A
ABS: Aristocraft Bristone Styrine, a rigid
black plastic pipe used for drain, waste, and
vent lines.
Aerator: A device screwed into the end of
a faucet spout that mixes air into flowing
water, and controls flow to reduce splashing.
It sometimes contains a baffle to reduce flow
to 2.5 gpm.
Air Lock: Blockage in the flow of liquid, especially
on the suction side of a pump, caused by an
air bubble in the line.
Angle Stop: A shutoff valve between the water
pipes and a faucet. Its inlet connects to the
water supply pipe in a wall, and its outlet
angles up 90 degrees toward the faucet. These
are usually used to shut off water to a fixture
in case of an emergency repair rather than
during daily usage.
Anode Rod: A sacrificial rod installed in a
water heater that protects the tank from corrosion,
helping to extend the life of the tank.
Anti-Siphon: Preventive
device for the backflow of liquid into a
system. Used on sprinkler systems to prevent
water from trickling back into the feed supply.
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B
Back Flow Preventer: A device to prevent water
from traveling from one system back into any
part of the main distribution system, usually
by siphoning, especially into a potable water
supply. Generally required for sprinkler systems,
handheld showers, pullout faucet spouts, kitchen
sprayers, etc.
Back Pressure: Pressure that resists the flow
of fluid in a piping system.
Backwater Valve: Sewer line valve that prevents
sewage from flowing back into the house.
Ball Check Valve: A valve that uses a ball
to seal against a seat to stop flow in one
direction.
Ballcock: The fill valve that controls the
flow of water from the water supply line into
a gravity-operated toilet tank. A float mechanism
in the tank water controls the ballcock. When
you flush the toilet, the float drops and opens
the ballcock, releasing water into the tank
and/or bowl. As the water returns to the tank,
the float rises and shuts off the ballcock
when the tank is full.
Basin Wrench: A wrench with a long handle with
jaws mounted on a swivel. The swivel allows
the jaws to reach and adjust nuts to fasten
faucets to a previously installed sink.
Blowbag: A drain-cleaning device consisting
of a rubber bladder with a hose fitting on
one end and a nozzle on the other. The device
attaches to a water hose and is inserted into
a clogged drainpipe. As water begins to flow,
it expands to grip the pipe, and releases pulsating
bursts of water through the nozzle, forcing
water through the pipe to clear the obstruction.
Branch: Any part of a drain system other than
the main, riser, or stack.
Branch Vent: A vent connecting one or more
individual vents to a vent stack.
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C
Catch Basin: A large underground container,
with a grate on the top, for collection of
storm water run-off. It catches or collects
dirt and other debris and prevents it from
polluting streams and lakes.
Centerset: Style of bathroom faucet with a
combined spout and handles that are four inches
apart, center-to-center. Also, a single-handle
faucet installed on faucet holes that are four
inches center-to-center.
Check Valve: A type of backflow prevention
installed in a pipe run to allow water to flow
in only one direction.
Circuit Vent: Plumbing drainage system vertical
vent that runs from the last two traps on a
horizontal drain line to the main vent stack
of a building drainage system.
Cistern: Rainwater storage tank, often underground.
Cleanout Plug: A plug in a trap or drain pipe
that provides access for the purpose of clearing
an obstruction.
Closet: Toilet.
Closet Auger: A flexible rod with a curved
end used to access the toilet's built-in trap
and remove clogs.
Closet Bend: A curved fitting mounted immediately
below the toilet that connects the closet flange
to the toilet drain.
Closet Flange: An anchoring ring that attaches
to the closet bend and the floor. The heads
of closet bolts, used to secure the toilet
in place, insert into slots in the closet flange.
Cock: A faucet or valve for regulating the
flow of water.
Common Vent: Building drain system vertical
vent that connects two or more fixture branches
on the same level.
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D
Desanco
Fitting: A type of compression adapter
that connects tubular brass fittings to PVC
pipe.
