Phoenix Home Plumbing: Back to the Basics

Phoenix Home Plumbing

Phoenix home plumbing, do you miss it yet? If you have ever spent a few days camping, you have most likely been reminded of the luxury of modern plumbing. By surviving without running water, a warm shower, or a functional toilet, you can better appreciate how crucial these are to typical life.

A Phoenix home plumbing system is a complicated system of water supply pipes, drainpipes, vent pipes, and more. Because plumbing is not easy and one of the more expensive systems to fix or put into a home, it is worthwhile to be aware of how the system works.

The drain-waste-vent system removes all the used water and waste from the home to the septic/sewer system. It's a system of drain pipes that connects to all the sinks, toilets, baths, showers, and washer.

The majority of newer waste systems use rugged plastic PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) pipe that is sealed with glue. Older homes typically use cast iron pipe sealed with solder.

However, newer Phoenix home plumbing systems may use cast iron pipe sealed with neoprene in some places as a method to avoid the sound plastic generates when water is rushing through it.

Phoenix Home Plumbing

The soil stack is the primary piece of the waste drain. It's a vertical "stack" of tubes that starts in the basement/crawlspace floor or wall where it joins the outbound sewer/septic line.

The top end of the stack is similar to a vent. It extends vertically out through the ceiling, permitting gases to get outside and also helps promote drain flow by pulling air inward.

A clogged vent can trap hazardous gases and inhibits drainage; similar to plugging a drinking straw with your finger to capture liquid.