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For a long time, copper was our only plumbing material option. Thankfully, that is no longer the case. Copper pipes have been used since the 1940s and became most popular around 1963. It wasn’t until the 1990s that PVC pipes became popular and began to replace copper pipes. Therefore, a house built before the 1990s without recent updates will likely contain more copper pipes.

To bleed air from the pipes, start by turning off the main water supply. Then, starting with the faucet that’s closest to the water valve, open each of your faucets halfway, making sure to open both hot and cold options if they’re separate. This allows the air to escape the pipes. Once all faucets are open, turn your water supply back on and let the water run for 10 to 15 minutes until the faucets stop sputtering.

A back pressure valve is a control valve used on production vessels, such as separators, treaters, and free water knockouts. The valve holds pressure until a set point is reached, and then releases upstream pressure to reset. Back pressure valves are not safety mechanisms. Instead, they are regulators designed to keep the fluid, gas, or liquid mixture in a system at a certain pressure level to prevent bursts and other incidents.

Meanwhile, a backflow preventer is a safety mechanism that kicks in when the pressure has already failed and contaminated water flows in the reverse direction. Most backflow preventers consist of two one-way valves, or check valves assembled together. This design only allows water to pass through in one direction but not the other.

Replacing a standard toilet with an elongated one is straightforward. The two types can be installed using the same existing drainpipe and plumbing. If you have a small bathroom, make sure that an elongated toilet doesn’t violate local building codes for clearance, which is the space between fixtures and walls.