Plumbing
Water goes where it's supposed to. Everywhere else is a problem.
Overview
Plumbing is the branch of construction concerned with moving water — and waste — from where it is to where it should be. The material is honest: water always tells you when you got it wrong. Usually at 3 AM. Usually downstairs.[1]
Principles
- Slope is structural. Drain lines need fall, not vibes.
- Joints leak. Fewer joints, fewer leaks. Plan the runs accordingly.
- Pressure-test before you close the wall. Finding a leak through drywall is a tax on carelessness.
- Hot is on the left. Always.
- Venting matters. Unvented drains gurgle. Gurgles are a warning.
- Shut-offs on everything. Future you will thank present you.
Software Parallel
Plumbing is the purest analog for data plumbing. Sources, transformations, destinations. Pressure (throughput). Fall (async direction). Shut-offs (circuit breakers). Venting (backpressure). Aggressive Craftsmanship applied to data pipelines is indistinguishable, in spirit, from the approach of a good plumber.
"Same job, less water." — Burbridge, on data engineering
See Also
References
- Plumber's oral tradition. "Water finds out."