MODULE 4 BU Plumbing Pipes and Fittings Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering material properties, pipe fitting types, and piping material classifications based on the lecture notes.

Pipe

A cylindrical conductor of sufficient wall thickness used to convey liquids, gases, steam, or air.

Fitting

A standardized, pre-fabricated component used to join pipe segments, equipment, or fixtures, categorized into water line or drainage fittings.

Malleability

The ability of a metal to undergo mechanical deformation (extrusion, forging, rolling) without fracturing.

Hardness

The resistance of a material to deformation caused by compression or indentation.

Brittleness

The tendency of a material to fracture under low stress without significant prior deformation.

Ductility

The ability of a material to be stretched or drawn out without breaking.

Weatherability

The capacity of a material to maintain its appearance and structural integrity despite exposure to sun, wind, moisture, and temperature fluctuations.

Abrasion Resistance

The ability to withstand surface wear caused by friction when rubbed against another material.

Impact Resistance

The ability to withstand sudden physical shock or force, such as being dropped.

Corrosion Resistance

The ability to resist chemical degradation and wearing away over time (such as rusting).

Acid Resistance / Chemical Resistance

The degree to which a material or surface (like enamel or porcelain) resists chemical breakdown from acids.

Thermal Conductivity

The rate at which a material transfers heat via conduction.

Thermal Resistivity

A measure of a material's resistance to heat transfer.

Fire Resistance

The ability of a material to withstand direct exposure to open flames or act as a barrier against fire.

Heat Resistance

The capacity to endure high temperatures without warping or deforming.

Flow Characteristic

The degree to which a pipe material's internal surface causes friction or resistance to liquid movement.

Pressure Resistance

The capacity of a pipe to withstand internal fluid or air overpressure without bursting or rupturing.

Drainage-Pattern Fittings (Sanitary-Type Fittings)

Fittings that have a radius of curvature large enough to prevent solids from accumulating and to provide good hydraulic flow characteristics for changes of direction in a drainage system.

Bend or Sweep

A fitting used to change direction, especially in a sanitary drainage system, available in short or long sweep at various angles.

Return Bend

A pipe fitting or a preformed piece of tubing which provides a $180^\circ$ change in direction.

Elbow

A fitting having a $90^\circ$ change in direction with a very short radius, suitable for use in water supply systems as well as vent systems.

Straight Elbow

An elbow having both ends internally threaded and of the same diameter.

Street or Service Elbow

A malleable iron fitting for threaded pipe, having a $45^\circ$ or $90^\circ$ bend, with an inside thread on one end and an outside thread on the other.

Wye or Wye Branch

A fitting used to connect a branch pipe into a straight run of piping at a $45^\circ$ angle.

Combination Wye Branch

A single fitting which is a combination of a wye branch and a 1/8 bend, used in a drainage system in changing direction such as from horizontal (branch) to stack, or from vertical (stack) to horizontal (house drain/building drain).

Upright Wye Combination

A one-piece fitting composed of 1/8 bend and wye branch where the branch inlet is parallel to the drum; used when two stacks are provided where one stack is used as a vent and the other for soil or waste or both.

Inverted Wye Combination

A combined fitting composed of a 1/8 bend and wye branch where the branch inlet is provided with a spigot rather than a bell, usually installed at the uppermost portion of the vent stack or main vent.

Tee

A fitting used in connecting a branch pipe into a straight run of piping at a right angle.

Straight Tee

A tee having all openings the same size.

Street Tee or Service Tee

A malleable iron fitting for threaded pipe in the form of a tee having an outside thread on one end and an inside thread on the other and on the branch.

Sanitary Tee

A tee used as fitting for a soil pipe designed with a slight curve in the $90^\circ$ transition so as to channel flow from a branch line toward the direction of the main flow.

Sanitary Cross Tee

A type of cross pipe used as fitting, designed with a slight curve in each of the $90^\circ$ transitions so as to channel flow from branch lines toward the direction of the main flow.

Tapped Tee

A bell-end tee, which has a branch that is tapped to receive a threaded pipe or threaded pipe fitting.

Coupling

A short internally-threaded section of pipe used to join two pipes, provided with tiny ridges on the inside surface to allow pipe to seat.

Socket

Has a similar application as a coupling but its ends are enlarged to provide additional mechanical strength.

Adapter

A type of transition fitting used to connect pipes of different materials or to connect threaded pipes with non-threaded pipes.

Nipple

A short length of pipe with external threads at each end, used to join couplings or fittings.

Close Nipple

A type of nipple with the entire length externally threaded.

Open Nipple / Shoulder Nipple

A type of nipple having both ends externally threaded and the midsection unthreaded.

Cap

An internally-threaded fitting used to close the end of a pipe.

Plug

An externally-threaded fitting usually with a square head, used to close the end of a pipe.

Bushing

A pipe fitting which is threaded on both the inside and the outside so that it can be used to connect two pipes (or other fittings) of different sizes.

Flange

A fitting with a projecting collar along the edge, used on installations requiring increased area coverage for added mechanical strength.

Union or Union Patente

A pipe fitting used to connect the ends of two pipes neither of which can be turned, consisting of two internally-threaded end pieces and a center piece.

Reducer

A pipe fitting with inside threads, larger at one end than at the other.

Increaser

A tapered coupling used for joining a pipe to another of larger size.

