Our latest post looks at the main types of pipes used for plumbing and an overview of the pros and cons of each.

Types of Pipes Used For Plumbing

Plumbing pipe is made from various materials: copper, galvanized steel and iron, polyvinylchloride (PVC), chlorinated chlorinated polyvinylchloride (CPVC), cross-linked high density polyethylene (PEX) and polybutylene. Plumbing fittings are made from brass, plastic, copper or malleable iron.

Copper

Widely used and able to withstand very high temperatures, copper is exclusively used for the final connections made to central heating boilers where temperatures may exceed 100 C. The disadvantage of copper “tube” as it is known in the plumbing industry is that it is rigid and often needs to be bent into shape using certain tools.

Stainless steel

Stainless steel is even more rigid than copper, so even the slightest of adjustments by bending can become a bit of a chore. Stainless steel is supposed to be more corrosion resistant than copper and is sometimes used for aesthetic reasons where plumbing must be exposed.

PVC, CPVC and PEX

Plastic piping has several advantages over copper. Firstly, it is ductile and can be easily bent. It can also be easily routed through floor and wall spaces. Plastic is a better insulator than metal, so heat loss is reduced. Typically plastic piping has much more “give” and will stretch more than copper when water freezes and expands inside the pipe, reducing the danger of bursting in sub-zero temperatures.

PVC or poly vinyl chloride is the most basic type of plastic pipe. Chlorinated PVC or CPVC has the same characteristics as standard PVC but has better corrosion resistance at higher water temperatures and is also far more ductile. PEX is a tough ductile material which can survive temperatures as low as -20 C without bursting. However it is susceptible to UV and needs to be shielded using insulation or otherwise to prevent degradation.

Plumbing Supplies and Fittings

Whether you’re looking to build a new bathroom from scratch, or you just need to stock up on some plumbing fittings in Dublin to fix a leak, look no further than Thermoparts for all things Heating and Plumbing Supplies in Dublin.

Deliveries are free of charge! Order before 12pm to receive your order the next day! Call us on (01) 905 9370 or drop us an email to speak to one of our specialists.

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Plumbing Safety Tips

1. Survey Your Surroundings

When it comes to safe plumbing, the first thing you need to do before you even start a job is confirm that the area you’re about to work in is free of hazards. It’s easy to take it for granted that when you walk into a building that looks like any other, it will be just as safe as the previous job you had. Obviously this isn’t always the case and it’s important that you examine the area to confirm that there isn’t anything dangerous you need to contend with. Identify what elements might cause a problem, eliminate them, then you can begin your work for the day. And if there are electrics nearby, always make sure that they’re not a danger to your task.

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2. Wear Appropriate Plumbing Safety Gear

There are some dangers that can’t be removed from a work site. Sometimes there might be hazardous materials that you need to be made aware of, while others you could simply be working in an area with slippery conditions. Once you know what risks are involved, you might grow overly comfortable and think that there isn’t any need to use any extra gear, but if you intend to complete some safe plumbing, it is critical that you do. Safety gloves, glasses, and even a face mask or respirator are sometimes need to complete your work, so make sure that you are stocked up on all the equipment you might need.

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3. The Right Tool

As a seasoned plumber, you probably know all of the most important plumbing safety tips, and that the most basic of these are to use your tools correctly. However, it is often the most experienced people who get too comfortable breaking the rules and end up paying the price. When you’re about to start a job, make sure that you have the right plumbing safety equipment, the right plumbing supplies in Dublin and don’t settle for second best if the correct option isn’t at hand. You might have forgotten a particular spanner or wrench and don’t think it’s worth the bother to walk back to the van and get it, but if you intend to engage in safe plumbing it’s absolutely necessary that you do.

At Thermoparts, we have all kinds of equipment to help you out, so make sure you browse our stock today.

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How can you make a bathroom unique? Well it’s certainly possible and we searched far and wide (well… Google) to bring you a few of the best looking bathrooms from around the world:

The One with a Fireplace

When we think of a bathroom, one would typically imagine a shower, a sink, a bath or maybe even a window, but a fireplace? Not exactly an everyday addition!

Reality TV star Melissa Gorga and her spouse owned a mansion in New Jersey which they sold in 2013. This property is a humongous colonial style house with 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, and has a total of 4 fireplaces, one of which is in the bathroom. The bathroom has golden fittings to complement and complete the gorgeous look.