Diaphragm: A flexible membrane in a valve
that deflects down onto a rigid area of the
valve body and regulates water flow from
the supply lines. This eliminates the possibility
of debris build-up within the valve.
Dip Tube: Tube inside the water heater that
sends cold water to the bottom of the tank.
Direct Tap: Clamping device that allows a branch
line to be drilled and tapped off a main line.
Discharge Tube: Outlet tube that connects a
disposer or sump pump to the drain line.
Disposal Field: A series of trenches conveying
the effluent from the septic tank to ensure
that the flow distributes into natural soil
with reasonable uniformity.
Dishwasher Tailpiece: A flanged adapter to
connect a basket strainer to the drainpipe
using a dishwasher inlet.
Diverter: Valves that direct water to various
outlets. Used in showers, tubs, bidets, and
sinks.
Drip Leg: A stub end pipe placed at a low point
in the gas piping to collect condensate and
allow removal.
Drum Trap: An obsolete, non-vented drain lead
or cast iron canister trap formerly used in
sewer lines.
Duo Valve: A twin valve (hot & cold) with
a single on/off lever used for washing machine
boxes.
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E
Efficiency: A product's ability to utilize
input energy, expressed as a percentage.
Effluent: Septic system liquid waste.
Escutcheon: A decorative metal flange or trim
shield beneath a faucet handle that covers
the faucet stem and the hole in the fixture
or wall.
Expansion Tank: A tank designed to absorb excess
pressure due to thermal expansion (e.g. closed
system).
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F
Fall/Flow: The proper slope or pitch of a pipe
for adequate drainage.
Female Fitting: A fitting that receives a pipe
or fitting. A fitting into which another fitting
can be inserted.
Finish Plumbing: Installation of plumbing fixtures
to make the system usable.
Flapper Valve: The part on the bottom of the
toilet tank that opens to allow water to flow
from the tank into the bowl.
Float Ball: The floating ball connected to
the ballcock inside the tank that rises or
falls with changing water levels in the tank,
and actuates or shuts off the ballcock as needed.
Floor Flange: A fitting that connects a toilet
to a floor drain.
Flushometer: Toilet valve that automatically
shuts off after it meters a certain amount
of water flow.
Flushometer Tank System: Toilet flushing system
that uses supply water pressure to compress
water to provide a pressurized flush as opposed
to a gravity flush.
Flux: Paste applied to copper pipes and fittings
before soldering to help the fusion process
and prevent oxidation.
Footprint: The area of floor space taken up
by a water heater or other appliance.
French Drain: A covered ditch containing a
layer of fitted or loose stone or other pervious
material.
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G
Gas
Cock: Plug valve installed the main gas
line and an appliance.
Gas Control: Device used to
regulate gas pressure on a water heater.
Gate: A device that controls the flow in a
conduit, pipe, or tunnel.
Gate Diverter: The pop-up lever on a tub faucet
that activates the diverter valve.
Gravity Operated Toilet: A toilet that relies
on the natural downward pressure of water in
a toilet tank to flush the toilet effectively.
Gray Water: Wastewater from sinks, showers,
and bathtubs, but not toilets.
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H
Horizontal
Branch: Lateral drain pipes that
run from plumbing fixtures to the waste stack
in a building or in the soil.
Horizontal Run: The horizontal distance between
the point where fluid enters a pipe and the
point at which it leaves.
Hose Bibb: An outdoor faucet; also used to
supply washing machines.
House Trap: U-shaped fitting with two adjacent
cleanout plugs visible at floor level if main
drain runs under floor.
Hubless (No-Hub): Cast iron drainage pipe with
neoprene gaskets and clamps.
Hydronic: System of forced hot water.
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I
Indirect Wastes: Waste pipe used to convey
gray water by discharging it into a plumbing
fixture such as a floor drain.
Instantaneous Water Heater: A type of water
heater that heats water as it flows through
a heat exchanger coil.
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J
Jet: An orifice or other feature of a toilet
designed to quickly direct water into the trapway
to start the siphon action.
Johnni-bolts: Closet bolts,
used to mount toilet bowls to the closet flange.
