Definition (Chapter 2 of Plumbing Code of the Philippines)

ALLEY

any public space. public park or thoroughfare less than three (3) meters but not less than two (2) meters in width dedicated or deeded for public use.

ALTER or ALTERATION

any change, addition or modification in construction or occupancy.

ACCESSIBLE

when applied to a fixture, connection, appliance or equipment, shall mean having access thereto, but which may require prior removal of an access panel, door or similar obstruction. "Readily accessible" shall mean direct access without the necessity of removing any panel, door or similar obstruction.

AIRBREAK

A physical separation. which may be a low inlet into the indirect waste receptor from the fixture, appliance or device indirectly connected.

AIR GAP, DRAINAGE

the unobstructed vertical distance through the free atmosphere between the lowest opening from any pipe, plumbing fixture, appliance or appurtenance conveying waste to the flood level rim of the receptor.

AIR GAP, WATER DISTRIBUTION

an unobstructed vertical distance through the free atmosphere between the lowest opening from any pipe or faucet conveying potable water to the flood-level rim of any tank, vat or fixture.

APPROVED

accepted or acceptable under an applicable specifications or standard stated or cited in this Code., or accepted as suitable for any proposed use under procedures and powers of the Administrative Authority.

APPROVED TESTING AGENCY

an organization primarily established for purposes of testing to approve standards and approved by the Administrative Authority.

BACKFLOW CONNECTION

condition or any arrangement whereby reverse flow can occur.

BACKPRESSURE BACKFLOW

occurs due to an increased reverse pressure above the supply pressure. This may be due to pumps, boilers, gravity or other sources of pressure.

BACKFLOW PREVENTER

device or means to prevent flow of liquid from returning to the source of supply. Also called vacuum breaker .

BACK-SIPHONAGE

the flowing back of used, contaminated or polluted water from a plumbing fixture or vessel into a water supply pipe due to a negative pressure in such pipe.

BACKWATER VALVE

a device installed in a drainage system to prevent reverse flow .

BACKVENT PIPE

the part of a vent line, which connects directly with an individual trap underneath or behind the fixture and extends to the branch or main vent pipe at any point higher than the fixture or fixture traps it serves. This is sometimes called an individual vent.

BIBB

synonymous with faucet, cock, tap, plug, etc. The word "faucet" is preferred.

BIDET

A plumbing fixtures used for washing the middle private part of the body, especially the genitals. Also called a "sitz" bath.

BLANK FLANGE

A pipe flange that is not drilled for bolt holes.

BLIND FLANGE

a flange that closes the end of a pipe. There is no opening for the passage of liquid or gas.

BLOW·OFF

a controlled outlet of a pipeline to discharge liquid or detritus

BOILER BLOW-OFF

a valved outlet of a boiler that permits discharge of accumulated sediment.

BRANCH

any part of the piping system other than a main, riser or stack.

BRANCH INTERVAL

a length of soil or waste stack corresponding in general to a story height, but in no case less than 2.43 meters within which the horizontal branches from one floor or story of a building are connected to the stack.

BRANCH VENT

a horizontal vent connecting one or more individual vertical back vents with the vent stack or stack vent.

BRAZED JOINT

any joint obtained by joining of metal parts with alloys which melt at temperatures higher than 449 degrees centigrade, but lower than the melting temperature of the parts to be joined.

B & S

Brown and Sharpe (Specification) or Bell and Spigot (Ends of Pipes)

BUILDING

a structure built, erected and framed of component structural parts designed for the housing. shelter, enclosure or support of persons, animals or property of any kind.

BUILDING DRAIN

that part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system which receives the discharge from soil, waste and other drainage pipes inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer beginning 0.6 meter outside the building wall.

BUILDING SEWER

that part of the horizontal piping of a drainage system which starts from the end of the building drain and which receives the discharge of the building drain and conveys it to a public sewer, private sewer, individual sewage disposal system or other point of disposal.

BUILDING SUBDRAIN

that portion of an underground system, which cannot drain by gravity into the building sewer

BUILDING SUPPLY

the pipe carrying potable water from the water meter or other source of water supply to a building or other point of use or distribution on the lot. Building supply shall also mean water service connection.

CAULKING

plugging an opening with oakum, lead or other materials that are pounded into the annular space. Also, the material pounded into the annular opening.

CAP

a fitting, screwed or caulked over the end of a pipe for closing the pipe end.

CATCH BASIN

a receptacle in which liquids are retained for ~
sufficient period of time to allow settleable material to deposit.

CERTIFIED BACKFLOW ASSEMBLY TESTER

a person who has shown competence to test and maintain back-flow assemblies to the satisfaction of the Administrative Authority having jurisdiction.

CESSPOOL

a non-watertight lined excavation in the ground which receives the discharge of a sanitary drainage system or part thereof,designed to retain the organic matter and solids discharging therefrom, but permitting the liquid to seep through the bottom and sides of the cesspool.

