Plumbing Buying Guide

What Is Plumbing?

Plumbing is a system that carries fluids for different types of applications such as removal of wastes, heating & cooling and delivery of portable pipes. Plumbing involves the use of plumbing fixtures , tanks, pipe valves etc.

What are plumbing fittings?

A plumbing fitting is used in pipe systems to connect pipe and tube sections. They are widely used to regulate and measure the flow of fluid. Usual plumbing problems can include emergencies that can be resolved by residents on their own using plumbing fittings. However certain plumbing issues such as problems with water heater can be fixed by professionals alone.

As a newcomer to plumbing, you need to have a clear perception of plumbing tools you need to buy. To be adept in handling DIY projects, you will need not just superb organisational skills, but also control hand movements through twisting and turning of bolts, faucet handles and shower heads. Though plumbing doesn’t require a high level of expertise, it requires significant professionals, even for plumbers who need to be aware of the latest technological advancements and plumbing methods. A sound knowledge of plumbing tools can make all the difference in a plumbing project.

Both home based users and plumbers can find high-quality plumbing tools at Moglix . A high level convenience in finding plumbing tools is the major reason you should shop at Moglix. Moreover, Moglix offers an assortment of plumbing fittings such as faucets, showers, sinks, bathroom fixtures, sanitary wire, drains, sinks, faucets and showers.

What Are the Different Types of Plumbing Fittings?

How to Buy Plumbing Fittings?

For a plumber or any home based user, the tools to opt for depends on his necessity and skillsets. Here are some tips using which you can buy different types of plumbing fittings: -

Bathroom Fittings

Bathroom fittings can help you make an instant impression on visitors. Bathroom fittings are of different types such as chrome, brass, gold, nickel and stainless steel. However, the most widely used tap styles are lever taps and crosshead. Therefore, if you want to give your bathrooms a modern look, then crosshead and lever taps would be the ideal types of fittings to go for.

Faucets

Selecting faucets is sometimes a tough challenge because of the presence of a wide range of designs that are available in the market. Apart from style, configuration and type of finishing, the purpose for which you use the bathroom and sink configuration are important factors that you will need to pay attention to.

While selecting faucets, you will need to select faucets ad sinks together or ensure that the faucet is adaptable with your existing sink or not. Opt for a faucet according to your bathroom size. Occasionally, your ordered items may incur lead time before delivery. Therefore, consider this in your planning schedule. All faucets do not come with handles. A number of them are sold separately. The faucets that come with darker finishes can easily show soaps and cleaning residues.

Showers

While selecting a shower, you will need to consider whether the shower model you are adopting will match well with your plumbing system or not. Shower systems are of different types- electric, digital, water saving airdrop, power showers, thermostatic showers and manual mixer showers. You will have to consider the various functionalities of your shower system as there are many shower handsets and heads that ca be either single or multifunctional.

• A manual mixer shower is a type of shower system which is the most commonly used. The shower draws water from existing hot & cold water supplies and then mixed within the unit. Mixer showers are available in a deck mounted unit with an integrated shower handset. You can attach it to the bathroom wall using a rail & bracket. All that you will need to do is turn the tap on, pull the diverow bg-white pad-tb-15r switch and water will rather flow through your shower head.
• Thermostatic showers can provide you with a high level of control over temperature. It is akin to a manual mixer shower, and takes water from an existing water supply. However, unlike the normal mixer unit, it combines a pre-set thermostat to keep water temperature consistent. Thermostatic showers can be deck mounted for use in a shower bath or work as a part of a covered or exposed unit.
• A power mixer is similar to a normal mixer shower. Many people utilise an additional booster pump in order to create high pressure from the shower. They are known as ‘power showers’.
• Electric showers are widely used in homes where there is a shortage of hot water created by a boiler. In contrast to mixer and power showers, electric showers draw water from cold water supply, where it is heated using heating elements within the shower unit.
• Digital showers are the latest types of showers. They work in a manner similar to mixers or power showers, but they provide you with greater control over temperature. These showers are suitable for use in modern as well as traditional homes.

Sinks

Size is one of the major factors which you will need to take into consideration while looking for a kitchen sink . A single, deep basin will help you wash large parts or remove food residues. However, you may find it tough to soak a large casserole dish as it requires handwashing and rinsing of china or stemware.

