Water supply to a house doesn’t always come at the perfect pressure; the municipal water main pressure may be too high or too low for a home’s needs. Different regulating devices are available to compensate for the various problems with water supply pressure. The following lists the basic types of devices and their uses.

Copper pipe used in home plumbing systems is joined by soldering. Soldering, or “sweating”, as plumbers call it, creates a watertight seal at the fitting between two pipe lengths. The basic steps are- flux is applied to the outside of the copper pipe and the inside of the fitting; the fitting and pipe are then assembled and heated with a soldering torch and the solder is applied to the joint. It’s called sweating because tiny sweat-like droplets of hydrochloric acid are formed on the surface of the copper pipe when it is heated.

Safety warning: Soldering not be performed without a fire extinguisher within reach. Safety goggles and gloves are to be worn. Do not put the torch flame directly against combustible material such as wood framing or floor joists; use a flame shield.

Plumbing pipe made from galvanized or bare steel can be threaded to mate with other threaded pipe via fittings. Specialized tools are available for cutting and threading these materials, and should be used for these jobs. The exception is that steel pipe can be cut with a reciprocating saw or hacksaw, however, a tool called the Ferrous Pipe Cutter works best. Other tools for this job are a pipe vise, pipe reamer, ratchet threader, and a machine called a mule.

Copper pipe can be cut relatively simply with the proper tools. Copper plumbing pipe is joined through soldering, so the ends need to be perfectly round to get the best join, plus a nicely trimmed end will slide into fittings easier. That is why it pays to get the right tools if you will be working much with copper piping lines.

Plumber’s tape is used for supporting horizontal plumbing pipes hanging from joists or other supports. Protective gloves should be worn when working with it as is easy to get cut. Although it is not terribly pleasing aesthetically, usually it will be covered by a ceiling or soffit. Not only that, but it is often mandated by local plumbing codes, so there is no getting around using it.