Architectural Utilities 1: Plumbing & Sanitary – Vocabulary Review

A vocabulary set covering key plumbing, sanitary, water-supply, drainage, and fire-protection terms from George S. Salvan’s Architectural Utilities 1 lecture notes.

Septic Tank

A watertight receptacle that separates solids, digests organic matter, and allows clarified effluent to discharge to a leaching system.

House Drain

Lowest horizontal piping in a building that receives discharge from soil, waste and other drains and conveys it to the house sewer.

House Sewer

Portion of drainage extending from 4–5 ft outside the building’s foundation to its junction with a public sewer or septic tank.

Soil Pipe

Any pipe that conveys the discharge of water closets or similar fixtures containing fecal matter.

Waste Pipe

A pipe that conveys only liquid wastes free of fecal matter.

Vent Stack

An extension of a soil or waste stack above the highest horizontal drain to provide air circulation and pressure equalization.

Trap Seal

Vertical depth of water in a trap between the dip and crown weir that prevents sewer gases from entering occupied spaces.

Siphonage

Loss of trap seal caused by negative pressure in the drainage system, pulling water from the trap.

Grey Water

Wastewater from baths, sinks, laundries, etc., not containing human excreta.

Black Water

Wastewater containing human waste, originating from toilets and urinals.

Storm Water

Water resulting from natural precipitation (rainfall) collected on roofs or paved areas.

Sedimentation

Water-treatment method allowing suspended particles to settle before drawing off clearer water.

Aeration (Water Treatment)

Process of spraying or mixing water with air to improve taste and remove gases or volatile substances.

Filtration (Slow Sand)

Water purification method where water passes slowly through sand to remove fine particles and organisms.

Lift Pump

Pump that raises water by suction to the level of a pump located above the water source.

Centrifugal Pump

Pump using rotating impellers to impart velocity and pressure to water; commonly used in building services.

Pneumatic Tank

Closed water tank using compressed air to maintain pressure and supply water in up-feed systems.

Down-feed System

Water distribution method where water is pumped to roof tanks then delivered to fixtures by gravity.

Fixture Unit

Estimated weight in gallons per minute (≈ 8 gpm) assigned to a plumbing fixture for sizing supply piping.

Probability of Simultaneous Use

Percentage estimating how many fixtures on a system will operate at the same time for pipe sizing.

Corporation Cock

Stop valve placed in a service pipe close to its connection with a water main.

Gooseneck (Service Pipe)

Flexible curved short lead tube between main and service pipe that prevents breakage due to settlement.

Gate Valve

Valve with a wedge-shaped gate that moves perpendicular to flow; used for full open or full close service.

Globe Valve

Valve with a disk seating against a ring; allows throttling but creates higher pressure loss.

Check Valve

Valve permitting flow in one direction only, preventing backflow.

Air Gap

Physical vertical separation between water outlet and flood level rim of a fixture to prevent back-siphonage.

Unit Vent

Vent piping arrangement that serves two fixture traps with one vent.

Stack Vent

Portion of a soil/waste stack above the highest branch to open air.

Relief Vent (Yoke Vent)

Vent that provides circulation between drainage and vent system, often connecting a vent stack to a soil stack every 3–5 floors.

Cleanout

Accessible opening in drainage piping for cleaning or inspection, fitted with removable threaded plug.

Trap Primer

Device or line that automatically maintains water seal in a remote floor drain trap.

Sump

Pit or receptacle at a low point where liquid wastes are collected for pumping.

Grease Trap

Device that intercepts grease from kitchen or restaurant waste before it enters the drainage system.

Flange (Pipe)

Projecting rim with bolt holes used to join pipes by bolting two flanges together with gasket in between.

P-Trap

Common plumbing trap shaped like the letter ‘P’ used under sinks and lavatories to retain water seal.

S-Trap

Trap shaped like ‘S’ (now largely prohibited) prone to self-siphonage and loss of seal.

Wet Vent

Portion of vent pipe that also carries liquid waste.

Circuit Vent

Single vent serving a horizontal branch of two or more traps (up to eight water closets) to balance pressures.

Storm Drain

Drainage pipe for conveying rainwater from leaders to discharge point separate from sanitary sewer.

Roof Leader

Downspout that conveys rainwater from roof gutter or drain to storm drainage system.

Standpipe (Fire)

Vertical piping with fire hose connections installed in buildings to provide water for firefighting above ground level.

Sprinkler Head (Quartz Bulb)

Automatic fire-suppression nozzle with heat-sensitive bulb that opens at preset temperature releasing water spray.

Murine (Endemic) Typhus

Disease transmitted to humans from rat fleas; importance of rodent control in sanitation.

Barium-Carbonate Bait

Rodent poison mixed with food bait, lethal but slow-acting allowing rats to leave buildings before death.

Rat-Proofing

Building design or retrofit using concrete, metal plates and sealed openings to prevent rodent entry.

Hydraulic Ram

Automatic water-powered pump that uses water hammer to lift a portion of water to a higher elevation.

Cesspool

Old type unsealed pit with porous walls allowing raw sewage to percolate into soil; now obsolete and illegal.

Leaching Field

Network of perforated pipes in trenches that distributes septic-tank effluent to surrounding soil for absorption.

Activated Sludge

Secondary sewage treatment process where aerated microorganisms biologically oxidize dissolved organic matter.

Trickling Filter

Biological treatment where wastewater is sprayed over media coated with microbial slime that oxidizes pollutants.

Incinerator (Waste)

Furnace or device for burning solid waste to reduce volume and recover heat.

Reverse Trap Water-Closet

Toilet that flushes via siphon action with deeper water spot and quieter operation than wash-down type.

Ventura Water Closet

Example model of wash-down W.C. by Saniwares; used for budget residential applications.

Pneumatic Test (Plumbing)

Leak test for drainage system by sealing openings and applying air to 5 in. Hg (2½ psi) for ten minutes.

Downfeed Gravity Return (Hot Water)

System where hot water is pumped to top loop, flows down to fixtures, and returns by gravity to heater.

Water Hammer

Rumbling noise and pressure surge caused by sudden closure of valves; mitigated by air chambers.

Microphor Toilet

Low-flush (≈ 2 Q) toilet using compressed air for evacuation, reducing potable water use.

Clivus Multrum

Waterless composting toilet system that decomposes waste aerobically producing usable humus.

BTU (British Thermal Unit)

Amount of heat required to raise temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit (≈ 1.055 kJ).