Another factor you will need to pay attention to is the shape of the sink you are looking for . Sinks are of various types such as rounded sides, farmhouse, double farmhouse and built-in drain board . If you require a lot of handwashing to be done on a daily basis, the you will need to an in-built drain board would be the ideal option for you. Sinks are of various types such as stainless steel, porcelain, granite composite and natural stone. If you intend to give your kitchen an authentic look, then porcelain sinks would be the ideal option. They are available in different types of colors.

While buying a wash basin, you will need to take into consideration the exact room and the purpose for which it will be used. Lab sinks that are made from stainless steel are highly rated for the quality of sanitation, design and durability that they offer.

Drains

To buy sink drains, size will be the most important factor you will need to pay attention to. First measure the sink. The sink should fit your bathroom sink’s drain opening to work in a proper manner. Measure the opening so as to ensure that you acquire the right size drain, or check the instructions of the manufacturer since they come with the sink since they should include the corresponding drain size. Usually, drain openings come with the size of 1 ¼ inches.

The sink drain needs to fit into your bathroom’ sink drain opening to work efficiently. Measure the openings in order to ensure that you get the drain of the right size. Check the instructions of the manufacturer that are provided with the sink. They should also include the matching drain size. Grid drains have small holes which cannot be closed. Therefore, they offer a consistent water drainage. The price of bathroom sink drains continues to vary. Therefore, a thorough study of existing price rage can prove to be handy. Opt for a drain that compliments with the sink.

However, the drain should also match with the faucet and sink. In fact, a drain with a different material or finish works well with sink or accent. Brass drains are the most widely used sink drains because of their looks and durability. Bathroom sink drains are available with or without overflows.

Pipes and Fittings

Selecting pipes & fittings for plumbing purpose can be often confusing. If you are buying pipes and fittings for DIY plumbing purpose, having a good knowhow of pipe fittings is essential. Pipe fittings play a major role in joining pipes together and thereby enabling them to change directions when needed. In most cases, a particular type of fitting to ensure that a sequence of pipes will be required to work correctly, so that buyers need spending minimum time to determine the exact type of fittings they before starting a plumbing project.

There are a few factors to which you will need to pay attention while selecting pipe fittings. The materials used for constructing a pipe fitting directly related to how fittings may be joined and types of pressure that pipe assemble can handle. Though pipe connections can be done through aa number of means, they are not interchangeable. Pipe fittings are designed in different shapes which permit a series of pipes to navigate around common hindrances such as walls & beams which are found in every building.

Sanitary Ware

Sanitary ware is of different types such as cisterns, pans & urinals, water closets, bathroom vanities, mirrors, water storage tanks & seat covers. Some details of sanitary ware are mentioned below: -

Water Closets- Designer water closets are unique, ultra-stylish and unique but they are highly expensive also. Therefore, it would be wiser for you to look for regularly shaped closets or at least ensure that you can find the service parts if you intend to buy a high-class bathroom set. You are not likely to come across intricately designed designer water closets.

• Opt for slow-close seats- Test the seat of the water closet and close it gently. Though initially it may not cause a problem, it can cause an irritation when it closes down with a bang during odd hours. Therefore, children are vulnerable to accidents.
• Opt for basic colours-White won’t be the perfect color, but if you have made up your mind to opt for bright colours like red or gold, then do. However, you need to keep in mind that the color trend now may not be stylish in the next few years. You may therefore face issues while redesigning your bathroom.
• Add seat covers to make the water closets look more colorful- In order to make your toilet look unique and colorful, you can experiment with toilet seats. You can easily change it back to white or if you require add a touch of colour to it.
• Measure your bathroom space- You should have a large room space and spaces between cabinets and your toilet. Therefore, even if you want the extended water closet style, it might not fit in small bathrooms.
• Measure the height of your toilet-Though you may be surprised, toilets come with different heights also. Normal toilets have a height of 15 inches though some may be of 17-19 inches. Therefore, it is best to test, sit on the toilet and see if the height is comfortable enough or not.

How to Maintain Plumbing Fittings?

