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Domestic plumbing consists of two types of water systems: Mains water supplyThis is the 'fresh' water supply to the house from the water mains. Waste (drainage), systemThis consists of the waste water exiting the house from sinks, toilets, etc.Depending on how old your house is and the type of hot water system you have, each of these water systems can operate in one of two ways. Mains water supply Mains water entry to a domestic household can either be direct or indirect. The easiest way to tell which one you have is to consider which type of hot water (central heating) system you have. If the water in your house is heated using a gravity fed hot water system, then the mains water entry is classed as 'indirect'. This is because the mains water is fed directly to the cold tap in the kitchen and into a cold water storage tank (usually found in the loft space) - thus all other taps, showers, WCs (toilets), etc are fed indirectly via the cold water storage tank. If you use a combination ('combi') boiler, or an unvented 'Megaflow' system, then the mains water entry is termed 'direct'. This means all the taps, showers, kitchen/laundry appliances, WCs (toilets) etc are fed water directly from the mains, at mains water pressures. Many modern households utilise a 'direct' system, which has the advantage of minimising the amount of plumbing required in the loft, and it also means that showers and taps operate at a greater water pressure - ideal if you prefer a powerful shower. One advantage to an 'indirect' system is that you are not without water if there is a temporary mains failure. Water drainage For the majority of houses built in the UK before the 1960s, the waste water from a household is split and drained in 2 distinct ways: Waste water from baths, sinks and washbasins is drained into a trapped gully at ground level, which in turn flows into the main sewage network. Water from toilets feeds seperately into a large bore vertical waste pipe which runs directly into the sewage network. Modern houses now operate a 'single stack waste system', whereby all waste water, iresspective of it's point of origin, drains directly into the main sewer network via a large bore waste pipe. |
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