Plumbing Certificate of Qualification and Hydronics Exam Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering Canadian Plumbing Certificate of Qualification (Red Seal) and hydronics exam topics, including safety regulations, drainage calculations, septic sizing, water conditioning, well equipment, hydronic system balancing, valves, joining methods, and gas piping.

WHMIS Key Elements

Worker education, labeling requirements, and Safety Data Sheets (SDS).

Class A Fire Extinguisher

Fire extinguisher designed for fires involving wood, paper, and textiles.

Class B Fire Extinguisher

Fire extinguisher designed for fires involving oils, grease, and paints.

Class C Fire Extinguisher

Fire extinguisher designed for energized electrical fires.

Class D Fire Extinguisher

Fire extinguisher designed for combustible metal fires.

Class K Fire Extinguisher

Fire extinguisher designed for commercial kitchen fires.

Zero Energy Status

A safety condition achieved when locking out a pressurized system by locking out electrical energy, draining stored pressure, and locking the drain open on the tank.

Defective Powder-Actuated Tool Protocol

The requirement to remove a tool with a defective firing pin from service until it is repaired by an authorized person.

Motorized Aerial Work Platform Capacity

The maximum worker occupancy determined by the platform maximum weight rating and the number of available tie-off points.

Acceptable Job Site Sling Condition

A sling soiled with mud (unlike slings with broken stitching, missing rating tags, or burn marks, which must be removed from service).

Non-Potable Water Identification

The colour purple, which identifies non-potable water piping systems.

Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) Requirement

A device required when water supply static pressure exceeds $550\,kPa$ ($80\,psi$).

Guardrail Post Maximum Spacing

The maximum permitted spacing between guardrail posts is $2.4\,m$.

Fireline Supply Location

The connection point for the fireline water supply, located before the main shutoff valve.

Class 1 Septic System

A sewage disposal system classification designating a chemical toilet.

Class 2 Septic System

A sewage disposal system classification designating a greywater system.

Class 3 Septic System

A sewage disposal system classification designating a cesspool.

Class 4 Septic System

A sewage disposal system classification designating a septic tank combined with a leaching bed.

Class 5 Septic System

A sewage disposal system classification designating a holding tank.

Minimum Septic Tank Capacity

The minimum total tank volume of $3600\,L$, containing at least 2 compartments.

Septic Tank Sizing Ratios

Sized at $2 \times \text{daily design flow}$ for residential applications, and $3 \times \text{daily design flow}$ for non-residential applications.

Sludge

Heavy solid matter that settles to the bottom of a septic tank.

Scum

Lightweight layer of fats, grease, and floatable solids that gathers at the top liquid level of a septic tank.

Effluent

The clarified liquid layer situated between the sludge and scum layers that discharges into the leaching bed without solids.

Distribution Box

A septic system component installed to distribute effluent evenly to laterals and allow for inspection of laterals.

Septic Bedrock Clearance Protocol

When a layer of bedrock is encountered $500\,mm$ ($20^{\prime\prime}$) below grade, a treatment mound, package treatment plant, or holding tank must be installed.

Leaching Bed Trench Specifications

Trenches must have a width between $500\,mm$ and $1000\,mm$, a depth between $600\,mm$ and $900\,mm$, a minimum $3^{\prime\prime}$ distribution pipe, and a maximum individual line length of $30\,m$.

Gravity Leaching Bed Run Limit

Maximum gravity-flow distance is $149\,m$; runs exceeding $150\,m$ require a pump or bell and siphon arrangement in a separate compartment.

Leaching Bed Separation Distances

Minimum clearances: $3\,m$ from property lines, $5\,m$ from buildings, $15\,m$ from wells with watertight casings, and $30\,m$ from wells without watertight casings.

Shallow Well vs. Deep Well

A shallow well has a depth of $25\,ft$ or less, whereas a deep well has a depth exceeding $25\,ft$.

Pitless Adapter

A fitting attached to the outside of a well casing with a saddle to establish a frost-free sanitary connection that allows removal of a submersible pump.

Torque Arrestor

A protective device installed directly above a submersible pump to protect the pump and electrical connections by preventing rotational movement upon startup.

Pressure Tank Precharge Setting

The air charge in a hydropneumatic tank, calibrated to $2\,psi$ below the pump switch cut-in pressure.

Pump Short-Cycling

Rapid on-and-off cycling of a well pump, commonly caused by an undersized pressure tank or a ruptured tank bladder.

Ball Drip

An automatic gravity drain valve installed in locations where trapped water must not freeze, such as dry hydrants.

Ion Exchange Resin

The top filtration media layer in a water softener that removes hardness minerals (calcium and magnesium) from water.

Sodium Chloride (Water Softening)

The regenerant chemical used to recharge exhausted ion exchange resin in a domestic water softener.

Water Hardness Conversion

The conversion calculation from parts per million to grains per gallon: $\text{ppm} \div 17.1 = \text{gpg}$.

Potassium Permanganate

The chemical regenerant used to recharge iron and manganese filters.

Activated Carbon

A filtration media used to remove objectionable taste and odour from potable water.

Soda Ash

A chemical compound added to water when pH testing indicates the water is overly acidic and neutralizers alone are insufficient.