Bathroom Vanities - Bathroom vanities and fixtures need a high level of maintenance . Use of cleaning tools at home will help you to take care of metal fixtures. Here are a few maintenance tips using which you can make sure that the metal fixtures such as towel rods & rings, towel racks, soap dispensers, holders and toothbrush holders: -

• Remove Rust from The kitchen- If your kitchen gets rusted at an early stage, create a thick paste using salt and lime juice. Applying both in equal proportion, you’ll acquire a solution which is considerably acidic and scrub it away without scratching the metal surfaces. You can easily remove rust with light scrubbing from a rag which has been dipped in cola while cleaning chrome fixtures.
• Soap Scrum Removal from Chrome- Soap scum is another bathroom maintenance issue, but using the right solution, you can ensure that the chrome fixtures do not look dirty. The simplest method to break down the soap scum is by scrubbing the fixtures using a dryer sheet. Whether the dryer sheet is used or unused, you need to start cleaning immediately.
• Apply Lemon Juice On Brass- You don’t necessarily need to spend heavily on maintaining brass fixtures. Though there are a number of expensive brass cleaners available in the market, they won’t provide you with good cleaning than a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice.

Create a paste with equal parts of lemon juice and baking soda and apply it with a soft cloth. Brush it lightly and allow the mixture to dry on your fixtures. Rub it using a clean cloth or gentle sponge, and your fixtures. Rub it using a gentle sponge and your fixtures will look like new ones.

Faucets - Always spot any water from faucet surface. Letting water to evaporate on the surface can cause build up in mineral deposits. Clean using a damp non-abrasive sponge and rub it dry with a clean soft cloth in order to make the faucet look presentable. In order to remove water spots, utilise warm water and a soft, damp cloth. Hard water stains might be removed with the help of a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar before rinsing it with water. Specific types of food such as mayonnaise, berries, tea, spaghetti sauce etc. when left for prolonged periods, can cause pitting and corrosion. These foods can the coating of the faucet. Strong acids might damage stainless steel. If they come in contact with sink, they need to be washed away then and there using clean water.

Apply a non-abrasive polish in order to prevent water deposits and remove buildup of household spas, creams and sprays to all finishes. Avoid using chemical cleaners, abrasive cleaners, pads or steel wool on any product which has a custom finish with a protective coating. Avoid steam cleaners and high temperatures which can damage products.

Sinks - Bathroom sinks are often more dirty than kitchen sinks . Though sinks are used for flow of all food traffic, they have disposals and in-built bacteria to break them down. Therefore, clean it thoroughly once in a month. Scrub it off, soak it in vinegar and then wash it with drain water. This process will help in removing mold and gunk which can be built in there without a proper cleaning. Don’t forget to check the area the fixtures for leaks. It is difficult to spot leaks in the sinks, even though they are more visible since water gets splashed around due to daily use and the source of water is difficult to decide.

Showers - The major factor which you will need to pay attention for proper shower care is to check the spread of hard water. Hard water stains can be checked pretty easily, yet it is often overlooked. There are a number of things that you can do to prevent water stains in your shower. Use a cheap squeegee to clean it after every shower. By squeegeeing water from the glass walls, you will be able to remove any possibility of hard water stains.

Once your shower’s glass walls have been cleaned, ensure that your shower floor doesn’t get nasty. The major reason for a black shower floor is dirty feet. If you walk around barefoot, or with muddy footwear, there are high chances that the grime sticking to your feet will shift to the floor. Ensure that the grime is cleaned within a short span of time as it will stain your shower floor and making it permanently dirty.

Drains - A lot of buildings are equipped with floor trench systems, floor drains and wash & service bay areas which allow liquids to drain away. Buildings which are not connected to a municipal sewer system normally make use of an on-site wastewater treatment such as septic system, drain field or dry well . Once wastewater gets collected in the separator, petroleum products including fluids and oils float at the top and heavier materials such as sand and sludge at the bottom. This isolates petroleum products from wastewater, which gets discharged between top and bottom layers before sewering. In case the separator isn’t installed, petroleum products might accumulate within the sewer system. This can cause high concentration of explosive vapors on manholes or sewer lines or petroleum wastes or other solids plugging the sewer.

Discharging a large amount of oil or solvent wastes into the sewer might interfere with sewer line maintenance, proper functioning and safety of wastewater treatment plants. The permitted discharges are highly regulated by sewer authorities. Sludges that get accumulated in the separators can contain organic contaminants & heavy metals, which are regarded as hazardous waste. In order to reduce and check issues with separators, you need to ensure periodic inspection and maintenance. You may face a challenge in renovated buildings. Separators sometimes a clean-out service and arrangement of proper sludge disposal.

