Easy Plumbing Knowledge

Hello dear DYI'ers! Wishing you here a great Wednesday! In the last post we covered a few different types of shutoff valves for water piping systems. We covered some of the main disadvantages and advantages of each system. In summary, we covered three types of valves: gate valves, ball valves, and globe valves. We learned that gate valves are pretty good for the beginning of water piping systems, while globe valves are not, as they restrict water flow. In addition, we learned that ball valves can be used whenever you use a gate valve, with added benefits of more durability and ease of use. Today, in continuation of our control valves saga, we will learn more about three additional control valves.  1) Stop and Waste Valves This type of valves reuses the design of a glove valve, which,  as we covered int he previous post, use a compression mechanism that can be fixed easily and inexpensively. The difference is that these type of valves incorporate a screw that can be ...

Hello friends from all over the world! Today we continue on our post series regarding water piping. To recap, we have cover how to cut piping from different materials, how to join pipes with fittings, and the difference between different types of piping materials. It has been a very interesting journey indeed. Today we will focus on control valves. We will cover the different types of shutoff valves/control valves. We will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each control valve as some valves certainly do not belong in certain parts of the plumbing system or under certain scenarios. Let's get started friends! 1) Gate Valves This type of valve has an internal gate mechanism that allows for unrestricted flow of water. It is most commonly used near the meter or pressure tank of the plumbing system. These types of valves are not meant to be used frequently. In addition, they have one big enemy. Kryptonite. Jk. It is hard water with its minerals that can totally render a ...

Hello team! In last post we covered the basics of cutting and fitting CPVC tubing. We learned about removing the surface glaze that the tubing has, cutting the plastic tubing with a plastic-pipe-cutting shears, and then joining all the plastic tubing with cement. Now, it is interesting to ask, what is the differences (advantages and disadvantages) of using different types of piping materials: metal vs plastic. Copper pipes are the most common type of plumbing piping material. They are specially resistant to corrosion and can be used for both cold and hot water. One disadvantage with copper piping is that they need to be soldered. CPVC is easy to install, is generally low-cost, its light weight and it is easy to cut. CPVC piping also can withstand high temperature and is fire resistant. Part of the easier installation with CPVC pipes is that they do not need to be soldered. Galvanized piping used to be very popular with residential plumbing projects but can be prone to rus...

Good afternoon cool cats and kittens (lol)! In today's blog post we will cover the steps about cutting and fitting made out of Chlorinated PolyVinyl Chloride (CPVC). CPVC has been used in potable water the 1950s and is easy to install and relatively inexpensive. So, let's dive right into it. 1) The first step is to cut the plastic tubing. For this there are several tools that you can use. You can use a tubing cutter, a hacksaw, or a more specialized tool known as a plastic-pipe-cutting shear set. Very creative name. Almost close to Tiger King! Jk. But how do you use a plastic-pipe-cutting shears. First, mark the tubing and, then, in a perpendicular fashion, place the shears and squeeze until you have cut the tubing. 2) The next step is to assemble all the components so that you can mark them. That way, with all the movement of the components later on before being set into place with cement, you won't lose track of how they are supposed to be connected. 3) The ne...

Hello dear friends, How is everyone doing this fine Wednesday? The last few weeks have been tough due to the lock down in certain cities and areas. We find ourselves in a time of learning amidst a situation that we had not encountered before, at least not with the level of technological advance and connectivity. Indeed, interesting times lie ahead. In this time of learning, it is also a good time to keep learning about our plumbing. In previous posts we have covered about copper piping, galvanized steel piping, black steel piping, and also how to connect different types of piping, in addition to the tools and techniques to cut pipes. In addition, we have learned about the benefits of insulating pipes. In today's blog post, we we learn some basics about another type of piping....... plastic water piping. First, let's begin with the material that plastic water pipes are made out of: CPVC. This chemical is not new. It has been around for a long time. Now, what are are some...

Hello dear friends, In the last posts we have learned a lot more about piping, including the dangers of lead piping and also how to work with joining pipes that are made out of different materials to avoid electrolysis. In this blog, we will cover the benefits of insulating water pipes. 1) When you insulate pipes, it is more difficult for cold air to get inside of the pipe. It is this cold air getting into a pipe that can cause it to freeze and if a pipe bursts after it freezes over, this can cause expensive damages to your home. When water gets really cold, it turns to ice, and then it expands, which then causes the pipe to burst. You can avoid all of this by applying insulation to your dear pipes. 2) Another advantage of insulating the pipe system in your home is that when water moves from the place where it was heated to your faucets and shower, it travels through the piping system in your home. And through its adventures and travels, it is possible that i loses heat. So, wh...

