How Does Your Plumbing Manifold Work?
A plumbing manifold helps to improve the comfort and efficiency of your home. These systems are responsible for quickly bringing hot and cold water to different fixtures no matter where they’re located. By creating a plumbing hub in the middle of your home with a manifold, your water supply can quickly reach your desired faucets and tubs without losing pressure. Here’s what you need to know about the plumbing manifold in your home.
How They Work
Plumbing manifolds make it easy for families today to modify or renovate the home without the expensive cost of installing new pipework. If you’re interested in installing a new sink or adding an outside hose, a supply line can easily be attached to your manifold’s ports. These systems conserve water and energy and minimize pesky pressure drops along the way.
Standard manifolds will act as the center of your home’s plumbing system. They connect to other water supply lines so hot and cold water can reach every area of your home with ease. The hot water line is connected to the manifold directly from the water heater while the cold line is connected from the main supply line.
Plumbing manifold systems are especially beneficial to residential plumbers because they minimize where issues can occur in your plumbing. This makes it easier for plumbers to find and correct damages. They’re also often much easier to service since they’re corrosion-resistant and centered in one location in your home.
Newer manifold systems are easy to install and don’t require expensive labor costs. They can work with any common supply line size, making them an efficient upgrade for any home. Every outflow water line originates from the manifold, making it easy to shut off water to certain fixtures when necessary. You can also conveniently turn off all the water in your home if you’re ever faced with a burst pipe or flooding emergency.
Traditional manifold systems are outfitted with copper or PVC piping. These materials are durable, lightweight and don’t contaminate the water. Modern systems can use cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) piping, which is more flexible and has fewer joints where leaks can be an issue. PEX piping has also been found to insulate better than copper and be at less risk of bursting during the winter. Rely on a professional plumber to determine the best pipe material for your unique home.
Types of Manifolds
There are two types of plumbing manifolds commonly used in residential homes. A trunk and branch system has one large main line with smaller pipes running off to individual fixtures. Benefits of these systems include minimal piping, an easy installation process and exceptional pressure when a single fixture is being used.
Home-run manifolds are usually mounted near the water heater. They use hot and cold manifolds and run individual lines to each fixture. These systems are known for having more balanced water pressure and less required fittings, lowering the risk of leaks. Home-run manifolds are often considered the more intuitive set-up because they allow for easily accessible shutoff valves.
If you’re having trouble locating your manifold or aren’t sure what type you have, you can always contact your local plumbing company. Learning more about your home’s plumbing system will enable you to have an efficient emergency plan in place should you encounter a future emergency. Knowing more about your plumbing manifold will also make it easier to identify plumbing line issues and keep your home safe from costly repairs and damages.
Premium Residential Plumbing Service
A To Z Dependable Services is a superior provider of plumbing services to families in Niles, OH and the surrounding area. Our professional plumbers have impressed and satisfied customers for more than 60 years. You can always count on us to provide premier service at an affordable and fair price. We have the skills, training and equipment you need to keep your plumbing at peak efficiency.
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