By: Clàudia Pellicer, Víctor Sánchez and Ana Lucía Londoño

PLUMBING SYSTEM

Dictionary definition: a gas that is found inside the earth and that can be used for heating or cooking.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is transported through special pipes; it enters to the house from the general pipe in the street and goes through the counter, where we can read the volume we have consumed. The gas pipes are leaded to the kitchen and to the boiler where the water is heated. Every device has got a valve which opens and closes the flow of gas. The house also has a general valve, (image).

1. In much of the developed world it is supplied to homes via pipes:

Gas pipes are usually made up of polyethylene and steel, which are very resistant, lasting and elastic materials. (These materials can be used in all types of floors including seismic zones).

1. Buy homologated natural gas appliances.2. Avoid extinguished the flames when cooking.3. Lock the stopcocks when leaving for several days.4. Avoid obstructing the ventilation pipes and

grating. To maintain them clean.5. Pass the official installer programmed

checking/tests.6. We must dispose of appropriate ventilation grids

and review them quite often.

3. Rules for safe use and maintenance of natural gas installations:

1. Do not switch on the light.2. Open windows and doors in order to ventilate

the house.3. Lock the stopcocks.4. Check that the kitchen buttons are [OFF].5. Call the natural gas company to come and

check the installation.6. Always be careful: gas blows up.

3.1. If you smell natural gas:

 If your home has ever lost electrical power during a storm or other type of electrical outage, you’re probably well aware of how dependent we’ve become on electrical power.Without it, practically nothing works, from appliances and lights to computers and air conditioning. 

Home electrical systems

A typical home has several circuits to deliver electricity to different areas:

A home’s electrical system includes incoming power lines, electric meter, service panel, subpanels, household wiring, electrical boxes, receptacles (or outlets), switches, and, of course, the appliances, lights, and equipment that put the power to work.

Other electrical systems in a house include wiring for home entertainment, such as cable television, home theater, audio systems, and such, not to mention wiring for home communications such as telephones, security systems, doorbells, and intercoms.

There is a significant risk of death through electrocution if high voltage electricity is allowed to pass through the body, which can result in the heart stopping to work (cardiac arrest)..

There can also be a risk of fire and explosion if electricity is not cabled and fused correctly. Therefore precautions must be taken when using mains electricity or similar.

Safety rules related with electrical circuits

A pipe is a conduit that acts as a medium to transport water or other fluids. Usually it is elaborated with very diverse materials.

More habitual the domestic pipes are those of copper and those of PVC.

First ones are used, mainly, for the supplying, whereas the second ones are reserved for the residual water evacuation.

Water:

1. The provision system.2. The water-drainage system. 3. The relief system.Water is able to accede

thanks to valve and circulates around cold and warm water. When we have used it, it finishes in the sewage system, where it goes through the water-drainage pipes.

The pipe system in a house can be divided in three parts:

Consumption: 1. El 45%, in the

bathroom (toilet). 2. El 30%, in the bathroom, shower and washbasin

3. El 20%, in the washing machine and drainage.4. El 5%, in the kitchen.

¿What do we spend water on at home?

Frying oils, solvents, paints or other toxic products should not be disposed down the drain.

A leaky tap loses 30 liters per day. Make sure therefore to close it well. Ten drops of water per minute are equivalent to 2000 liters of wasted water per year.

Turn tap off when brushing your teeth can save up to 10 liters.

Take a shower instead of a bath. This way you will save many water liters.

Choose native plants for your garden and your pots because they consume less water and do not require the use of chemicals. If you have to irrigate outdoor plants, do it early in the morning or at late afternoon.