From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A plumbing fixture is a device which is part of
a system to deliver and drain away water, but which is also
configured to enable a particular use.
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Common fixtures
The most common plumbing fixtures are:
Tapware is an industry term for that
sub-category of plumbing fixtures consisting of
water taps
(British English) or faucets (American English) and their accessories
such as water spouts and shower heads.
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Inlets and drains
Each of these plumbing fixtures has one or more
water inlets and a
drain. In some cases, the drain has a
device that can be manipulated to block the drain to fill the basin
of the fixture. Each fixture also has a flood rim, or
level at which water will begin to overflow. Most fixtures also
have an overflow, which is a conduit for water to drain away, when
the regular drain is plugged, before the water actually overflows
at the flood rim level. However, water closets and showers (that
are not in bathtubs) usually lack this feature because their drains
normally cannot be stopped.
Each fixture usually has a characteristic means of connection.
Normal plumbing practice is to install a valve on each water supply
line before the fixture, and this is most commonly termed a
stop or "service valve". The water supply to some fixtures
is cold water only (such as water closets and urinals). Most
fixtures also have a hot water supply. In some occasional cases, a
sink may have both a potable (drinkable) and a non-potable water
supply.
Lavatories and water closets normally connect to the water
supply by means of a supply, which is a tube, usually of
nominal 3/8 in
(U.S.) or
10 or 12 mm
diameter (Europe and
Middle East),
which connects the water supply to the fixture, sometimes through a
flexible (braided) hose.
For water closets, this tube usually ends in a flat
neoprene washer that
tightens against the connection, while for lavatories, the supply
usually ends in a conical neoprene washer. Kitchen sinks,
tubs and showers usually have supply tubes built onto their valves
which then are soldered or 'fast joint'ed directly onto the
water supply pipes.
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Traps and vents
All plumbing fixtures have traps in their drains; these traps are
either internal or external to the fixtures. Traps are pipes which
curve down then back up; they 'trap' a small amount of water to
create a water seal between the ambient air space and the inside of
the drain system. This prevents
sewer gas from
entering buildings.
Most water closets, bidets, and many urinals have the trap
integral with the fixture itself. The visible water surface in a
toilet is the top of the trap's water seal.
Each fixture drain, with exceptions, must be
vented so that negative air
pressure in the drain cannot siphon the trap dry, to prevent
positive air pressure in the sewer from forcing gases past the water seal, and
to prevent explosive sewer
gas buildup.
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Drains
The actual initial drain part in a lavatory or sink is termed a
strainer. If there is a removable strainer device that
fits into the fixed strainer, it is termed a strainer
basket. The initial pipe that leads from the strainer to the
trap is termed the tailpiece.
Floor-mounted water closets seal to the
toilet flange of the drain
pipe by means of a wax ring. These are traditionally made out of
beeswax. However, their proper sealing depends on proper seating of
the water closet, on a firm and secure base (floor), and on proper
installation of the closet bolts which secure the closet to the
flange, which is in turn supposed to be securely fastened to the
floor.
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Electronic plumbing
Sensor operated plumbing fixtures have fewer moving parts, and
therefore outlast traditional manual flush fixtures. Additionally,
they reduce water consumption by way of intelligent flushing
schedules (fuzzy logic) that determines the quantity of each flush
based on how many people are standing in line to use the
fixture.
One of several wall-mounted sensors installed in a shower room, to
control the shower nozzle above it.
In public facilities, the trend is toward sensor operated
fixtures that improve hygiene, and save money. For example, sensor
operated automatic flush urinals have fewer moving parts, reduce
wear and tend to last longer than manual flush valves. Also they
ensure fixtures are flushed only once per use. Some contain
intelligence that flushes them at different amounts of water flow
depending on traffic patterns, e.g. the fixture can "see" if there
is a lineup of users, and only give a full flush after the last
person has used the urinal.
Automatic flush eliminates having unflushed fixtures as many
users do not bother to
flush
[citation
needed]. Also, since the fixtures are always
flushed, there is no need for a urinal cake, or other odor reduction.
Sensor operated toilets also have automatic flush. Sensor operated
faucets and showers save water. For example, while a user is
lathering up with soap, the fixture shuts off and then resumes when
the user needs it to. Sensor operated soap and shampoo dispensers
reduce waste and spill that might otherwise represent a slip
hazard.
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Garbage disposer
-
The garbage disposer (UK: waste disposal unit, Canada: garbage grinder or
garburator, Portions of US: garbage disposal) was invented in
1927 by
architect John
Hammes of Racine,
WI. He went on to found In-Sink-Erator, which is still at work
making millions of garbage disposers a year. The function of the
garbage disposer is to grind food waste (e.g. chicken bones, fruit,
coffee grinds, meat) so that it can be sent down standard household
plumbing without clogging. The device works by attaching a small
chamber underneath the drain of a sink. This chamber contains
whirling blades and grinders which chop and grind the waste into
much smaller particles. Once the food is small enough to pass out
of this chamber, it is flushed down the rest of the plumbing.
A few tips for maintaining a garbage disposer:
- Whenever the disposer is on, always continually flush cold
water through it. The water cools the motor.
- Items like chicken bones and ice cubes are actually good for
the disposer; they can sharpen the blade.
- However, some items should not be put down a disposer,
including: beef and pork bones, large amounts of hot oil, and
stringy fiberous materials such as corn silk.
- If the disposer develops an unpleasant odor, you can freshen it
by grinding an aromatic item—such as a small lemon.
In most of Europe,
garbage disposers are not used at all; the high load of organic
matter in the waste
water requires a higher capacity sewage treatment plant, since
the increased organic matter requires additional oxygen and water
to process. Instead, garbage is separated at the source, into
compostable and other
types of garbage and collected. Similarly, in the
United
States there have been some political and
environmental issues with garbage
disposers. For many years, New York City had
banned their use.
The stated reason was the above-mentioned increased sewage
treatment capacity, but many area residents also suspected that it
was the garbage unions not wanting work taken away from
them. The ban was rescinded on September 11, 1997.[1]
Garbage disposers have been referenced in the media
occasionally. In the television comedy "Seinfeld", Kramer has a garbage disposer installed in
his shower so he could prepare food there. And in the horror movie
Phantasm, the lead star killed a
monster fly-like creature by forcing it down a garbage
disposer.
See also