CHASE

a vertical shaft for installation of different pipe stacks

CHECK VALVE

a valve that automatically closes to prevent the flow of liquid or gas in a reverse direction.

CIRCUIT VENT

a group vent pipe which starts in front of the extreme fixture connection on a horizontal branch and connects to the vent stack.

CODE

The word ''Code" or "this Code," when used alone, shall mean these regulations, subsequent amendments thereto or any emergency rule or regulation which the Administrative Authority having jurisdiction may lawfully adopt.

CONFINED SPACE

a room or space having a volume less than 14 cu.m with 250 kilogram calorie of the aggregate input rating of all fuel burning appliances installed in that space.

CONTAMINATION

an impairment of the quality of the potable water
which creates an actual hazard to the public health through poisoning or spread of disease by sewage, industrial fluids or waste. Also, defined as High Hazard.

CONDUCTOR OR DOWNSPOUT

a vertical pipe to convey rainwater

COURT

an open, unoccupied space, bounded on two (2) or more sides by the walls of the building. An inner court is a court entirely within the exterior walls of a building. All other courts are outer courts.CRITICAL LEVEL

CRITICAL LEVEL

C-L or C/L marking on a backflow prevention device or vacuum breaker is a point conforming to approved standards and established by the testing laboratory (usually stamped on the device by the manufacturer) which determines the minimum elevation above the flood level rim of the fixture or receptacle served where the device may be installed.

DEAD-END

The extended portion of a pipe that is closed at one end to which no connections are made on the extended portion, thus permitting the stagnation of liquid or air therein.

DEVELOPED LENGTH

the length of a pipe along its centerline and fittings.

DOMESTIC SEWAGE

the liquid and water-home wastes derived from
the ordinary living processes, free from industrial wastes and of such character that permit satisfactory disposal without special treatment. It is discharged into the public sewer or into a private sewage disposal system .

DOUBLE OFFSET

two offsets in succession or in series such that the centerlines of the outside ends are in the same straight line.

DOWNSPOUT

the vertical portion of a rainwater conductor.

DRAIN

a pipe, which carries ground and surface waters, storm water or wastewater into a building drainage system.

DRAINAGE SYSTEM

includes all the pipings within public or private premises which convey sewage or other liquid wastes to a legal point of disposal but does not include the mains of a public sewer system or a public sewage treatment or disposal plant.

DRY VENT

A vent that does not carry liquid or water borne wastes.

EFFECTIVE OPENING

is the minimum cross-sectional area at the point of water supply discharge measured or expressed in terms of (l) diameter of a circle; (2) if the opening is not circular, the diameter of a circle of equivalent cross-sectional area (This is applicable also to air gap installation.)

EXISTING WORK

the on-going installation of the plumbing system or any part thereof which has been installed prior to the effectivity of this Code.

FAUCET

a valve located at the end of a water pipe through of which water can be drawn from or held within the pipe.

FERRULE

a metallic sleeve, caulked or joined to an opening in a pipe, into which a plug is screwed that can be removed for cleaning or examining the interior of the pipe.

FIXTURE

a receptacle other than a trap attached to a plumbing system in which water or wastes may be collected or retained for ultimate discharge into the plumbing system.

FIXTURE BRANCH

the water supply pipe between the fixture supply
pipe and the water-distributing pipe.

FLOOD LEVEL

the level in a fixture at which water begins to overflow over the top or rim of the fixture.

FLOODED

a fixture is flooded when the liquid therein rises to the flood level rim.

FLUSH TANK

tank located above or integral with water closet, urinal or similar fixtures for flushing or removing excrement in the fixture.

FLUSH VALVE

is a device located at the bottom of the tank for the purpose of flushing waster closet and similar fixtures.

FLUSHOMETER TANK

is integrated within an air accumulator vessel which is designed to discharge a predetermined quantity of water into fixtures for flushing purposes.

FLUSHOMETER VALVE

is a device, which discharges a predetermined quantity of water into fixtures for flushing purposes and is actuated by direct water pressure.

GATE VALVE

a valve in which the flow of water is cut off by means
of a circular disc fitted against machine-smoothed faces, at right angles to the direction of flow. The disk is raised or lowered by means of a threaded stern connected to the handle of the valve. The opening in the valve is usually as large as the full bore of the pipe.

GLOBE VALVE

a valve in which the flow of fluid is cut off by means of
a circular disc that fits over and against the horizontal valve seat. The movement of the plane of disc is parallel to the normal direction of flow of water through the orifice resulting to a tortuous passage which offers a high pressure loss.

GRADE

is the slope or fall of a line of pipe with reference to a horizontal plane. In drainage, it is usually expressed as the fall in centimeters per meter or percentage slope of pipe.

GREASE INTERCEPTOR

an interceptor of at least 3 cubic meters capacity to serve one or more fixtures and which is remotely located.

GREASE TRAP

a device designed to retain grease from one to a maximum of tour fixtures.

GROUP VENT

a branch vent that performs its functions for two (2) or
more traps.

