Plumbing is a discipline that deals with the installation, maintenance, and repair of pipes and fixtures in a building. This trade requires specialized training and knowledge. Plumbing professionals can earn their license at a community college, trade school, or by doing a learn-while-you-earn apprenticeship. Once they earn their license, they can work towards becoming a supervisor or manager, or even start their own company. Plumbing professionals can also go into computer-aided design (CAD) or BIM (building information modeling) as a way to improve their skills and careers.

Before plumbing became popular, water supply systems were primitive and often undeveloped. The Romans, for example, still had aqueducts in certain parts of the world. In addition, early sanitation systems were less elaborate, with open ditches and carts for human waste. These primitive systems are now considered outdated, but they were a necessity for a centralized population.

The drainage system is another vital component of plumbing in a home. It carries waste and water from the house. The drainage system is typically located in the crawl space or basement. Both subsystems must be maintained in proper working order to function properly. Depending on the fixtures and the amount of water a home uses, the drain system must be appropriately sized for each individual home.

Plumbing can be noisy, but there are many ways to reduce the noise. First, you can reduce the speed of the water that passes through the pipes. By reducing the velocity of the water, you can eliminate most plumbing noise. Secondly, you can install larger water supply piping to provide more water.