Cast Iron (CI) Soil Pipe

Technically known as Gray Cast Iron Pipe, fabricated from an alloy containing carbon and silicon, manufactured in Service (SV Type), Extra Heavy (XV Type), and Hubless.

Single Hub (SH) Pipe

A pipe with a bell or hub on one end and a plain end on the other, where the plain end can be joined using a compression coupling joint.

Double Hub (DH) Pipe

A pipe where both ends have bells or hubs, which may be cut into two resulting in two single hub pipes of different lengths.

Hubless (H) Pipe

A pipe where both ends are plain, using a mechanical compression coupling joint.

Acid-Resistant (AR) Cast Iron Pipe

Commonly called High-Silicon Iron Pipe, a gray cast iron alloy containing between 14.5 – 15% silicon with manganese, sulfur, and carbon, used for drainage of corrosive liquids.

Galvanized Steel (GS) Pipes

Mild steel pipes drawn through a die, welded, and treated in a bath of zinc to resist the effects of acid.

Welded Pipe

Steel pipe made by drawing flat strips of steel through dies to form round shapes before welding an electric butt down the seam, manufactured in 20-foot lengths.

Seamless Pipe

Steel pipe made by piercing red-hot solid cylindrical billets of steel with a series of mandrels while passing the steel through rollers.

Galvanized Wrought Iron Pipe

A pipe constructed of wrought iron, dipped in molten zinc, identified by its dull greyish color, which resists acid wastes more than steel pipe does.

Ductile Iron (DI) Pipe

Cast iron wherein the carbon has been reformed by magnesium inoculation, resulting in high strength without changing basic properties, especially suited for underground installations.

Thermoset (TS)

A type of plastic pipe material that remains permanently rigid and unaffected by heat.

Thermoplastic (TP)

A type of plastic pipe material that softens when subjected to heat and re-hardens upon cooling.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

A rigid, strong, economical thermoplastic pipe with excellent chemical, crush, and fire resistance, functional up to $120^\circ\text{F}$ in pressure systems and $180^\circ\text{F}$ in non-pressure systems.

Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride (CPVC)

A plastic pipe requiring a special solvent cement, functional at $180^\circ\text{F}$ in pressure systems for hot and cold water supply.

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

A plastic pipe possessing good chemical resistance and excellent impact strength at low temperatures, with a maximum functional temperature of $180^\circ\text{F}$ for non-pressure systems.

Rubber Modified Styrene (SR)

A lightweight plastic pipe with good crush resistance, fair impact strength, and moderate chemical resistance, functioning up to $160^\circ\text{F}$ but brittle at low temperatures.

Polypropylene (PP or PP-R)

A lightweight plastic pipe with excellent chemical and saltwater resistance, good tensile strength, and a higher functioning temperature of $190^\circ\text{F}$, popular for P-traps.

Polyvinylidine Fluoride (PVDF) Kem-Temp

A strong, tough, abrasive-resistant fluorocarbon material usable in temperatures up to $280^\circ\text{F}$ ($220^\circ\text{C}$).

Polyacetal (ACETAL)

A non-toxic plastic approved for potable water with high resistance to surge fatigue, used in process systems, faucet bonnets, and valve stems.

Polyethylene (PE)

A flexible plastic pipe functioning in temperatures from $-65^\circ\text{F}$ to $120^\circ\text{F}$ in low pressure applications and up to $200^\circ\text{F}$ in non-pressure applications.

Polybutylene (PB)

The only flexible plastic tubing suitable for use with hot and cold water pressure systems, rated at $180^\circ\text{F}$ up to $100\,\text{psi}$.

Type K Copper Tube

The heaviest copper tube, color-coded green, available in rigid and flexible forms in 1/4", 3/8", 3/4", 1/2", and 1" diameters.

Type L Copper Tube

A copper tube lighter than Type K, color-coded blue, often used in residential water lines, available in rigid and flexible forms in 1/4" to 1" diameters.

Type M Copper Tube

A hard-temper copper tube color-coded red, available in 20' lengths and under, recommended for light domestic water lines.

Type DWV Copper Tube

A rigid-only copper tube color-coded yellow, available in 20' lengths and diameters from 2 to 6 inches, used for Drain, Waste, and Vent systems.

Type ACR Copper Tube

Copper tube used for Air-conditioning and Refrigeration, available in 50' coils and rigid 20' lengths, processed with moisture removed and ends sealed.

Brass Pipe

Pipe manufactured from an alloy containing 85% copper and 15% zinc, used in local branch lines and as a drain pipe under pressure.

Lead Pipe

Pipe made from 99.7% pig lead used for floor-mounted water closets and special laboratory wastes, rarely used today due to health effects.

Vitrified Clay Pipe

Pipes made of clay and water, glazed and fired in kilns under $2500^\circ\text{F}$ to become impervious to moisture, used in sewers and storm drainage.

Asbestos Cement Pipe

Dense pipe manufactured from cement and asbestos fibers under high pressure, offering resistance to electrolytic action and tuberculation.

Concrete Pipe

Ppipes are mostly

used for storm drainage

applications but are

sometimes used for water

supply and sewage system

installati

Block Tin

Extremely soft metal pipe seldom used for water supply due to high cost and difficulties in jointing without destroying pipe sections.

Magnesium Pipe

Material processed from seawater at low cost, used as a tube or anode in water heaters to counteract electrolytic action and prevent lime precipitation.