Another star who loves the same idea is Julianne Moore. In her townhouse based in West Village, New York City there is a rather luxurious bathroom featuring a fireplace.

Along with double vanity units it has a modern bathtub with the fireplace right next to it. The chic rectangular design of the whole bathroom gives it a rather contemporary feel. The property was featured in the March 2006 issue of World of Interiors and is a fascinating blend of traditional and modern style.

The One with Gold

We’ve all heard of Gold-toned bathroom fittings and some of us might have them in our own bathrooms but in this particular bathroom we are talking about…wait for it… solid Gold! That’s right, not just fittings, actual gold!

On the other side of the world, Hang Fung jewellers in Hong Kong have made a solid 24k gold toilet (yes you read that right). It is part of an extravagant display which showcases a golden palace among statues of Chinese goddesses.

Not exactly borrowing this idea, but Kimye (that’s Kim Kardashian + Kanye West… yeah we’re hip) have spent $750,000 on getting four gold-plated toilets for their Bel Air mansion. There’s more bling in that mansion than we can probably even imagine. We heard they’ve also forked out on a Swarovski-encrusted fridge freezer for their kitchen.

But on a more practical note, gold-toned fixtures are perfect for a vintage feel. You can choose a gold-toned bathroom fitting or even a bathroom mirror. It would look stunning alongside either white or black theme of your bathroom.

The One with the View

Some of us like reading a book while having a bath while some of us light candles and relax. Sounds good right? Well how about being able to enjoy this breath-taking view of nature or bask in the glow of a star studded sky come nightfall?

Parsonson Architects from Wellington, New Zealand, followed that train of thought when designing this bathroom. To compliment the gorgeous sea view, they chose to use only blue and green bathroom tiles. There is ample space, light and privacy along with it being pretty functional too. Even just looking at a picture of the view is so relaxing!

With all this being said, some of these bathrooms are not necessarily practical in an everyday setting and as you can probably imagine, not always pocket-friendly. But if you’ve got some ideas we can help you make them a reality! Thermoparts have years of experience and knowledge about bathroom supplies. Give us a call on (01) 905 9370 or walk into our store to check out our collections and discuss your bathroom remodelling ideas with us! There’s no such thing as a bad idea when there’s a good solution!

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Hygiene

Bathrooms can be dirty places, let’s face it. It might look clean on first glance, but there’s a lot of germs in toilets and faucets alike that we just can’t physically see. Germs can live on metal for more than two hours which is a long time particularly in a public environment. Luckily hands-free plumbing supplies actually reduce the need to touch these areas thus helping to prevent the spread of germs. Given this particular benefit, it’s not too surprising that the Health Care industry has embraced the new technology. Not having visitors, staff or patients touch the faucets or soap dispensers prevents bacteria from getting on their hands and in turn spreading it throughout hospitals after they leave the bathroom. The same can of course be said about public bathrooms where there is also a high number of people regularly using the facilities.

Eco savers

We are delighted to say that the plus points of the touchless bathroom supplies don’t just stop at the hygiene benefits. They are also eco-friendly! Having sensor activated faucets reduces the amount of water being used in bathrooms. This removes the possibility of a user leaving a tap on for example which can waste a lot of water. To put it in perspective, when a tap is left running it wastes around 6 litres of water per minute so if it is left unattended in a bathroom for too long, hundreds of litres could be lost! Installing touchless facilities regulates the amount of water and soap being used by each user so they only use what they need.

This in turn leads to another advantage of hands free facilities; lower cleaning and maintenance costs. Without the physical touching of regular facilities, the hands-free facilities should stay cleaner for longer while also preventing excess soap scum or water pools building up around the sink areas.

Of course, like anything there are some drawbacks like battery life or you’re the unlucky recipient of an overly sensitive sensor but the advantages listed above of the hands-free bathrooms outweigh these drawbacks. Plumbing supplies are getting better and better each year and we can see the majority of bathrooms being hands-free in the future. In the meantime we’ll just have to make sure not to leave the tap running when we’re brushing our teeth!

If you’re interested in finding out more about our hands free plumbing supplies, than simply pick up the phone and talk to us at Thermoparts Limited. Call Us on (01) 905 9370

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