Max Fajardo Definition of Terms

Air Gap, Water Distribution

A _ in a water supply system, is the unobstructed vertical distance through the free atmosphere between the lowest opening from any pipe or faucet supplying water to a tank, plumbing fixture, or other device and the flood level rim of the receptacle.

Approved Testing Agency

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

Back flow

Is the flow of water, or other liquid mixture or substances into the distributing pipes of a potable supply of water from any source, other than its intended source.

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

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

Backwater Valve

a device installed in the drainage system to prevent reverse flow

Ball Cock

a valve opened & closed by the fall & rise, respectively of an attached ball floating on the surface of the liquid.

Ball Joint

A type of pipe connection in which a ball-shaped end is held in a cup-like shell and allows movements in every direction.

Battery of Fixture

Refers to any group of two or more similar adjacent fixtures which discharges into a common horizontal waste pipe or soil branch.

Bell or Hub

That portion of a pipe which, for a short distance, is sufficiently enlarged to receive the end of another pipe of the same diameter for the purpose of making a caulked or push-on joint

Bending Pin (or Iron)

a tool for straightening or bending lead pipe

Bib

Is synonymous with faucet, cock, tap, plug, etc. the word faucet is preferred.

Bidet

also called a "stiz" 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 water

Blow off

A controlled outlet on a pipeline used to discharge water.

Boiler Blow-off

a valve outlet of a boiler that permits discharge of accumulated sediment

Branch

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

Branch Interval

Is the length of a soil or waste stack corresponding in general to a storey height, but in no case less than 2.40 meters within which the horizontal branches from one floor or storey of a building are connected to the stack

Branch vent

Is a vent connecting one or more individual vents with a vent stack or stack vent.

Brazed Joint

any joint obtained by joining of metal parts with alloys which melt at temperatures higher than 499 degrees centigrade, but lower than the melting temperature of the parts to be joined.

Building Drain

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

Building Sewer

that part of the horizontal piping of a drainage system which starts from the end drain & 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

Is plugging an opening with oakum, lead or other materials, that are pounded into the place or opening.

Catch Basin

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

Certified Backflow Assembly Tester

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

Cesspool

a non-watertight lined excavation in the ground which relieves the discharge of a sanitary drainage system or part thereof, designed to retain the organic matter & solids discharging therefrom, but permitting the liquid to seep through the bottom & 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 or Loop Vent

Is a branch vent that serves two or more traps, and extends from the front of the last fixture connection of a horizontal branch to the vent stack.

Combustible Construction

a structure which any part of its structural framework will ignite & burn at a temperature of 756 degrees centigrade or less.

Common

that part of plumbing system designed & installed to serve more than (1) appliance, fixture, building or system

Confined Space

a room or space having a volume less than 1.4 m3 with 250 kilogram calorie of the aggregate input rating of all fuel-burning appliances installed in that space.

Continuous Vent

Is a vertical vent that is a continuation of the drain to which the vent connects.

Continuous Waste

a drain connecting the compartments of a set of fixtures to trap or connecting other permitted fixtures to a common trap.

Combination Fixtures

Is a fixture combining one sink and tray or a two or three compartment sink or tray in one vent.

Combination Waste and Vent System

Is a specially designed system of waste piping embodying the horizontal wet venting of one or more sinks or floor drains by means of a common waste and vent pipe adequately sized to provide free movement of air above the flow line of the drain.

Commón Vent

Is a drain from two or three fixtures connected to a single trap. It is also called a dual vent.

Conductor or Downspout

a vertical pipe to convey rainwater.

Corporation Cock

a stop valve placed at the connection of the water service pipe to the water main.

Critical Level

C-L or C/L marking on a backflow prevention device or vacuum breaker is a point conforming to approved standards & 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. When a backflow prevention devices does not bear a critical level marking, the bottom of the vacuum breaker, combination valve or the bottom of any such approved device shall constitute the critical level.

Cross Connection

Is any physical connection between two otherwise separate piping systems, one contains potable water, and the other from unknown or questionable safety, whereby water may flow from one system to the other direction of flow depending on the pressure differential between the two systems.

Dead End

Is the extended portion of a pipe that is closed at one end permitting the stagnation of water or air therein

Developed Length

The length along the center of the pipe and fitting.

Diameter

_ of a pipe or tube refers to the nominal internal diameter (ID) of such pipe, except brass and copper tube where the term refers to the outside diameter (OD) of the pipe.