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K
Knockout
Plug: PVC test plug.
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L
Lavatory
(Lav): A fixed bowl or basin with
running water and drainage for washing. Bathroom
sink.
Leach Field: Porous soil area, through which
septic tank leach lines run to empty the treated
waste.
Leader: Pipe carrying rainwater to the ground
or sewer.
Lock Nut: Nut fitted into
a piece of pipe and screwed onto another pipe
to join the two pieces.
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M
Main: The water supply or drain system’s primary
artery in which all the branches connect. In
the case of drains, also known as the main
vent.
Male Threads: Threads on the outside of pipes
and fittings.
Malleable Fittings: Fittings made of soft and
pliable metal.
Manifold: A fitting that connects a number
of branches to the main and serves as a distribution
point.
Mechanicals: The wiring, plumbing and heating
and cooling systems in a building; also the
components with moving parts such as furnaces,
plumbing fixtures, etc.
Multi-Stage Pump: A pump that
has more than one impeller.
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N
Nipple: A short length of pipe installed between
couplings or other fittings.
No-Hub Connector: A connector for no-hub iron
pipe consisting of a rubber sleeve and a stainless
steel band secured by hose clamps. A variation,
featuring a neoprene sleeve with two adjustable
steel bands, connects two dissimilar materials,
as when connecting new plastic pipe to an existing
cast-iron drainpipe.
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O
O-Ring: Round rubber washer used to create
a watertight seal, chiefly around valve stems.
Oakum: Loosely woven hemp rope that has been
treated with oil or other waterproofing agent
used to caulk joints in a bell and spigot pipe
and fittings.
Outlet Sewer: Pipe section in a septic system
that runs between the septic tank and the drainage
field.
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P
PVC: Polyvinyl
chloride. A rigid white or cream-colored plastic
pipe used in non-pressure systems, such as
drainage, waste, and vent systems.
Packing: Fibrous material used to prevent leaks
on faucets.
Packing Nut: Nut that holds the stem of a faucet
in position and holds the packing material.
Peak Hour Demand: Time when the largest demand
for hot water occurs.
Pipe Dope: Slang for pipe-joint compound. Substance
applied to threaded fittings to create a watertight
seal.
Pitch: Downward slope of a drain pipe in the
direction of the water flow.
Plumb: Precisely vertical. Also, to test for,
or make, vertical. Also, to perform plumbing
work.
Plumber's Putty: Pliable, popular putty used
to seal joints between drain pieces and fixture
surfaces.
Plumbing Tree: Prefabricated set of drain waste,
vent, and supply lines
Pop-Up Drain: Type of drain assembly for lavatory
and bath. When a lavatory lift rod or bath
overflow plate lever lifts, the pop-up drain
closes so the lavatory or tub retains water.
Port: An opening in a burner head through which
gas or an air-gas mixture discharges for ignition.
Positive Displacement
Pump: Called a PD pump.
The pump speed determines the capacity of the
gear, sliding vane, progressive cavity, lobe,
etc.. The available horsepower and the casing
strength determines the maximum head .
Pressure Balance Valve: Shower mixing valve
that automatically maintains a balance between
incoming hot and cold water supplies by immediately
regulating fluctuations in pressure. As a result,
temperature remains constant, though the outlet
pressure may drop. Also known as an anti-scald
valve.
Pressure Tank: Device used to pump water from
a well.
Pressure Tubing: Tubing used to conduct fluids
under pressure, at elevated temperatures or
under both conditions. Produced to stricter
tolerances than pipe.
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R
Rated
Storage Volume: Quantity of water stored
in a tank.
Reamer: A grinding tool used to level or remove
burrs from valve seats in faucets so that the
valve stem will fit properly.
Recovery Capacity: The amount of water in gallons
per hour raised 100 degrees Fahrenheit at any
given thermal efficiency and BTU per hour input.
Reducer: A fitting that connects pipes of different
sizes together.
Return Circulation System: Tempered water from
or near the point of usage that eliminates
waste of hot water used for long runs and adds
system storage .
