Water Supply at Lakewood
Fresh water normally has one of two sources. Either it starts its journey to the house from a public water works, or from a well. Water that comes from a water works is first purified there and is sent under pressure through pipes to the Water service line, which carries the water directly into the house
When it enters the house, the water travels through a meter, which records how much is used; then it travels by means of a single pipe to the hot water heater. Here, a short branch line carries some of the water into the heater. When the water is heated, and as demand for it is made by the fixtures and appliances, it travels out of another pipe from the water heater, and then travels parallel with the cold water line throughout the house to the various fixtures and appliances like air chambers. The hot water line is always on the left (as you face it) and the cold water line on the right.
Various names have been given to the water supply system pipes. Those that raise vertically at least one floor through the house are called risers; those that branch off with water directly to fixtures are called branch lines. Ask your plumber for disposer related information.
At various points in the system there are valves, which are devices for turning off the water, either hot or cold, when repairs are necessary. Valves are located on the pipes so that they control certain portions. If repair is required you can turn off only the affected portions, rather than the whole system. Valves are also placed at the bases of all risers. This facilitates emptying the system of water for winterizing.
In municipally supplied water systems there is a valve that well- supplied systems do not have. This is located on the line that comes off the main line that passes a home. It is opened and closed with a long-handled wrench called a “street key.” When the cold water supply is shut off, the hot water supply throughout is also off.
There are one or two main valves located at the water meter. You can turn these by hand, pr by calling up professionals plumbers thereby shutting down all the water in the house. One is located on the far side of the meter, and is called the meter shutoff valve, and the other on the near side (or house side) is the main shutoff when shutting down house water, always turn off the main, rather than the meter, valve.
There are also usually valves (and they are desirable) under individual fixtures. Hot water heaters and water treatment equipment also usually have shutoff valves, and it is a good idea to know where these are.
Another important part of the water supply system is the air chambers—although not all systems have them. These are vertical lengths of pipe with metal caps at the top. The chambers extend from water supply pipes at the point where the pipes enter the fixture. Air chambers are shock absorbers.
When water pressure builds up to amounts that are too much for the particular size of pipe to handle, these air chambers fill with the “excess” water so that the pipes do not start rocking and rolling, banging loudly (a malady called “water hammer”), or perhaps shaking to the point of breakage. It is better to call a trustworthy plumbing company like Lakewood plumbers.
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