main valve can help prevent flooding and serious water damage.
Cut-off valve
Cut-off valves are used to turn water off to a particular area of the home, rather than to the entire home. For example, a cut-off valve can be used in case of a leaking toilet to prevent unsanitary water flowing to other areas of the home.
Water supply pipes
Water supply pipes are divided into two systems, one for cold water and the other for hot water. The pipes in these two systems typically run parallel to one another.
Drains
A home’s drain system consists of multiple parts: fixture drains, P-traps, toilet traps, a clothes washer standpipe, branch drain lines, soil stack, soil stack vent, sewer line clean-out, main drain line, and municipal sewer main.
Fixture drains are located in tubs, showers, and sinks and are the entryway for waste into the drain system. P-traps are located beneath sinks, bathtubs, and showers and hold standing water to prevent sewer gasses from rising into the home. The toilet trap functions similar to a P-trap, and is a curved drain trap.
The clothes washer standpipe collects waste water from the washing machine and sends it down a curved drain pipe and on to the main drain. Branch drain lines are typically hiding in walls, ceilings, and floors and are used to connect fixture drain traps to soil stacks, which are large vertical pipes.