Revent: Pipe installed specifically to vent
a fixture trap. Connects with the vent system
above the fixture.
Reverse Trap Water Closet: A water closet having
a siphonic trapway at the rear of the bowl
and an integral flushing rim and jet.
Rigid Pipe: Pipe designed to transmit the backfill
load to the foundation beneath the pipe. Rigid
pipe must be supported on the bottom portion
of the pipe.
Rim Holes: A series of small holes in the underside
of a toilet rim, around the circumference of
the bowl. Incoming water flows down into the
bowl through these holes, creating a rinse
effect or wash over the entire inner surface
of the bowl.
Riser: A vertical metal or plastic tube or
assembly that connects a faucet to the water
supply stop valve. Usually made of copper.
Corrugated metal flex risers facilitate bending.
Also, a supply line that rises from one story
to the next.
Roof Flashing: Sheet metal installed at any
break in a shingled roofline to prevent leaks.
Also used around sewer vents, fluepipes.
Rough-In: Installation of the drain, waste,
vent, and supply lines in a structure to the
proposed location of each fixture.
Rough-In Dimensions: The distance from a finished
wall or floor to the center of the waste or
supply opening or mounting holes on a plumbing
fixture.
Run: A complete or secondary section of pipe
that extends from supply to fixture or drain
to stack.
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S
Saddle
Valve: A valve mounted on a pipe run
by a clamping device, or a fitting that taps
into the side of a pipe, used to make quick
connection to an existing line to provide a
water supply for a low-demand device.
Sanitary Sewer: House drain that carries wastewater
away from the house to a sewer system or septic
tank.
Self-Rimming Sink: Sink with no metal ring
that has a built-in lip of the same material
that supports it in the vanity top.
Service Entrance: Pipe connecting the water
company piping to the water meter.
Setting: The vertical distance in feet from
the top of the well to the top of the pump.
Shroud: Color-matched component under a wall-mount
lavatory that covers the drain outlet for aesthetic
purposes.
Siphon-Vortex Water Closet: A toilet with a
trapway at the rear of the bowl, integral flushing
rim, and water supply system with or without
a jet that does not feed directly into the
trap.
Sleeve: Pipe that passes through a wall to
insert another pipe through it.
Slip Joint: A connection made with compression
fittings.
Soil Stack: Largest vertical drain line to
which all branch waste lines connect. This
line carries waste to the sewer line.
Solder: Metal alloy melted to create a fused
joint between metal pieces. Also, the act of
melting solder into the joint.
Spud: A threaded opening on the water heater
tank. Also, a tool for digging with characteristics
of both a shade and a chisel.
Stack: The vertical main in the drain, waste,
and vent system, extending one or more stories.
Stand Pipe: Open vertical pipe that receives
water from a washing machine. Also, the vertical
pipe run supplying water to a fire sprinkler
system. Also, a large vertical pipe into which
water is pumped to produce a desired pressure;
a high vertical pipe or reservoir used to secure
uniform pressure in a water-supply system.
Static Lift: The vertical distance between
source and discharge water levels in a pump
installation.
Stop Valve: The shutoff valve under sinks and
toilets. Allows water supply to be cut off
to one fixture without affecting the water
supply to other fixtures.
Straight Cross: Fitting that connects four
pipes of the same diameter.
Sump: A pit or pool for draining, collecting,
or storing water. A chamber that provides water
to the pump.
Sweating: Slang term for soldering. Also, formation
of condensation on the outside of pipes or
toilet tanks.
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T
T & P Valve: Temperature and pressure relief
valve. A safety device used to expel excess
pressure or heat from inside a tank.
Tailpiece: Section of pipe that runs between
a fixture outlet and the trap.
Tail Pipe: The pipe added below the jet assembly,
in a weak well application.
Tank: Fixture reservoir for flush water. On
a conventional toilet, the tank houses the
ballcock, flush valve, and trip lever. A tank
lid closes the top tank opening.
