Plumbers Shreveport is the system of pipes, fixtures, and valves that convey water and waste materials in buildings. Plumbers install, repair, and maintain these systems to ensure safe and effective water supply and waste disposal.
Plumbing is a trade that requires specialized training. Most plumbers learn through an apprenticeship, which combines classroom instruction with on-the-job experience.
The pipes connect the sinks, toilets, and appliances to the water supply throughout your home. They also carry wastewater to the drains and sewer lines. The pipes in your house are made from various materials, and each type has pros and cons.
The five most common pipe materials used for plumbing are copper, PVC, CPVC, PEX, and galvanized steel. Each has different advantages for specific tasks, and each can be installed differently. In addition to these main types of piping, other materials like brass and nickel are sometimes used in particular applications.
Pipes come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Most plumbing pipes are round, but rectangular and squared pipes are also available for certain uses. They may be solid or hollow and made of metal, plastic, glass, or other materials. Pipes are primarily used to convey substances that can flow — liquids and gases, but they can also be used for other purposes like carrying compressed air.
Depending on the type of plumbing, pipes may be insulated to protect against freezing temperatures or to reduce noise and vibration. They may be coated with rubber or a special plastic coating to prevent corrosion and other problems.
Copper pipes have been a standard in plumbing for decades due to their durability and resistance to corrosion. They are a great choice for hot and cold water but can be more expensive than other pipe materials. Copper can last about 50 years but requires soldering at each joint, which can be labor-intensive.
Plastic pipes are a popular option for new plumbing installation and repairs because of their cost, lightweight material, resistance to corrosion, and other properties. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) are the most common plastic pipes. PVC is often color-coded so that plumbers can easily identify which pipe is which, and it’s particularly resilient to freezing temperatures.
PEX is a relatively recent innovation in plumbing, but it’s quickly becoming a favorite among professional plumbers and do-it-yourselfers alike because of its flexibility and ease of installation. It’s also resistant to corrosion and can withstand high levels of pressure.
Pipe fittings connect straight sections of pipes or tubes and adapt them to different sizes or shapes, as well as for other purposes like regulating (or measuring) fluid flow. They’re an important part of piping and plumbing systems because they allow you to control the direction, speed, and volume of water or other liquid in your system without leakage.
Some pipe fittings include elbows, tees, crosses, reducers, unions, couplings, nipples, caps, and plugs. They’re available in various materials, including ABS, bronze, copper, chrome-plated brass, malleable black or galvanized steel, and CPVC and PVC. Some are threaded, others are pressed or welded, and some even feature a flange for added strength.
Most of these are threaded, with an internal diameter that matches the pipe’s external diameter. Pipes are joined to these fittings by screwing them together, using a wrench, and sealing them with pipe dope or Teflon tape. It’s very important to ensure you’re using the right size and type of pipe fittings for your project, or you risk damaging the pipes and potentially causing leaks.
A hex bushing, sometimes shortened to “bushing,” is a sleeve that serves as a reducer and has two threaded ends of different sizes. This is a handy and cheap way to change the length of a pipe in your plumbing system.
Couplings repair broken or damaged pipes by connecting them, usually at a 90- or 45-degree angle. They’re also available in short-radius and long-radius forms. Couplings can be made from a full coupling, half coupling, or reducing coupling, each with unique uses.
A nipple is a short pipe threaded on both ends, commonly used to join pipes of the same diameter in a straight line. It’s also useful for making close connections. These are sometimes called tight or hex nipples and can be soldered, glued, or welded to the pipe. Finally, a cap or plug is a simple pipe fitting used to close an end of a dead-end pipe for inspection or cleaning purposes.
Valves are mechanical devices that control the flow of liquids. They come in various designs and styles, each intended to serve a specific purpose. In the context of plumbing, valves are used to direct or shut off water access, prevent backflow, adjust fluid pressure, and perform other functions.
Most valves are built from metals that can withstand the flowing liquid’s specific chemical composition and temperature. This includes brass, bronze, and stainless steel, among others. Depending on the application, different trim materials may be chosen. These parts touch or about the fluid flowing through the valve and must be selected carefully to ensure they don’t react with the fluid being handled.
Valve types vary widely, and selecting the right one for a particular operation requires consideration of some factors. These include the function of the valve, the liquid being controlled, frequency of use, isolation or regulation needs, maintenance requirements, and more. Valves are also classified by their pressure and temperature ratings, which indicate the maximum allowable pressure and temperature at which they can safely be operated.
The most common valves in industrial piping systems are ball, butterfly, gate, and check valves. A ball valve consists of a rotating sphere inside a body with two ports. When the valve opens, the sphere blocks the ports, allowing water to pass freely through the system. A butterfly valve has a disc-shaped seat that can be moved into an open or closed position to interfere with the flow of liquids.
Other common valves for plumbing include a gate valve that uses a hinged plate to block or open passageways and a check valve that works by using a flap or lever to either let or block the flow of liquid. The type of valve chosen for a given application is generally indicated on the Process and Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID) at the design stage of a piping system. While technically pipe fittings, valves are usually viewed separately from other components due to their critical function and a wider variety of design options.
Piping special items are components not designed and manufactured according to piping standards. They are usually required to serve specific functions in the piping and plumbing systems. These include filters, manifolds, and other components not typically covered by piping standards. The process engineer usually reviews the piping special items to determine whether they meet the specifications of the P&IDs.
The most common piping materials are copper, galvanized steel, and plastic (CPVC and PEX). Brass is also used for plumbing, but CPVC has replaced it because it is more affordable than copper. Plastic piping is flexible, which limits the number of connections and reduces the chance of leaks. It is available in various colors for hot and cold water supplies and requires less labor than other pipe materials.
Other piping materials sometimes used for plumbing are stainless steel and duplex stainless steel. These are stronger than austenitic stainless steel and are more resistant to stress corrosion cracking. They are often used in industrial applications.
Flanges are pipe fittings connected to pipes, pumps, and valves for full piping systems. They are often fixed to the piping system using welding, threading, or screwing techniques. They are then sealed with the help of gaskets. The gaskets are usually made from different materials depending on the flange type.
Pipe elbows are pipe fittings that allow you to change the direction of the flow of the piping system. They are available in several angles, the most popular being 90 and 45 degrees. There are also other types of pipe elbows, such as reducing elbows and eccentric bends.
A tee is a pipe fitting with two parallel ports and one perpendicular port. It can be joined to a larger pipe with a reducing adapter, either in the shape of a bell or fitting inside the large pipe. A barred tee is used in piggable pipelines and has bars across to prevent items from entering the pipe, while a wye tee has three exits and one inlet and can lower the friction and turbulence in a pipe.