Many times when a new product comes out on the market, it has been designed in response to some sort of problem that needed to be solved. When working with plumbing parts in the home and in businesses, there are pipes that are used to drain water and other pipes that are used to bring water in. Sometimes these pipes are found close together and there can be some possible interactions. This can be a problem since water that is drained is usually contaminated in some way. If this contaminated comes in contact with water that is going to be consumed or water that is used to wash dishes, this can cause disease and other problems. To help with this problem, the air gap was designed.
If you have a dishwasher appliance in your home, it is possible for contaminated water to overflow and go into the dishwasher. This means that the water will be used for “cleaning” the dishes and although they will look they have become clean, there may be unseen germs. This in turn means that if water or other liquid is put in a cup to drink or if food with the right amount of moisture is placed on a dish to eat, these germs can be transferred. The food or liquid is then consumed and a number of different diseases could result.
Since this part is designed to deal with this problem, it is important to strictly follow the instructions that come with the air gap that you purchase. Incorrect installation will be counter- productive and can cause additional problems such as water leakage, which will then lead to water damage. Air gaps were originally designed and used for commercial applications but are also used in residential applications. Since they are designed to help safe guard against contamination and disease, it may be a good idea to consider installing one in your home.
The original design for an air gap was pretty basic and didn’t really need to have a good look to it. This is because not too many people would be walking into a restaurant kitchen, for example, and notice that the part didn’t really match the rest of the plumbing fixtures in the room. Since there is more of a move towards residential installation of this plumbing part, companies have started designing air gaps with different finishes and a better design. This can be important to homeowners since correct installation of the product means that it will be above the kitchen counter, next to the kitchen faucet, where it will be easily visible.
Air gaps have been designed for other applications as well, one of the most common being for the installation of a water softener. These types of air gap come with special types of fittings that are compatible with other air softener parts, for easy installation. Whatever the application for this product, you will find the parts and covers that you need, for a great price at: https://www.plumbersstock.com/category/416/air-gaps/
