Building Utilities Amacing Grace

Creep

is a phenomenon whereby sound travels in a curved surface

Air Handling Unit

A packaged assembly of air-conditioning components consisting of coils, filters, fan, humidifier, etc., which provides for the treatment of air before it is distributed to an air-conditioned space.

Ampacity

It is the ability of wire or cable to carry current without overheating

Luminosity

Intrinsic brightness

Humidistat

What regulating device in an air conditioning unit is actuated by changes in humidity

Increase

if we increase the length of the conductor, then the resistance will

decrease

if we increase the cross-sectional area of the conductor, then the resistance will

100w

Maximum load given to lighting fixtures

Acoustical Analysis

It is defined as the detailed study of all pertinent sound sources, sound transmission paths and sound receptors in the context of a particular acoustical problem.

Luminous Efficacy

is a measure of how well a light source produces visible light. It is the ratio of luminous flux to power, measured in lumens per watt (lm/w)

Luminous Intensity

the quantity of visible light that is emitted in unit time per unit solid angle.

A-C Voltage

Current that can be stepped up or down

Electromotive Force

Electrical pressure that causes the electrons to move through a conductor, it is analogous to pressure in water

Piezoelectricity

Electricity produced by certain crystals such as quartz and Rochelle salts resulting from the application of mechanical stress or pressure is known as _______________

Water Distributing System

A pipe which conveys potable water from the building supply pipe to the plumbing fixtures and other outlets.

Branch Interval

A vertical length of soil or waste stack at least eight feet in height (a storey height), within which the horizontal branches from one storey or floor of the building or structure are connected to the stack

Luminaire

It generally refers to a complete lighting unit consisting of one or more lamps together with components that are used to distribute light; also known as lighting fixtures.

Upfeed and Gravity Distribution System

What is the most common type of water distribution system which depends on the pressure from the water main.

Freon

What is the most common term used to refer to the liquid refrigerant used in air-conditioning systems

Service Drop

In power supply system, this refers to the overhead service conductors running from the utility poles to the point of connection in a building

Varies Inversely with

sound intensity _____________ the square of the distance from the source

Inverse Square Law

states that sound intensity varies inversely with the square of the distance from the source

Demand factor

It is the ratio of the maximum demand of a system or part of a system to the total connected load of a systely or part of a system under consideration; value is expressed in percentage, e.g. 80 percent for residential load

Angle Valve

This valve is commonly installed on lavatories to control water supply where inlets and outlet openings are perpendicular to each other

Electromagnetic Induction

This refers to a process of electromotive force (emf) generation thru the movement of magnetic flux which cuts an electrical conductor

Compression > Condensation > Expansion > Evaporation

Refrigerating cycle

Rectifier

What device is used to convert alternating current into direct current

Inverter

What device is used to convert direct current into alternating current

Unitary/Packaged AC

A type of air-conditioning system where a self-contained unit houses all the necessary air-conditioning components.

Common Vent

Which type of venting system is used to provide ventilation to two (2) fixture traps usually placed side-by-side or back-to-back

Compressor

Also known as vapor pump, it draws refrigerant from the evaporator at low pressure and forces it to the condenser at high pressure before it passes through the expansion valve to reduce pressure and back to the evaporator; cycle is repeated

Relative Humidity

It is the ratio of the weight of water vapor actually contained in humid air to the maximum possible weight of water vapor that the air could contain at the same temperature

Transformer

used in ac to step up or step down voltage

Roughing in

In plumbing, it is defined as the installation of parts of the plumbing system which can be completed prior to installation of fixtures or finishing, it involves the use of drainage, water supply and vent pipes and other necessary fittings and pipe supports.

Direct Sound Field

What is the term used for a sound field in which the energy arrives at the receiver in a direct path from the source without any contribution from reflections

Water Purification

A general term which refers to the process of removing contaminants from water. It involves several processes that is intended to render raw water to a potable and safe water for consumption

Conduction

It is the transfer of heat from a point of higher temperature to a point of lower temperature

Septic Tank

A watertight compartment into which the discharge of sanitary plumbing system or part thereof, designed art constructed to retain solids, digest organic matter through period of detention and to allow the liquid to discharge into the soil outside of the tank through a system of open-jointed sub-surface piping or seepage.

Sound Absorption

It is the product of surface area (sq. ft.) and sound absorption coefficient (SAC), it has the unit sabin

Reverberation

It is the persistence of sound in an enclosed space resulting from repeated reflection or scattering of sound.

Building Supply Pipe

In water supply system, it is the first section of water supply piping in a building after the water meter.

Decibel

In acoustics, what is the unit of loudness level

siphonage

A suction created by the flow of liquid in pipes, a pressure less than the atmospheric pressure

Vent Stack

Which among the types of ventilation systems is done by installing a fitting/s as an interconnection of a soil/waste stack and a vent stack, it is usually connected at the base of a soil/waste stack and at the stack vent? It prevents pressure build-up and the occurrence of siphonage along the soil or waste stack.

covered conductor

is described as conductor encased in a material that is not recognized by the code as electrical insulation

Ohm’s Law

A law stating that relationship between current, voltage and resistance, it further states that the amount of current passing through a conductor is directly proportional to the voltage across the conductor and inversely proportional to the resistance of the conductor