Water Pipes: Uses in Construction

• Pipes are used in heating, draining and irrigation systems. Pipes inside energy plant image by Andrei Merkulov from Fotolia.com

  Contractors use many different types of water pipes when working on buildings and landscaping. Traditional pipes are copper, but today manufacturers produce plastic, aluminum, stainless steel and hybrid material versions for different applications. Contractors choose these materials based on what water component of the project they are building, and what type of rust and heat protection owners want. There are several areas in which water pipes are used.

Incoming Water

• Water heating pipes connect furnaces or boilers and basic water systems throughout the house. The boiler needs to connect to sinks, showers, dishwashers, and other common household components. These pipes are under high pressure and susceptible to scale or corrosion problems so contractors tend to choose a tough material for this application. Cold water bypasses the heating process and moves into the house directly using the same pipe system.

Drainage and Sewage

• Once the water goes into the house, it has to come out again. Drainage and sewage pipes are typically made from the same materials as entrance pipes, but they drain water out instead, channeling it away from the building. Drainage pipes are typically simple and just remove water to a safe outside location. Sewage pipes deal with waste and channel it down to a septic system.

Hydronic Heating

• Hydronic heating is literally heating through water. This is a type of heating seen in radiant systems, among other devices, and allows the heat from hot water to radiate into the air, warming the home. These pipes are not under the same pressure constraints as other parts of the plumbing system, but they need to be able to resist continuous high temperatures.

Irrigation

• Irrigation pipes channel water into soil so to provide plants with a source of moisture. For most landscaping projects, the sprinkler system is the only irrigation component that will use water pipes, usually PVC pipes or a similar synthetic material. Large construction projects for farms may use more durable types of piping.