Plumbing is any commercial or residential system which carries liquids for various uses. Plumbing utilizes valves, pipes, plumbing fixtures, and various other apparatuses for carrying liquids. Normally, there are two types of plumbing namely central plumbing and differential plumbing. The former system carries the water from the mains to the sinks and the latter system carries the waste water away from sinks to the toilets.
In simple term, it can be said that plumbing is the arrangement of pipes by which liquids are conveyed through it. Different kinds of plumbing include e.g. indoor plumbing, outdoor plumbing, potable plumbing, and public plumbing. If we take the indoor plumbing, it consists of the pipes which are installed for carrying water in the form of water into rooms, to carry water out of rooms into lavatories, to serve food and drink, to keep bathrooms clean and so on. Thus, these plumbing lines are called as piping lines.
These pipes are fitted in different ways, for example, some are connected to the kitchen sink; some are fitted to the outdoor faucets, while others are fitted to the walls of lavatories and bathrooms. On the other hand, the main difference between the indoor plumbing and the outdoor plumbing lies in the kind of liquid which is carried through them i.e. whether it is potable water or sewage water or both. For carrying potable water, the plumbing lines are fitted into the main line of the house and in the houses where there is no main line, the plumbing lines are laid out underground. The pipes are laid according to the requirement, taking into consideration the size of the house. Therefore, if you want to buy plumbing equipment for your home, first decide upon the kind of plumbing you want.
The best option is to buy a pipe fitting which is made of stainless steel. It has many advantages, the foremost being that it does not rust. Secondly, it is extremely long lasting and hence does not wear off quickly, even after use. Stainless steel pipe fittings carry a high price tag, but they are extremely long lasting and therefore, you will not have to replace them frequently. Moreover, they are corrosion resistant and hence, do not corrode even with prolonged exposure to moisture, dirt and rust.
Apart from steel pipe fittings, there are several other commonly used fittings which include copper tube fittings, PVC pipes and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes. The PVC pipes are also called as tri-fold fittings, or jacketed fittings. They are most widely used in domestic installations. They are available in a number of diameters, depending on their application and suitability. The common diameters of PVC pipes are 3 inches, 4 inches and 8 inches, and the smaller ones are used for low pressure systems.
Other commonly used fittings are copper tube, cast iron, plastic pipe and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes. While the PVC pipes are also known as tri-fold fittings, or jacketed fittings, they are available in various diameters. They can range from one inch to one foot.