PLUMBING MATERIALS, PIPE BENDING AND PRESSURE TESTING

PLUMBING MATERIALS

PLUMBING MATERIALS Pipes are used to connect various plumbing elements together, to form a plumbing system.

Pipes can be made from plastic, copper, stainless steel, or cast iron. PLUMBING MATERIALS Pipes are used in the supply of gas, drinking water, water in heating systems, and in drainage. Pipes can be made from plastic, copper, stainless steel, or cast iron.

Pipes are colour coded to show what they carry. PLUMBING MATERIALS Pipes are colour coded to show what they carry. Underground gas pipes are yellow: inside a building, gas governors are also painted yellow.

PLUMBING MATERIALS Water supply pipes can be blue in colour. Alternatively, copper pipes can be used for water supplies, but lead pipes cannot be used. The above picture shows a temporary water supply during a site redevelopment.

Pipes for foul drains are coloured brown. PLUMBING MATERIALS Pipes for foul drains are coloured brown.

PLUMBING MATERIALS Pipes carrying water to heat or cool a building, or that supply hot water, are heavily insulated. This reduces heat loss and energy costs.

PLUMBING MATERIALS Connections between pipes can be made with compression fittings (shown below), or by soldering pipes together, as follows:-

PLUMBING MATERIALS

PLUMBING MATERIALS Wire wool is used to clean the ends of connectors (shown left) before pipes are soldered together.

Flux is applied to prevent oxidisation of the surfaces. PLUMBING MATERIALS Flux is applied to prevent oxidisation of the surfaces.

PLUMBING MATERIALS Pipe work is heated using a blow lamp. Solder is melted to a liquid with the blow lamp, and is used to weld connectors and pipes together. Once cooled, the solder returns to a solid, forming a watertight seal.

PLUMBING MATERIALS Pipes are fixed in place using special brackets. Once pipes are joined, water can be run through them to pressure test the pipework.

Lead sheet is used to make flashings around chimneys and flues. PLUMBING MATERIALS Lead sheet is used to make flashings around chimneys and flues.

Components are joined together using oxy-acetylene torch welding. PLUMBING MATERIALS Components are joined together using oxy-acetylene torch welding.

PLUMBING MATERIALS Pipes are bent to shape using pipe bending tools. The series of images shown next show pipe being bent.

PLUMBING MATERIALS

PLUMBING MATERIALS

Pipework is earth bonded. PLUMBING MATERIALS Pipework is earth bonded.