Tank Cross: A double-tee-shaped fitting installed
between a shallow well pump and the bladder
tank with integrated valve and gauge fittings,
and an outlet for a pressure-relief valve.
Tap Tee: Cast iron tee with a threaded female
side inlet.
Thermocouple: Small electric generator. Electron
flow between the hot junction of 1200 degrees
Fahrenheit and the cold junction of 600 degrees
Fahrenheit to create millivoltage.
Thermostatic Valve: Pressure-balancing shower
mixing valve with automatic temperature control.
When temperature or pressure fluctuations occur
at the water inlets, a thermal actuator adjusts
the hot and cold ratio to maintain the original
temperature setting.
Trap: Curved section of the drain line that
prevents sewer odors from escaping into the
atmosphere. All fixtures that have drains must
have a "P" trap installed. A toilet
uses an "S" trap –the only plumbing
fixture to do so.
Trap Arm: The waste arm portion of a drainage
trap.
Trap Dip: The U-bend portion of a drainage
trap.
Trap Primer: A small feeder line connecting
the cold water line directly to the drainage
trap that releases a small amount of water
if the trap runs dry, maintaining the water
seal.
Trap Seal: Height of water in a toilet bowl "at
rest”, as measured from the top of the dam
down to the inlet of the trapway. It provides
the water seal that prevents sewer gases from
entering the home. Also referred to as a deep
seal.
Trapway: Channel in a toilet that connects
the bowl to the waste outlet. Siphonic action
takes place in the trapway. Measured in terms
of the largest diameter ball that can pass
through it. Also called the passageway.
Trip Lever: Flush handle and actuating arm
on a toilet tank. Also, the lever that opens
and closes the bathtub waste and overflow drain.
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U
Uni-flex: One-piece stop and riser combination.
One-piece supply.
Union: Three-piece fitting that joins two sections
of pipe, but allows them to be disconnected
without cutting the pipe. Used primarily with
steel pipe; never used in a DWV system.
Usable Storage: Percentage of hot water that
can be drawn from a tank before the temperature
drops below the point of being considered hot.
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V
Vacuum Breaker: An anti-siphon device that
prevents the backflow of contaminated water
into the water supply system.
Valve Dressing: Resurfacing a worn valve seat
with a special tool. Stops leaks by providing
a smooth sealing surface. Applies only to older
compression style faucets.
Valve Seat: The non-moving part of a valve.
Water flow stops when the moveable portion
of the valve comes in contact with the valve
seat.
Vent: A pipe that allows air into a drain system
to balance the air pressure, preventing water
in the traps from being siphoned off.
Vent Header: A vent pipe used to connect several
vents. The vent pipe leads to the vent stack
and out of the building.
Vent Stack: Upper portion of the soil stack
above the topmost fixture through which gases
and odors escape.
Venturi: A short tube with a tapered constriction
in the middle that causes an increase in the
velocity of flow of a fluid and a corresponding
decrease in fluid pressure. Used for creating
suction in a vacuum pump.
Viscosity: The resistance of fluids to flow,
due to internal forces and friction between
molecules, that increases as temperature decreases.
Vitreous China: Ceramic materials fired at
a high temperature to form a non-porous body,
having exposed surfaces coated with ceramic
glaze fused to the body. Used to form bathroom
fixtures such as toilets, bidets, and lavs.
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W
Washdown Water Closet: Water closet having
a siphon trapway at the front of the bowl and
an integral flushing rim.
Waste Arm: Drain extension pipe, usually to
extend a sink drain into a wall.
Waste & Overflow: Drain assembly for a
bathtub. The outlet at the top removes the
overflow water during tub filling and the drain
at the bottom removes wastewater during draining
of the tub.
Water Closet: Toilet.
Widespread: A style of bathroom lavatory faucet
having separate spout and handles, usually
8" from center of handle to handle.
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Y
Yoke: Usually a brass casting that holds both
the hot and cold valves and the mixing chamber
for the water. May also refer to an assembly
of copper or other metal that serves the same
function.
Z
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