Domestic Sewage

the liquid & water-borne wastes derived from the ordinary living processes, free from industrial wastes & 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-Bend Fitting

a pipe fitting with adjacent reverse bends and shaped like letter "S"

Double Offset

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

Drainage System

It includes, all piping within the public or private premises that conveys sewage, rainwater, or other liquid waste, to a legal point of disposal. It does not include the mains of public sewer system private or public sewerage treatment or disposal plant.

Dry Vent

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

Durham System

a term used to describe soil or waste system where all pipings are of threaded pipe, tubing or other such rigid construction using recessed drainage fittings to correspond to the types of piping.

Effective Opening

Is the minimum cross sectional area at the point of water supply discharge, measured or expressed in terms of diameter of a circle. If the opening is not a circle, the diameter of a circle that is equivalent to the cross sectional area. (This is applicable to air gap)

Existing Work

Shall apply to that portion of a plumbing system that has been installed and approved prior to the contemplated addition, alteration or correction. The on-going installation of the plumbing installation of the plumbing system or any part thereof, which has been installed prior to the effectivity of the National Plumbing Code.

Fixture

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

Fixture Branch

Is a pipe connecting several fixtures

Fixture Branch

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

Fixture Drain

Is the drain from the trap of a fixture to the juriction of that drain with any other drain pipe.

Fixture Supply

Is a water supply pipe connecting the fixture with the fixture branch.

Fixture Units

Is a quantity in terms of which the load producing effects on the plumbing system of different kinds of plumbing fixtures are expressed on some arbitrarily chosen scale.

Fixture Unit Flow Rate

Is the total discharge flow in gallons per minute of a simple fixture divided by 7.5 gallons that provides the flow rate of that particular plumbing fixture as a unit of flow. Fixtures are rated as multiple of this unit of flow.

Flood Level

Is a device located inside the tank for the purpose of maintaining water level for effective flushing of the water closet.

Flood Level Rim

The top edge of the receptacle from where water overflows.

Ferrule

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

Flush Tank

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

Flush Valve

Is a device located at the bottom of the tank for flushing water closets and similar fixtures.

Flushometer Tank

is integrated within a n 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 to the fixture for flushing purposes activated 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 a machine-smoothed faces, at right angles to the direction of flow. The disk is raised or lowered by means of a threaded stem 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 & against the horizontal valve seat. The movement of the plane of the disc is parallel to the normal direction of flow of water through the orifice (hole) resulting to tortuous passage which offers a high-pressure loss. (to throttle water pressure)

Gooseneck

a return bend of a small sized pipe, one end of which is about 30cm long & the other end is about 7.5cm long. It is commonly used as a faucet for a pantry sink. Also, the term means the flexible tubing connection between the service pipe & the water main.

Grade

is the slope or fall of pipe in reference to a fraction of an inch per foot length of pipe.

Grease Interceptor

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

Grease Trap

a device designed to retain grease from 1 to a maximum of 4 fixtures.

Group Vent

A branch vent that performs its function for two or more traps.

Horizontal Pipe

Means any pipe or fitting which makes an angle of more than 45° with the vertical

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 Drain

is that part of the lowest horizontal piping of a plumbing system which receives the discharges from soil, waste and other drainage pipes inside of a building and conveys it to the house sewer outside of the building.

House Sewer

is that part of a plumbing system extending from the house drain at a point 0.60m from the outside face of the foundation wall of a building to the junction with the street sewer or to any point of discharge, and conveying the drainage of one building site.

House Storm Sewer

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

Hubless Pipe

are cast iron soil pipes with plain ends connected together with bolted stainless steel bands and neoprene gaskets.

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.

Industrial Waste

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

Iron Pipe Size

IPS

Insanitary

a condition contrary to sanitary principles or injurious to health.

Invert

Is the lowest portion of the inside of any pipe or conduit that is not vertical.

Interceptor (Clarifier)

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

Latrine

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

Lavatory

a.k.a. wash basin

Leaching Cesspool

a cesspool that is not watertight.

Leader

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

Liquid Waste

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

Local Vent Pipe

Is a pipe on the fixture side of the, trap through which vapor or foul air is removed from a room or fixture.

Looped Vent

Is the same as Circuit Vent except that it loops back and connects with a stack vent instead of a vent stack

Lateral

In plumbing, it is a secondary pipe. In sewage, a common sewer to which no other common sewer is tributary. It receives sewage only from building sewer.

Main

The main of any system of continuous piping is the principal artery of the system to which branches may be connected

Main Sewer

Is a sewer line or system directly controlled by public authority.