Access panel – a small opening in the wall or ceiling that provides access to key parts of the plumbing system
Adaptor – a fitting that links different types of pipes together
Aerator – a small device that screws into the end of your faucet spout and adds air to the flow of water, controlling the flow and reducing splashing.
Backflow – the flow of liquids or other substances, including dirty water, back into potable water distribution pipes.
Backflow preventer – a device made to prevent backflow, usually required for sprinkler systems, handheld showers, pullout faucet spouts or kitchen sprayers, etc.
Back pressure – pressure that resists the flow of a liquid in a piping system.
Back siphonage – negative pressure that causes backflow. This is one of the primary things backflow preventers are designed to work against.
Backup – a plumbing system that is backing up is overflowing due to a drain stoppage.
Backwater valve – a sewer line valve that prevents sewage from flowing back into the house.
Ballcock – this is the fill valve that controls the flow of water from the supply line into the toilet tank. It’s controlled by a float mechanism that floats in the tank. When the toilet is flushed, the float drops, opening the ballcock and releasing water into the tank or bowl.
Basket strainer – a basket strainer is, as the name suggests, a basket-shaped strainer with holes and a slot that fits into a sink or shower drain and filters water that runs through the drains so they don’t end up in the sewage system.
Bleed – to bleed a pipe is to drain it of excess air by opening a valve at the end or by using force or suction.
Boiler – a boiler is a sealed tank where water is heated. Boilers provide heat for radiators or hot water heaters.
Branch – any part of a drain system that doesn’t include the water main, risers or stacks.
Branch vents – a vent that connects one or more individual vents to a vent stack.
BTU – British thermal unit. This is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 lb of water by 1 F.
Catch basin – a large underground container for collecting storm water runoff as well as dirt and other debris to prevent them from polluting streams.
Check valve – type of backflow preventer that only allows water to flow in one direction.
Diaphragm – flexible membrane in a valve that deflects onto a rigid area of the valve body to regulate water flow from supply lines, eliminating the risk of debris buildup in the valve.
Dip tube – tube inside your water heater that sends cold water down to the bottom of the tank.
Discharge tube – pipe that connects your sump pump to the drain line.
Efficiency – a products ability to use input energy. Usually expressed as a percentage.
Effluent – liquid waste.
Elbow – pipe fitting with two openings that changes the direction of the line. Also called an ell. Elbows can come in a variety of angles.
Escutcheon – decorative metal shield beneath a faucet handle that covers the faucet stem and hole in the fixture or wall.
Expansion tank – tank designed to absorb excess pressure due to thermal expansion.
Fall (flow) – proper pitch of a pipe for adequate drainage.
Female fitting – receiving end of a pipe or fitting.
Fixture (plumbing) – devices that provide a supply of water and / or water disposal (sinks, tubs, toilets, etc.).
Flapper valve – valve on the bottom of the toilet tank that opens, allowing water to flow from the tank to the bowl.
Float ball – floating ball connected to ballcock inside the toilet tank that rises or falls depending on the water level, activating or deactivating the ballcock as needed.
Gas cock – plug valve installed in the main gas line and appliances.
Gas control – device that regulates gas pressure on water heater.
Gate – device that controls flow in a pipe, tunnel or conduit.
Gravity operated toilet – toilet that relies on the natural downward pressure of water to flush.
Gray water – waste water from sinks, showers and bathtubs (not toilets).
Horizontal branch – lateral pipe drains that run from plumbing fixtures to the waste stack, either in a building or in the soil.
Horizontal run – horizontal distance between the point where fluid enters a pipe and the point at which it leaves.
Hose bibb – outdoor faucet, also used to supply washing machines.
Hydronic – system of forced hot water used for heat (radiators, baseboard, convectors).
I.D. – abbreviation for “inside diameter”, the sizing standard for all pipes.
Indirect wastes – waste pipe used to convey gray water by discharging it into a plumbing fixture (such as a floor drain).
Instant water heater – water heater that heats water as it flows through a heating coil.
Jet – toilet feature designed to direct water flow into the trap quickly to start the siphon action.
Knockout plug – PVC test plug.
Leach field – porous soil area through which septic tank leach lines run and empty treated waste.
Leader – pipe that carries rainwater to the ground or sewer.
Main – primary supply artery for the drainage system or water supply into which all the branches connect.
Male threads – threads on the outside of pipes and fittings.
Manifold – fitting that serves as a distribution point, connecting a number of branches to the main.
Mechanicals – wiring, plumbing and HVAC system, along with all associated equipment, in a building.
Nipple – short length of pipe installed between couplings or fittings.
O.D. – abbreviation for “outside diameter”.
O-ring – round, rubber washer used to create a watertight seal. Usually used around valve stems.
Oakum – loosely woven hemp rope treated with a waterproofing agent and 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 drainage field.
Packing – fibrous material used on faucets to prevent leaks.
Packing nut – nut that holds the stem of a faucet in position and holds the packing material.
Polybutylene – flexible plastic tubing not used anymore due to pipes breaking.
Peak hour demand – time of day with the highest demand for hot water.
pH (potential hydrogen) – hydrogen concentration of water to denote acidity or alkalinity, measured on a scale of o to 14 (below 7 = acidity, above 7 = alkalinity).
Pitch – downward slope of drain pipe in the direction of water flow.
Plumb – this word has a few different meanings:
- Precisely vertical
- To test for or to make vertical
- To perform plumbing work
Plumber’s putty – pliable putty used to seal joints between drain pieces and fixture surfaces.
Plunger – instrument usually with a rubber head used to create suction in a drain line or toilet to push a clog through the line.
Rated storage volume – quantity of water stored in a tank.
Reamer – grinding tool used to level or remove burrs from pipe or valve seats in faucets.
Revent – pipe installed to vent a fixture trap.
Rough-in – installation of the drain, waste, vent and supply lines in a structure to the proposed location of each fixture.
Saddle valve – valve mounted on a pipe run by a clamp used to make a quick connection to an existing line to provide water to a low-demand device that is no longer used.
Sanitary fitting – fitting that connects assorted pipes in a drain, waste and vent system designed to allow solid material to pass through without clogging.
Sanitary sewer – house drain that carries wastewater away from the house to a sewer system or septic tank.
Service – pipe connecting the water company’s piping to the water meter.
Stop valve – shutoff valve under sinks and toilets that allows the water supply to be cut off to one fixture without affective water supply to other fixtures.
T & P valve – temperature and pressure relief valve used to expel excess pressure or heat from inside a tank.
Tailpiece – section of pipe that runs between a fixture outlet and the trap.
Tank – fixture reservoir for flush water. In a conventional toilet, the ballcock, flush valve and trip lever are all installed in the tank.
Trap – curved section of a drain line that prevents sewer odors from escaping into the atmosphere. All fixtures that have drains have P-traps (except toilets that have them built into the porcelain).