HORIZONTAL BRANCH

is a drain pipe extending laterally from a soil or waste stack or building drain with or without vertical sections or branches, which receives the discharge from one or more fixture drains and conducts it to the soil or waste stack or to the building drain.

HOUSE STORM SEWER

is the pipeline from the building to the public or street storm drainage system

INDIRECT WASTE PIPE

is a pipe that does not connect directly with the drainage system but conveys liquid wastes by discharging into a plumbing fixture, interceptor or receptacle directly connected to the drainage system

INDIVIDUAL VENT

A pipe installed to vent, a fixture trap and w/c connects with the vent system above the fixture served or terminates in the open air

INDUSTRIAL WASTE

any and alI liquid or water-borne waste from industrial or commercial processes, except domestic sewage.

INSANITARY

a condition contrary to sanitary principles or injurious to
health.

INTERCEPTOR (CLARIFIER)

is a device designed and installed to separate and retain deleterious, hazardous or undesirable matters from normal wastes and permits normal sewage or liquid wastes to discharge into the disposal terminal by gravity.

LABELED

equipment or materials bearing a label of a listing agency. All labels shall be embossed, stamped or indelibly marked with stickers, glued on the finished product indicating the weight, specifications and logo of the manufacturer.

LATRINE

a water closet consisting of a continuous trough containing water. The trough extends under two or more adjacent seats. Prohibited by health authorities for permanent installations.

LAVATORY

a fixture designed for the washing of the hands or face.
Sometimes called a wash basin.

LEACHING CESSPOOL

A cesspool that is not watertight

LEADER

a pipe connected from building gutter to the
downspout or conductor. See Conductor.

LIQUID WASTE

is the discharge from any fixture, appliance or appurtenance in connection with a plumbing system which does not receive fecal matter.

LISTED

equipment or materials included in a LIST published by a listing agency that maintain periodic inspection on current production of listed equipment or materials and whose listing state either that the equipment or materials complied with approved standards or have been tested and found suitable for use in specified manners.

LOT

a single area of land legally recorded or validated by other means acceptable to the Administrative Authority where a building is situated or site of any work regulated by this Code, together with the yard, court, and unoccupied space legally required for the building or works; and which is owned by or in the lawful possession of the owner of the building or works.

OAKUM

hemp or old hemp rope soaked in oil or tar to make it
waterproof.

OFFSET

in a line of piping is a combination of elbows or bends, which brings one station of the pipe out of line but into a line parallel with the original section.

PB

Polybutylene. Tube made of plastic material and colored black. The cross-sectional shape is normally oval and is denoted by its outside diameter or 0.0. Normally used as water service connection from main to meter.

PE

Polyethylene. Tube made of plastic material and colored black. The cross-sectional shape is circular and is denoted by its outside diameter or O.D.

PLUMBING APPURTENANCE

a manufactured device or a prefabricated assembly or an on-the-job assembly of component parts, and serves as adjunct to the basic piping system and plumbing fixtures. An appurtenance demands no additional water supply nor does it add any discharge load to a fixture or the drainage system. It performs some useful functions in the operation, maintenance, servicing, economy or safety of the plumbing system.

PLUMBING FIRM

a sole proprietorship or corporation composed of
Registered and Licensed Master Plumbers together with allied professionals, with the Master Plumbers composing the majority of the membership,
incorporators, directors and/or executive officers and Licensed Master Plumber only render work and services within the cognizance of a Registered Master Plumber and members of the allied professions also only render work and services within the cognizance of their respective professions.

PLUMBING FIXTURES

are approved-type installed receptacles. devices or appliances supplied with water or receive liquid or liquid-borne wastes and discharge such wastes into the drainage system to which they may be directly or indirectly connected. Industrial or commercial tanks, vats and similar processing equipment are not plumbing fixtures, but may be connected to or discharged into approved traps or plumbing fixtures as provided for in this Code.

POLLUTION

an impairment of the quality of the water to a degree which creates hazard to the public health and adversely affects the aesthetic and potable qualities of waters for domestic use.

PRIVATE SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM

a septic tank with the effluent discharging into a subsurface disposal field, into one or more seepage pits or into a combination of subsurface disposal field and seepage pit or of such other facilities as may be permitted under the procedures set forth elsewhere in this Code.

PRIVATE SEWER

a building sewer, which receives the discharge from
more than one building drain and conveys it to a public sewer, private sewage disposal system, or other points of disposal.

PRIVY

an outhouse or structure used for the deposition of excrement.

REPAIR

the reconstruction or renewal of any part of an existing building for its maintenance. The word "repair" or "repairs" shall not apply to any change of construction or occupancy.

RIM

an unobstructed top open edge of a fixture.

SEAL

the vertical distance between the dip and the crown weir of a trap. Also, the water in the trap between the dip and the crown weir.

SEEPAGE PIT

a loosely lined excavation in the ground. which receives
the discharge of a septic tank and designed to pemit the effluent from the septic tank to seep through pit bottom and sides.