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We’re blogging about faucets, one of the most important, commonly used, and yet often overlooked piece of plumbing in Fort Worth, Texas. So here’s some information from around the web on how faucets work. Faucets are something we work on a lot and we have run into our fair share of problems with the common utility. With this post you’ll get some history, insight into types and how they work, some technological developments and repair tips for plumbing in Fort Worth, Texas.

A Short Trip Through History

Faucets were first observed in history as early as 1700 BC. Historically the Romans made the most development and progress to plumbing, and after their decline and demise further technological improvements disappeared until the modern day. Their plumbing featured public baths with faucets and even private baths to villas. Improvements to plumbing were seen again in 1913. The first mixer faucet was invented by Al Moen in the 1940s. Touchless faucets, which we’ll also look at, were not produced for commercial use until the 1980s.

The Faucet

A faucet falls under the category of valves. Valves control or direct flows of liquids and gases. Faucets are separated in bathroom for hot and cold water lines, some merge and produce a mixed amount.  Mixer faucets are another invention that incorporate pressure balancing, so that hot and cold are not affected by brief changes in the supply lines. The process helps prevent hot or cold shocks, due to other uses in the bathroom, such as flushing the toilet. Mixer faucets involve more complex mechanisms that ordinary faucets do not have. Mixer faucets have seen some technological developments as well in the form of thermo static mixer valves that achieve function through a built in thermostat.  Call us for Plumbing in Fort Worth, Texas.

Faucets are connected to the water supply through a swivel tap connector. This is attached to the end of the water pipe by means of compression or soldered fitting.  It has a large nut to screw onto the threaded tail of the tap, the tail hangs down under the basin, sink or bath. Faucets have flows that can be adjusted, you can find them with gate valves.  We are there for Plumbing in Fort Worth, Texas.

Older faucets use a rubber (sometimes Neoprene) washer; it is screwed down to a valve seat, this stops the flow. In engineering it is referred to as a globe valve and provides a leak proof seal and good fine adjustment of flow. Both elements, the valve seat and washer, will wear down overtime.  The globe valves thus need maintenance and their valve seats can be resurfaced at least a few times during its life. We’ll do the plumbing in Fort Worth, Texas.

Faucets follow a convoluted S pattern in their mechanism and the path can be restrictive to water flow. This requires a gate valve for a low-pressure system, but is not needed in a system with high pressure. Gate valves uses a metal disc the same width (diameter) as the pipe, it is put into place at a 90 degree angled position. This system does not obstruct water flow, but at the same time, it does not completely stop water from flowing as it does not give a perfect shut off leading to leaks.

Ball valves

Ball valves were developed as well. These valves are found as part of expensive water systems, where they serve as service shut off valves. These valves have range of motion of 90o to vary between fully open or closed. The valve is open when the handle is in line with the pipe. We’ll give your system a check for plumbing in Fort Worth, Texas.

Faucet Aerator

A core component of faucet design is the aerator. It can be screwed to the tip of a faucet to mix water with air and deliver a steady stream that prevents splashing and evens out water pressure. It does increase the pressure, and is useful for homes with low water pressure and reduces faucet noise. We’re there for plumbing in Fort Worth, Texas.

Sensor Faucets

The traditional faucet is being replaced by sensor faucets, which are hands free or touchless.  These come with a proximity sensor and mechanism that opens the valve. The valve has an auto shut off when objects are removed from within sensor range.  They require a small amount of electricity to function; they can work by standard outlet attachments and/or battery power. The technology allows older faucets to be transformed into touch-less variants by professionals. Check with us for Plumbing in Fort Worth, Texas.

They carry the immediate benefit of freedom from germs, germs spread by contact and the faucets avoid contamination. Automatic faucets are known to save water, and are perfect for people who forget to shut off the faucet or children, leading to a lot of waste.  They have been installed in airports and hotels for its benefits as well.

Installation and Repair

Ask us at Benjamin Franklin plumbing for the faucets you want installed. Installing a faucet system backed by us ensures that the product warranty can be utilized if needed. You can be sure to find a reliable product that we endorse with our experience; still if you have a product you really want we will be sure to do the job for you plumbing in Fort Worth, Texas.

Other than installation, we offer repair services for your leaky or damaged faucets as well. Common faucet problems you’ll face are: noisy faucets, this happens due to high water pressure, a valve that may have worn out or other damage. The faucet is noisy even when turned off, this happens due to a water hammer.  We can fix this by installing an air chamber, if you already have these installed you can fix the problem by turning off the main water supply and draining the water.

If your water pressure goes back down and is low, check your aerator, it may have become clogged.  Go ahead, unscrew it, and soak it in vinegar for an hour, after that clean it with a soft brush.  If all your faucets are exhibiting low water pressure the problem may be due to a water leak. Check with us Plumbing in Fort Worth, Texas.

Benjamin Franklin plumbing Fort Worth

We’re there for plumbing in Fort Worth, Texas and other towns around the area. Do call us for installation, repair and if you need other services – just check the menu on the website. We do the job and get it done good. Benjamin Franklin Plumbing is a member of the BBB with an A+ rating.