PLUMBING PIPE INSTALLATION
There are certain standard codes that need to be followed while designing or manufacturing any piping system. South East Total Service is Licensed, Bonded & Insured. Our continuing goal is to ensure our clients feel totally confident and secure in doing business with us. Whether you are looking for plumbing services for a new home, a remodeling project, or just ongoing maintenance, we serve Chattanooga and the surrounding areas with high quality piping and other plumbing services.
- Fittings (especially uncommon types) require money, time, materials, and tools to install, so they are a non-trivial part of piping and plumbing systems.
- Piping is often used to describe high-performance (e.g. high pressure, high flow, high temperature, hazardous materials) conveyance of fluids in specialized applications.
- The term tubing is sometimes used for lighter-weight piping, especially types that are flexible enough to be supplied in coiled form.

Type Of Systems
The major categories of plumbing systems or subsystems are:
- potable cold and hot tap water supply
- plumbing drainage venting
- sewage systems and septic systems with or without hot water heat recycling and gray water recovery and treatment systems
- Rainwater, surface, and subsurface water drainage
- fuel gas piping
- hydronics, i.e. heating and cooling systems utilizing water to transport thermal energy, as in district heating systems, like for example the New York City steam system.
Types of Pipe Material
In the past, many types of material have been used in conveying water from one point to another. Masonry and wood were probably the first materials used. Plastics are the newest, and are now being used quite extensively. At present, water mains are made of a variety of materials, summarized in the chart below.
Material | Advantages | Disadvantages | Primary Use | Coated? |
cast iron | no longer manufactured; deteriorates in some soils | large, old systems | yes | |
ductile iron | strong, ductile | deteriorates in some soils | large systems | yes |
steel | inexpensive | wall thickness must be carefully considered | raw water mains | yes |
concrete | inexpensive | raw water mains and industrial systems | no | |
pre-stressed concrete | inexpensive | raw water mains and industrial systems | no | |
asbestos cement | brittle; no longer manufactured | replaced cast iron; in old systems | no | |
PVC | inexpensive | gasoline from soil can pass into pipe | <10 inch pipes | no |
non-rigid plastic | requires special heat fusion joining tools; inorganic chemicals in soil weaken pipe | service lines in water systems and main lines in gas systems | no | |
copper | service lines | no | ||
galvanized iron | corrodes; produces discolored water; has a short life; deteriorates in some soils | no |