Now that we are on the topic of piping - from copper piping to galvanized steel piping - let's learn a little more about a type of piping that your home may have and that can cause serious damage to your health and those of your loved ones. This type of piping would be lead piping. There is a close connection between lead and plumbing. In fact, the chemical symbol for lead is Pb, which stands for plumbum. Indeed, there is a strong connection between lead and plumbing! Lead was used extensively in ancient Rome. It was used in plates, wine vessels, and, of course, in water piping. It was even used as a preservative for wine. It was even used in cosmetic products and even condiments. Lead continued to be used - in part because of it being inexpensive and in part because of it being malleable - for lead piping. It was used in the American colonies and then in to bring water to homes in the United States. Up to 70 percent of urban areas used lead pipes by the 1900's. It was u...

Throughout the last posts we have been learning a lot about how plumbers work with water piping. We have learned about cutting water pipes, soldering pipes, different types of fittings. We have learned about copper piping and steel piping. Today, we will learn about electrolysis and why this can be such a terrible thing for your house's plumbing. In a few words, electrolytic corrosion is a process of accelerated corrosion. "In this process, a metallic surface is continuously corroded by other metal it is in contact with, due to an electrolyte and the flow of an electrical current between the two metals." An example of electrolytic corrosion occurs when you have a copper or brass pipe joined to a galvanized steel pipe or fitting. What will end up happening is a steel side that will have accelerated corrosion. This results because copper and brass have more positively charged ions that are located in the steel. Thus, with time, the iron in the steel gives up electr...

In the previous blog posts we have learned a lot about copper piping, including how to cut, install fittings, and solder copper piping. In this post, we will learn more about steep piping. Let's get started as there is plenty to learn about this type of piping. Ok, so for residential projects you will find two main types of steel piping. The two main types of piping for residential homes will be galvanized steep piping and black steep piping. What are the differences between these two types of piping? Galvanized steel piping is installed for water or gas piping. It is important here to notice that black steel piping should not be used for your residential plumbing system. But why not? You may ask. Black steel sounds super interesting and cool. Well, the situation is that black steel piping has a big disadvantage as it rusts quickly compared to galvanized steel piping. Now, is there any difference in how you cut these two different types of steel piping and how you fit them?...

In our journey with copper piping, today we embark on a comparison journey, where we will compare compression fittings vs flare fittings vs Push Fit Fittings. Ready? Set? Let's go! Compression fittings are very common in shut off valves. Many times a shut off valve will have a compression fitting on one end and a pipe fitting on another end. Yet, it is also common that the shut off valve has compression fittings on both ends. When should you use compression fittings? For both rigid and soft copper piping, compression fittings work well. Flare fittings, in contrast, are used mostly for soft tubing. This means that the use of flare fittings is usually under-slab water piping. This type of fitting helps to make a soft copper pipe match the male end of a flared fitting. In addition to being used for under-slab water pipping, soft copper tubing is also used to connect gas appliances in in-house gas pipping. The last type of fitting we will compare in this post is push-fit fitt...

Hello everyone! In the previous posts we have covered how to cut copper piping and also the steps to solder copper piping (and learned about the importance of being a plumbing janitor). So you want to solder copper piping tubing but a stream of water is getting in the way. The water going down the pipe because of an old shutoff valve does not let you do your soldering job. Damn H2O! Well, not everything is lost. Like everything in life (well, almost everything) there is a solution for that. And one, hopefully, there will be an App for that. A robot will them move to do the dirty job and fix all your problems, before it becomes self aware and then develops a plan to control your household and then control the whole world. Imagination, it is such a trip. Ok, so where were we. Oh yes, how to stop a stubborn trickle of water. Well, the solution is simple. To do this, insert a special liquid filled capsule before soldering that will help you give enough time so that you can sold...

Good evening team! Today we will be going over the step by step procedure to solder copper tubing.  We will go over what tools and materials you will need and then we will move on to the steps to get the job done. Let's get started! Ok, so for getting this project done you will need: 1) Soldering Flux and a Brush 2) A cleaning tool or cleaning pad 3) Tubing and corresponding fittings 4) Solder 5) Some rags 6) Protective equipment, which include goggles  7) A soldering torch Steps to get it done: 1) You would like to get straight to soldering, right? We understand. However, the very first step before soldering has to do with preparation of your soldering copper tubing. Using a wire brush or cleaning pad, make sure to clean inside the hub on each fitting. Whether it is tubing with 1/2 in or 3/4 in diameter tubing, it is extremely useful to clean the interior of the hub as well as the outside of the tubing. 2) The second step is going straight to ...

Good evening everyone! In today's post we will cover soldering. Solder is a metallic filler that bonds two metallic surfaces with the use of a flux paste. It is important to note also that solder today no longer contains lead as studies have shown that water could leach lead from soldered fittings. Soldering Copper When soldering copper, one common mistake is a dirty fitting. When fittings are dirty, what ends up happening is that when you solder, the solder does not adhere well to the metal. Indeed, this can result in potential leaks. Another problem when soldering is that using either too much heat or too little heat can result in a weak joint. This is because too much heat does not help the flux paste to work as well as it show, and with too little heat, the solder may not flow into all the places it show to create the strong bond. Now, how much solder should you apply to each joint you may ask? And it is indeed a good question. One tip that can help you see how much so...