Alum (Aluminium Sulphate)

A water treatment chemical used in coagulation to produce floc particles.

Point of No Pressure Change (PONPC)

The connection point of the expansion tank in a hydronic system, downstream of which the inline circulator pump must be installed.

Monoflow Tee

A specialized diverter fitting used in a one-pipe hydronic distribution loop (requiring one tee for up-fed terminal units and two tees for down-fed units).

Reverse Return

A balanced hydronic piping layout in which the first terminal unit supplied with fluid is the last terminal unit returned.

Direct Return

A hydronic piping layout in which the first terminal unit supplied with fluid is the first terminal unit returned.

Cavitation

The rapid formation and implosion of vapour bubbles within a pump (producing a sound like pumping gravel), caused by low suction head or improper sizing.

Dead Heading

The adverse operating condition where a circulating pump runs against a completely closed or no-flow circuit, preventable via three-way control valves.

Low Water Cut-Off (LWCO)

A boiler safety control; if installed too low on the boiler assembly, the heat exchanger will burn out during low-water conditions.

Counter Flow

The flow arrangement in which cold water travels in the opposite direction of warm drainage across a heat recovery coil to achieve maximum heat exchange efficiency.

Ton of Refrigeration

A measure of cooling capacity equal to $12{,}000\,BTU/hr$ of heat removal.

Refrigeration Cycle Components

The four fundamental components comprising the mechanical refrigeration cycle: compressor, condenser, metering device, and evaporator.

Evaporator

A refrigeration system heat exchanger that absorbs heat, causing the refrigerant to change from liquid to vapour.

Condenser

A refrigeration system heat exchanger that rejects heat, causing high-pressure refrigerant vapour to condense into liquid.

Copper Flaring Angle

The standardized $45^\circ$ angle formed on copper tubing by a plumbing flaring tool.

Brazed Copper-to-Brass Preparation

The step-by-step joint preparation sequence: measure, cut, ream, clean, flux, and assemble.

Plastic Hub and Spigot Gasket Joint Assembly

The assembly procedure: cut end of pipe square, bevel end of pipe, clean pipe end and fitting, mark pipe for insertion depth, lubricate gasket and spigot, then push spigot into hub at determined depth.

Cast Iron 1/8 Bend

A cast iron drainage fitting that produces a directional change of $45^\circ$.

Oakum and Cold Caulking Compound

The materials used to pack and seal a cast iron joint when connecting to a 4-inch hub in an existing drainage system.

Glass Pipe Cutting Procedure

The step-by-step cutting process: measure, mark, score, heat, and tap.

Pipe Die Adjustment

The mechanical adjustment made on a pipe threader to correct overly tight or loose threads.

Gate Valve

A full-flow valve designed strictly for on/off isolation service rather than throttling.

Globe Valve

A linear-motion valve specifically designed for throttling and regulating fluid flow.

Needle Valve

A precision flow-control valve featuring a tapered needle point designed for extremely accurate flow throttling.

Spud Wrench

A smooth-jawed plumbing tool designed to service flush valves and fixture spuds without marring the finish.

Tub Faucet Maximum Allowable Temperature

The maximum allowable water temperature delivered from a tub faucet, regulated at $49^\circ C$ ($120^\circ F$).

Reduced Pressure (RP) Backflow Preventer

A backflow preventer featuring two independent check valves with an intermediate relief port, required on high-hazard toxic connections such as cooling tower potable makeup lines.

Thermal Expansion Tank

A safety tank installed on a closed domestic water system when a backflow preventer or check valve is placed downstream of the water meter.

Balancing Valve (Domestic Hot Water)

A valve installed in a recirculating hot water system to regulate distribution and ensure uniform hot water delivery throughout all loops.

Potable Water Air Gap

The vertical physical separation between a water supply outlet and the flood level rim, requiring a minimum of $25\,mm$ and at least 2 times the supply pipe diameter.

Water Line Footing Clearance

The installation requirement specifying that water lines passing beneath footings must be positioned so the footing does not bear load onto the pipe.

Underground Gas Piping Minimum Cover

The minimum depth of burial cover required for underground gas piping, specified as $400\,mm$.

Natural Gas Lower Explosive Limit (LEL)

The lowest concentration of natural gas in air that will burn or explode, specified as $4\%$.

Gas Appliance Drip Leg

A dirt pocket installed on a gas supply line downstream of the natural gas shutoff cock and upstream of the appliance gas valve.

Medical Gas Non-Interchangeable Systems

The Diameter Index Safety System (DISS) and Pin Index Safety System (PISS), designed to prevent improper cross-connections between medical gas services.

Medical Gas Purging Medium

Nitrogen gas, which is used to purge medical gas piping during brazing and assembly.

Flexible Connection

A flexible pipe component installed on mechanical equipment connections to protect rigid piping from damage caused by excess vibration.

Seamless Pipe

A category of metallic piping manufactured by a fabricated extrusion process rather than rolling and welding.

Radon Mitigation Installation Sequence

The component installation sequence for a radon mitigation exhaust system: manometer, inline fan, then gooseneck.

Smoke Test

A DWV integrity testing procedure that utilizes a smoke generator to introduce dense smoke into drainage and vent piping to identify leaks.