What are Examples of Fixtures?
Plumbing has many components in a home or commercial structure, for example, plumbing fixtures and plumbing fittings. What’s the difference between a fixture and a fitting, or is there a difference? Yes, there is a difference between plumbing fixtures and plumbing fittings, read on for clarification:
Plumbing fixtures are things like the faucets in the kitchen or bathroom as is the showerhead. The plumbing fittings are what is needed to make the fixtures “fit” and connect where the fixtures are installed. Plumbing fittings, also referred to as adaptors are what connect your plumbing fixtures in houses like the drains and pipes.
Plumbing fixtures are important components of the plumbing system in your home, and for the most part, taken for granted. With plumbing fixtures, water would be spraying out in all directions from the plumbing pipes. Some plumbing fixture examples are:
- Bidet
- Faucets
- Shower
- Showerhead
- Sinks
- Toilets
- Tubs
Fixtures have a primary function to access water from the main water source for those plumbing components to work. Each plumbing fixture has a specific purpose and uses like the toilet is for disposing of human waste, and the tub, tub faucet, and showerhead deliver water for bathing. The kitchen sink and faucet are where water is delivered for cooking meals and household cleaning.
Is a Shower a Plumbing Fixture?
Yes, one of the most common and used plumbing fixtures is the shower. The shower has been a standard plumbing fixture since late in the 19th century and remained almost the same. It is a simple plumbing fixture with a shower head that streams cold and hot water out while you stand under it and bathe. They are in a stand-alone setup or they are part of a bathtub setup. While the basic shower has remained the same for the most part since the 19th century, there has been an expansion of types of standard showers and their fixtures:
- Water shower: The common household shower is used daily.
- Electric shower: Akin to the water shower but operates from an ‘on-demand’ water heating system.
- Air shower: Operates by the pressurized air stream that blows off excess dirt and dust and is used in a ‘clean room environment.
- Steam shower: A expensive water shower version that humidifies steam in addition to spraying water.
- Bucket shower: An outside shower uses only cold water while a person stands in a bucket and the plumbing fixtures are coming from another bucket.
- Beach shower: A simple faucet with cold water streaming over anyone that desires to have sand and ocean water rinsed off. This type of shower is often found in public swimming pools too.
What are the Different Water Supply Fixtures?
There are different types of water fixtures in your home. Each is exposed to water daily for long periods of time and because of this, they must be made of durable materials. Water supply plumbing fixtures can be made of materials that erode, rust, or stain easily because of water usage. The most common plumbing services for fixtures in a home are:
- Bathtubs
- Bidet
- Showers
- Sinks
- Toilets
Each of these takes additional fixtures to get the water to them from plumbing fittings and pipes to faucets, handles, and shower heads. While toilets have been made of porcelain since the concept was invented, the other water supply plumbing fixtures now come in other materials in addition to porcelain, such as:
- Copper
- Fiberglass
- Glass
- Marble
- Plastic
- Stainless steel
Things we use today have come from crude beginnings, like the bathtub. There wasn’t any question about plumbing fitting vs fixtures when bathing was done in creeks and rivers. Even after bathing was elevated to using a wooden barrel or a horse trough, plumbing fixtures and plumbing fittings weren’t any concern.
The same can be said about sinks, we haven’t always had a choice between one large sink, a double sink setup, or a three sink setup in the kitchen with fancy plumbing fixtures. For many years, dishes were washed in metal tubs on a tabletop where a pump was located (sometimes) that pulled water from the well into the house. Kitchen counters didn’t even exist back in those days, and there certainly weren’t garbage disposals.
Today, the newest trend is having the “old fashion” farm sink in the kitchen. One large sink with a bib comes down in front of the counter. It may or may not have the rippled side wings for draining dishes, but one thing is for certain, it will have modern plumbing fixtures like a spray nozzle and maybe a built-in soap dispenser. All of that will be connected and secured by proper plumbing fittings that have been designed for that sole purpose. We know of the interest from our plumbing SEO inquiries with people asking especially for old fashion sinks.
Call 214-918-6109 today for your plumbing fixture replacement needs in Mesquite, TX.
