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Your home’s plumbing system is multi-faceted; it requires a complex network of piping to keep your residence running smoothly. From supplying appliances with gas to filling your sink with drinking water, multiple types are required to keep water flowing. These plumbing parts all look and act unique; those used to carry fresh water are vastly different than the ones that transport waste. Here’s a rundown of the most common piping types you’ll find throughout your abode: 

Essential Home Plumbing Parts

1. Cast Iron Pipes

Used for your home’s sanitary waste lines, these heavy metal pipes are thick in diameter, which makes them strong, durable, and lessens the sound of flowing water as it makes its way through your plumbing system. This long-lasting material is commonly used in older homes, with PVC piping slowly replacing it. Since they’re so heavy-duty, fittings and couplings with this material are difficult; they require a special cast-iron pipe cutter to fit in new pipes, which is done by a professional plumber.

2. Chromed Copper

With a bright, shiny chrome appearance, these pipes are small and used where exposed water lines appear — such as the supply tubing for toilets and pedestal sinks. Unlike cast-iron, it’s easy to cut copper with a hacksaw and join with compression fittings — parts that are easy to find at your local hardware store.
plumbing parts

3. Galvanized Iron

These dull, silver-gray pipes are crafted with strong, rigid metal and were once one of the most common methods of water supply and draining in the home, making them common in older abodes. Today, materials, such as copper, are taking their place, as they fail quickly due to the natural corrosion from moisture.

4. Black Iron

Gas-powered appliances need to get their supply from somewhere, so thin, black iron pipes are the way to go. Designed specifically for gas purposes, they power your furnace, boiler, or water heater with the gas supply they need to run through the season. Joined together with threaded black pipe fittings, multiple appliances can receive their supply through the same line. 

 

Need new plumbing parts for your home? Stock up at Rochester’s Black’s Hardware, the area’s go-to destination for home improvement. With an impressive selection of faucet parts, fittings and couplings, tools, and electrical supplies — along with various state-of-the-art services including glass repair, replacement, and locksmith work — this family-owned hardware store offers it all. Visit the hardware store online for more information, or call (585) 544-9896 to speak with a staff member today!

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