In this next post we will learn more about cutting copper piping with the use of a simple and effective tool known as tubing cutters. In order to carry out this procedure and cut copper piping, you will need the following materials: 1) tube to cut, of course 2) measuring tape 3) pencil or permanent marker 4) tubing cutter (the magical tool we are talking about) The technique to cut copper piping is: 1) First hold the copper tube with one hand and measure with the other hand using the measuring tape. Then, mark where you want to cut with a permanent marker or pencil. 2) The next step is to clamp the tubing cutter onto the tube at the precise location where you want to cut. Then, after you have tighten the cutter, the next step is to rotate the cutter with the when following the rollers. 3) Cut the pipe slowly at first so that the cutter does not get out of the marked place. Then, you can move more quickly until the job is done. Tada! This technique can be used not onl...

Hi dear friends, In the last post we cover a bit about copper water piping and about the two main types of tubing there are. Today, we continue on our water pipe journey and cover more about how to cut water pipes. It is at this point that it becomes important to talk about two important points when cutting water pipes. The first point is that a clean, straight cut is important. If you do not have a clean, straight cut, this can later cause problems down the line, which can even lead to pipe erosion and reduced pressure. A second important point here is that the material of the piping has a lot to do with what equipment you will need to do the cutting. For example, some tubing materials work best with a hack saw while other materials work best with a tubing cutter.  As an example, tubing shears work best with plastic. Now, if the piping you need to cut is made out of steel, then a more powerful tool, one that has cutting blades designed with hardened steel cutting blades. ...

Hi everyone! After covering some safety tips in the last three posts, now we will move on to the next topic. This next topic has to do with water piping.  Water piping system may look complicated. But relax, that is why we are here after all. Something that will make this much easier is for you to know how to distinguish those pipes that are drainage pipes vs those pipes that are incoming pipes. Understanding this distinction will make things much easier.  So, to get started, we will cover Copper Water Piping first.  In this first type of piping, there are two major forms: 1) Hard tubbing 2) Soft Tubing The first one, hard tubing, comes in small lengths of 10 to 20 feet and it's main use is for water piping that are above concrete. There are different types of piping within hard tubing. These different types/styles of piping have to do with wall thickness and this in turn has to do with whether you are doing a commercial or residential project....

Hello plumbing friends,  In the last three previous posts we have covered some safety tips to keep in mind when working on plumbing projects around your home. It is vital to follow these safety tips - making sure to use tools safely, wear the correct protective equipment, and follow the plumbing codes carefully. In this post we will analyze why we are living in a time that do-it-yourself plumbing projects is great! Why is this so? Well, first of all, we are living in a time that plumbing materials are lighter than ever before. Indeed, plumbing materials have been increasingly getting better and better. Not only are they lighter than ever before, but they are also easier to install. There is a great range of products available of many different quality grades. All of these products, like never before, are available to you. In other times, the range of options available would be much smaller. Many of the products would only be available through plumbing wholesale...

Hello everyone on this beautiful Tuesday! Any new plumbing projects to embark on? If the answer is yes, make sure that you don't miss the following post and the last two previous post - all of them focusing on safety. Yes, that six letter magical word that can make a world of difference. In the two previous posts we covered the importance of reading labels on solvents and wearing the proper protection equipment when working with chemicals and solvents. We also covered taking time to learn how equipment tools work and also reading the manufacturer's instructions. All this will go a long way to avoiding injury. Now, let's get started on more safety tips: - It is very important that you wear eye protecting. This is specially important when chiseling concrete, or soldering, or using power tools. Your eyes are sensitive organs and small flying things can create great damage. - Next tip has to do with being careful with the clothes you wear. You want to especially be...

Good evening everything on this Monday night. Today we will continue with the previous post of providing basic safety tips that you can follow while working on plumbing projects around the house. In the previous post we covered some tips regarding plumbing codes, electricity, chemicals, and power tools. It always is worth the effort to take time to learn about the operation of tools and to have a safe setup before getting started on a plumbing project. In today's post we will continue with more safety tips before embarking on your next plumbing project! - When using a drill, make sure to use a drill that has an auxiliary handle. This will allow you to control the torque especially when using bits that are larger in size. Like mentioned in the previous post, make sure that you pay close attention to how a tool works. Take time to analyze the workings of your drill and also read the manufacturer's instructions. Remember: taking the time to do this can make the difference be...

Hello team! How are you guys doing during this pandemic? Hope everyone is doing well. Now, during this time, it may have crossed your mind to work on some side plumbing projects. I mean, there is plenty of time available. The only thing you need is the desire to get working on your plumbing projects, and, if you do end up working on them, you also will need basic safely knowledge. It is our purpose then to share with you some safety tips for your  plumbing projects. We will share some common safety tips which you can then combine with your common sense. - The first safety tip is to always obey your local plumbing codes and laws. Remember that there is national plumbing code recognized everywhere. - The next tip is to have a fire extinguisher nearby at all times when using a torch. In addition, remember to use a flame shield to house combustible materials whenever you are working with a torch. - The next tip has to do with electricity. Working with electricity and with n...