Plumbing Code – Refresher (Master Plumber Board Exam)

A comprehensive set of Question-and-Answer flashcards covering key concepts, definitions, standards, and numerical requirements drawn from the Philippine Plumbing Code refresher notes for Master Plumber Board Exam preparation.

What is "storm water" in plumbing terminology?

Rain water collected from roofs, yards, or other surfaces.

Who was the sanitary worker of ancient Rome referred to in plumbing history?

Plumbarius.

What do you call one drain serving two or three fixtures on a single trap?

Common vent.

Waste discharged by a water closet is classified as what kind of waste?

Solid waste.

Which sewer line is directly controlled and maintained by a public authority?

Sanitary (public) sewer.

Air pressure in drainage pipes that is greater than atmospheric pressure is called what?

Back pressure.

The maximum simultaneous water discharge of fixtures expressed in fixture units is called what?

Maximum demand.

What is the minimum allowable diameter of any drain, branch, or stack serving one or more water closets?

3 inches (75 mm).

How is a low-pressure (threaded) gas piping system tested?

10 psi for 15 minutes air pressure test.

What term describes the resistance produced by flowing water against pipe walls and fittings?

Friction.

To test a building water-supply system, the required test pressure is of the working (service) pressure.

150 % of the working pressure.

Which substance is the chemical combination of hydrogen and oxygen?

Water.

Pressure measured while no water is flowing (over 24 h) is called what?

Static pressure.

Fixtures with flush tanks require a minimum residual pressure of at the fixture.

8 psi (55 kPa).

Name the device installed in the service line to measure the volume of water consumed.

Water meter.

Which valve type is used to control two or more outlets on a cold-water supply line?

Full-way gate valve.

Which material is NOT approved for potable water piping under the Code?

Aluminum.

What is the lowest piping in a building that receives discharge from soil and waste lines?

Building drain.

What set of regulations governs materials, design, and installation of plumbing systems?

Plumbing Code.

The fitting inserted into a water main to control the building service line is called what?

Corporation stop.

What mechanical device is commonly installed to circulate hot water throughout a plumbing system?

Pump-circuit (recirculating pump) system.

The water (waste) test on a drainage system must hold a head of at least .

10 ft (3 m) for 15 minutes.

Which pump is typically used to elevate water from wells for small-scale distribution?

Piston pump.

Minimum quantity of water required to flush a urinal (per Code)?

1 gallon (3.8 L).

Name the valve at the lower end of a pump suction line that prevents loss of prime.

Foot valve.

A pipe running from the street main to the building’s plumbing is called the .

Service pipe (water service).

Which valve, operated by stem screw and hand wheel, is suited for throttling flow?

Globe valve.

Minimum number of water closets required for an office with 20 occupants.

One water closet.

Minimum number of water closets for 35 female pupils in an elementary school.

Two water closets.

A vertical pipe used as a pressure storage vessel for water is called a .

Standpipe.

The plumbing fixture used for washing face and hands is called a .

Lavatory.

In the Philippines, Fire Prevention Month is observed in what month?

March.

Which document evaluates building density, flammability, and content hazards?

Fire Code.

The vertical fire-protection pipe located near stairs for fire-fighter use is the .

Standpipe (wet or dry).

A piping installation where mains and branches are always filled with water is called a system.

Wet pipe system.

What device is used as the floor-by-floor terminal fitting of a Sovent soil stack?

Aerator fitting (Sovent aerator).

At the base of a Sovent stack, the fitting that removes entrained air is called the .

Deaerator fitting.

Recommended minimum P-trap diameter for a floor drain.

2 inches (50 mm).

The trap of a floor drain must be no more than cm below the finished floor.

30 cm.

Recommended house-drain slope is %.

2 % (≈ 1/4 in per foot).

One fixture unit (FU) corresponds to approximately how many litres of water per minute?

30 L/min (≈ 7.5 gpm).

No water closet may discharge into a pipe smaller than in diameter.

3 inches (75 mm).

At least how many soil or waste stacks must extend full-size through the roof?

One (1) full-size stack.

Standard waste-pipe size for a wall-hung urinal.

32 mm (1-1/4 in).

Fixture unit value assigned to a floor drain (waste).

2 fixture units.

Fixture-unit value for a private lavatory (waste).

1 fixture unit.

Fixture-unit value for a public water closet (waste).

6 fixture units.