Pipes & Fittings - The sealant and grout around the shower cubicle need daily frequent scrutiny. Because of constant exposure to moisture and heat, the grout is often vulnerable to wears and cracks. Therefore, you will need to make sure that the grout is intact and free of mold. Apply oxygen bleach in order to clean mold, mildew or grout stains . In case you find indication of missing grout, clean the area, dry it and apply new grout.

Resolve leaks around a pipe or spout on detecting them immediately. If they are ignored, they can become worse and cause issues such as moisture accumulation behind and under the walls. If you are not sure about the leakage extent, get in touch with a plumber. The toilet and bathtub need to be caulked to the bathroom floor to check leakage from the fixtures. Make sure that the toilet flush works properly and that there are no blockages.

Sanitary Ware

Don’t expose the surface to harsh chemicals like turpentine, paint remover, turpentine, nail polish remover and stove cleansers. In case these chemicals get in touch surface of tanks, cisterns and water closets, then wash it off using water. Utilise appropriate measures in order to avoid injury. Don’t cut off the surface directly. Here are some tips that you can follow to take proper care of sanitary ware. Some of them are mentioned below: -

Cisterns - Cistern maintenance isn’t as time consuming as that of other types of sanitary ware. You can handle the entire process within a short time span at a minimal cost. Here are some tips which you can follow for cleaning cisterns: -

• Clear out old water- Once you have installed the cistern, there are chances that you might have some left over remnants from construction. The excess dirt can be easily removed using a broom or wet cloth. If the cistern that you are using is old, ensure that all water is drained out before you get in there.
• Bleach the walls of the cistern- You can scrub the cistern’s walls using a bleach mix to ensure the wire’s safety while cleaning. Mix a little bit of bleach with 10 gallons of water. Use it for cleaning the wall, but ensure that there is an air hole available for ventilation to take place.
• Wash out the bleach tile- Use a hose and spray down the inner parts of the cistern till there is no odour of the bleach.

Pans and Urinals - Urinal maintenance involves a number of steps. Some of them are mentioned below: -

• Start cleaning the walls by using an all-purpose cleaner on microfiber cloth. The wipe & clean the wall above and at sides of the toilet before cleaning the wall below the urinal.
• Utilise a fresh cleaning cloth & disinfectant and wipe the flush valves & external plumbing below it.
• Use a cloth and disinfectant to wipe & clean the partitions which exist between the urinals including the sides, tops and bottoms.
• In case the urinal uses an auto-lock system, deactivate the device.
• Throw out the debris from the inner portion of the urinal.
• Use a bowl cleaner for cleaning the cavity inside the urinal by applying a cleaner disinfectant from both exterior and interior portions. Avoid using the bowl cleaner on the urinal’s exterior.
• Remove all chemical and soil residues after flushing the urinal twice.
• Install the urinals screens once more.
• Wipe and clean the urinal’s exterior using an all-purpose cleaner.
• If it is necessary, reactivate the auto-flush system.

Water Storage Tanks - Periodic evaluation of water tanks is essential on a regular basis . You should pay special attention to the foundation, as the deterioration of the foundation can cause major issues in other parts of the tank. It is not necessary to call a plumber to detect any issue all the time. If you have a strong eye for detail, you can easily detect signs of the settlement, cracking, spalling or reinforced steel which have been exposed. If you detect any of these symptoms, then repair the tank immediately. A number of these repairs can be done at home. However, for serious cases, the assistance of a professional plumber would be essential. You may not be able to see the leaks with your naked eye. However, you can spot the presence of rust streaks. If there is a leak, you will need to consult a plumber who has sufficient experience in water tank maintenance.

Conclusion

You may be disturbed by annoying water trickle leaking from faucet at midnight. There might be a sudden breakdown of the pipe, leaving your bathroom in a complete mess. Plumbing issues can crop up at any time. For this reason, homeowners need to have an all a comprehensive collection of plumbing tools to deal with their repair and maintenance jobs.

Looking for the correct plumbing tools requires budget creation and shopping list which ranks the significance of each tool. Conduct extensive research to collect details from other users commenting on online forums. Once you gain the required knowledge, browse through Moglix to select from an assortment of plumbing tools. By shopping at Moglix, you will find lucrative deals on plumbing tools, some of which you haven’t used before.