Building Utilities 1 - Plumbing and Sanitary Systems

Vocabulary flashcards generated from lecture notes on Plumbing and Sanitary Systems, covering material types, definitions, fixture requirements, and water parameters.

Flexible Plastic Pipes

Types of flexible plastic pipes including Polyethylene and Polybutylene.

Rigid Plastic Pipes

Types of rigid plastic pipes including Polyvinylchloride, Chlorinated polyvinyl, Polypropylene, and Acrilonitryle butadiene styrene.

Galvanized Steel Pipes

Types of galvanized steel pipes including Welded pipe and Seamless pipe.

Cast Iron Pipe Varieties

Varieties of cast iron pipe including Standard pipe, Single hub pipe, Double hub pipe, and Hubless pipe.

Causes of Trap Seal Loss

The causes including siphonage, back pressure, evaporation, capillary attraction, and wind effects.

Cleanout Distance Requirement

A cleanout location required for each run of piping more than $15\text{ m} / 50\text{ ft}$.

Polyvinyl chloride

A strong, rigid and economical plastic pipe that resists a wide range of acids and bases but may be damaged by some solvents and chlorinated carbons.

Glass pipe

A type of pipe manufactured from low expansion borosilicate having low alkali content; primarily used for the drainage of various corrosive liquids. It is very brittle and should be used when some measure of protection is provided against damage.

Check valve

A valve that permits the flow of liquid in a pipe in one direction only and closes automatically to prevent backflow.

Floor drain

A fixture providing an opening in the floor to drain water into the plumbing system.

Cleanout

A pipe fitting with a removable plug which provides for inspection or cleaning of the pipe run; also called an access eye or cleaning eye.

Circuit vent

A branch vent which serves two or more traps and extends from infront of the last fixture connection of a horizontal branch to the stack.

Vent pipe

A pipe attached to drainage pipes near one or more traps which leads to outside air, installed to ventilate a building drainage system and to prevent trap siphonage.

Wye fitting

A fitting used to connect a branch pipe into a straight run of piping at 45^\bar\text{ degrees}.

Trap

A fitting or device constructed to prevent the passage of foul air, gases and some vermin without affecting the flow of sewage inside the pipe; provides a liquid seal when properly vented.

Seal Measurement

The vertical distance between the top dip and crown weir of a pipe.

Seepage pit / cesspool

A lined and covered excavation in the ground which receives the discharge of domestic sewage or other organic wastes from a drainage system.

Septic tank

A watertight receptacle which receives the discharge of a plumbing system or part thereof and is designed and constructed so as to separate solids from liquid, digest the organic matter through a period of detention and allow the effluent to discharge into a drainage system.

Back vent

A vent also called an individual vent.

Blind vent

A vent which terminates on the upper side of the fixture and does not connect to the main vent system, sometimes done with the intent of cheating.

Globe Valve

A valve in which the flow of fluid is controlled by a rotating drilled ball that fits tightly against a resilient seat in the body.

Loop Vent

A type of ventilation system used on fixtures in a room away from partitions.

Air Gap

The unobstructed vertical distance through the free atmosphere between the outlet of a waste pipe and the flood level rim of the fixture or receptacle into which it is draining.

Horizontal Pipe

Any pipe or fitting which makes an angle of less than 45^\bar\text{ degrees} with the horizontal.

Half Bath

A bathroom containing a water closet and a lavatory.

Roughing-in

The installation of all parts of the plumbing system which can be completed prior to the installation of fixtures.

Floor Mounted Fixture

Refers to a plumbing fixture that rests on the floor.

Flushometer

A device which discharges a predetermined quantity of water to fixtures for flushing purposes.

Full Bath

A bathroom containing a water closet, a lavatory and a bathtub.

Hose bibb

A faucet to which a hose may be attached.

Area Drain

A receptacle for wastes which are ultimately discharged into the sanitary drainage system.

Riser

A water supply pipe that extends one full storey or more to convey water to fixture branches or to a group of fixtures.

Soil Stack

A vertical line of piping that extends one or more floors and receives the discharge of water closets, urinals and similar fixtures.

Stack Vent

A vent which also serves as a drain; defined as the extension of a soil or waste stack above the highest horizontal drain connection to the stack.

Building Supply Pipe

The pipe from the water main or other source of water supply to the water distributing system of the building.

Vent Stack

A vertical pipe installed in order to provide circulation of air to and from the drainage system.

Drain Pipe

A pipe that only conveys liquid waste, free from fecal matter.

Siphonage/Syphonage

A suction created by the flow of liquid in pipes.

Stack

A general term for any vertical line of soil, waste and vent pipe extending through one or more storeys.

Backflow

The flow of water in pipes in a reverse direction from that which is normally intended.

Battery of fixtures

Any group of two or more similar adjacent fixtures which discharge into a common horizontal waste or soil branch.

Branch

Any part of the piping system other than the main riser or stack.

Developed Length

The length of pipe measured along the center line of the pipe and fittings.

Crown Weir

The highest part of the inside portion of the bottom surface at the crown of a trap.

Fixture Drain

The drain from the trap of a fixture to the junction of that drain with any other drain pipe.

Durham’s System

A term sometimes used to describe a soil or waste pipe system which is constructed of threaded pipe, tubing or other rigid construction, using recessed drainage fittings.

Invert

The lowest portion of the inside surface of any horizontal pipe.

Indirect Waste Pipe

A waste pipe that does not connect directly with the drainage system but conveys liquid waste by discharging into a plumbing fixture or receptacle.

Sewer

An artificial conduit, usually underground, for carrying off waste water and refuse.

Alkalinity

Water quality characteristic caused by bicarbonates, carbonates or hydroxide components.

E.Coli

Bacteria found in water.

Foamability

Water property caused by detergent.

Flocculation

Coagulation process during which alum is added.

Ferrous Bicarbonate

Iron presence in water.

Hardness

Water condition caused by calcium and magnesium deposits.

Zeolite

Substance used in water softening.

Black Water

Water plus human waste from toilets and urinals.

Grey Water

Waste water from laundry area, lavatory, sink, shower and bathtub.

Color/Discoloration

Water appearance issue caused by iron and manganese.

Filtration

Mode of turbidity correction.

Hydro-pneumatic System

An indirect water distribution system.

Water Supply Requirement (Single Family)

$$50\text{--}75\text{ gpd}$$

WSFU Value (Bathtub, Public Use)

$$4$$

Minimum Fixture Supply Size (Lavatory)

$$3/8''$$