Fixture-unit value for a public urinal (waste).

4 fixture units.

Maximum spacing for pipe supports on horizontal runs (general).

10 ft (3 m).

Water demand allowance for a standard shower head.

5 gpm (19 L/min).

Expansion joints are NOT acceptable in piping that carries .

Steam.

Drain pipe sizing is determined primarily from what criterion?

Total fixture units served.

Minimum size for any building drain or stack serving one or more water closets.

4 inches (100 mm).

Roof-penetration joints must be tight.

Gas- and water-tight.

In plumbing, a "stack" is defined as what?

Any vertical main soil, waste, or vent pipe.

Advance notice required to request an inspection before testing work.

One working day (24 h).

A drain linking the compartments of a fixture (like a double sink) to its trap is called .

Continuous waste.

Static water pressure of 80 psi at the meter will be approximately psi at an outlet 100 ft higher.

35 psi.

Inspection of gas piping before concealment is known as inspection.

Rough piping inspection.

Any receptacle connected to the plumbing system, other than a trap, for collecting waste is called a .

Fixture.

When joining two horizontal drains, the preferred fitting is a .

Combination Y and 1/8-bend.

A water-heating system must be equipped with a valve for safety.

Pressure-temperature relief valve.

Minimum water-supply pipe size for a flush-valve operated fixture.

1 inch (25 mm).

The original National Plumbing Code of the Philippines was approved on .

June 18, 1955.

Section of plumbing 4–5 ft outside the foundation wall to its connection with another sewer is called the .

House (building) sewer.

Maximum FU loading on a 38 mm (1-1/2 in) waste stack.

Six fixture units.

Water-closet outlet connections must be made using .

Flanges (closet flanges).

Total number of water closets allowed on a 3-in soil stack.

Six water closets.

Maximum trap loading for a 2-in trap according to the Code.

8 fixture units.

Maximum horizontal distance from trap to its vent for a 2-in pipe.

5 ft (1.5 m).

Minimum size clean-out for a 4-in drain line.

4 inches (same size as the pipe).

Unions on water-heater connections must be within of the heater.

12 inches (300 mm).

Minimum center-to-center spacing of urinals.

0.75 m.

Potable water piping is color-coded .

Blue.

The vertical distance between the trap dip and the fixture rim is called the .

Water seal (trap seal).

A vent terminal near a door or window must extend at least ft above the opening.

3 ft (900 mm).

An undrilled pipe flange is known as a flange.

Blank (blind) flange.

Another plumbing term for an interceptor is a .

Clarifier.

Closet rings must be calked to be tight.

Gas- and water-tight.

100-mm (4-in) drains may be laid at slopes as low as %.

0.5 % grade.

Minimum horizontal separation between water pipe joints and sewer lines.

3 m.

Solvent-cemented plastic pipe joints must meet standards.

ASTM standards.

Commercial kitchens require galvanized sheet-steel lining of at least gauge.

16 gauge.

Minimum distance from a septic tank to a water-supply well.

15 m.

NAMPAP (National Master Plumbers Association of the Philippines) was organized in .

1935.

Prior to reviewing another Master Plumber’s work, your contract must first be by the client.

Terminated.

When shower receptors are built above ground, walls must be waterproofed to at least mm above the finished dam.

50 mm.

During a water test, water must remain in the system for at least minutes before inspection.

15 minutes.

"AVB" in back-flow prevention stands for .

Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker.

The minimum approved air gap when potable water discharges to drainage is mm.

25 mm (but at least two pipe diameters).

Potable-water inlets to gravity tanks are controlled by a valve.

Float valve.

Fixture-supply FU value for a privately used bathtub.

3 water-supply fixture units.

Oakum-and-lead joints in bell-and-spigot cast-iron soil pipe must contain at least mm of lead.

25 mm (1 inch).

Lead content in solder/flux for potable water piping may not exceed .

0.2 % (0.002).

“CS and PS” on material standards stands for .

Commercial Standards and Product Standards.

A stop valve placed in the service pipe near the water main connection is the .

Corporation cock (service cock).

Plastic water pipe must be supported at intervals not exceeding .

1 m.

Supports for cast-iron soil pipe must be placed within m of each hub.

0.45 m.

The valve operated by the rise and fall of a float ball is called a .

Ball cock (float valve).

Minimum air gap for sinks or laundry trays affected by side walls.

50 mm.