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Key Concepts

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Backwater valve
A backwater valve prevents disposed sewage from reentering the home.

Ball check valve
A ball check valve is a type of backflow preventer. The ball check valve is placed on a water line to direct water flow in one direction.

Branch
A branch is any secondary part of the drain system; also, referred to as the lateral line.

Branch vent
A branch vent connects vents with a vent stack.

Check valve
The check valve is a type of backflow prevent. The check valve is installed on a pipe to allow water flow in one direction.

Cleanout plug
The cleanout plug is in a trap or drain pipe. The cleanout plug offers access to the drain line for clearing any blockage in the pipes.

Closet auger
A closet auger is a flexible rod that is used to access a toilet’s trap to remove any clogs.

Closet bend
The closet bend connects the closet flange to the toilets drain.

Closet flange
The closet flange is a ring that anchors the closet bend to the floor. The closet flange also includes closed bolts that secure the toilet in place.

Diaphragm
The diaphragm is a flexible membrane that helps regulate water flow and build up within a valve.

Drain Line
A line that connects appliances to an outside septic line and tank or an external sewer systrem

Fall/Flow for the drain lines
The fall, also known as flow or pitch, refers to the slope needed to create proper drainage in pipes.

Fixture
A fixture refers to the plumbing device that provides water and/or disposal. Common fixtures in plumbing are toilets, sinks and showers.

ai-flapper-valve
Flapper valve
The flapper valve connects the water tank and toilet bowl. When the flapper valve opens, water flows from the tank into the bowl.

Float ball
The float ball is the plastic ball attached to the ballcock. The rise and fall of water in the tank is determined by the float ball’s placement.

Floor flange
The floor flange, also known as a closet flange, connects a toilet to the sewer line.

Horizontal branch
The horizontal branch runs from plumbing fixtures to a waste stack.

Main line ( supply ) to the home
The main line supplies water from the water company’s meter at street level to the branch pipes around your home.

Nipple
A nipple is a short pipe that connects couplings and other fittings.

PRV or pressure reducing valve
PRV, or pressure reducing valve, is a special valve that is installed directly on the main water line. The PRV constrains the amount of water entering from the water companies supply to normalize water pressure for home use.

PVC
PVC pipes are sturdy plastic pipes that are used for drainage, waste and vent systems

Rim holes
Rim holes are a series of small holes around the toilet bowl. Water flowing from the rim holes washes over the surface of the bowl to refill the toilet bowl.

Saddle valve
The saddle valve is a mounted pipe run by a clamping device. The saddle valve is used to make quick connections between low-demand devices.

Septic tank
A septic tank is a small sewage treatment system for homes with no connection to local sewage pipes. Septic refers to the bacteria that decomposes the waste inside the tank.

Straight stop valve
A straight stop valve is a straight shutoff valve used to close off water supply during repairs.

Sump pump
A sump pump is used in basements that flood often. The sump pump sits in a pit that accumulates the water, where it pushes the water outside the home.

Supply line
A supply line is a metal or plastic line that carries water directly from the main line into a plumbing fixture.

T&P valve or temperature and pressure valve
The temperate and pressure relief valve is used to safely release excess heat or pressure in a water tank.

Tailpiece
The tailpiece is a pipe that runs between a fixture and trap.

Tailpiece
The tailpiece is a pipe that runs between a fixture and trap.

plumbing P trap
The trap is a curved section of drain line that prevents sewer odor from entering your home. All plumbing fixtures have a “P” trap, except for a toilet that has an “S” trap.

Trapway
The trapway connects the toilet bowl to a waste outlet. The size of the trapway, also known as the passageway, influences clogging.

Trip lever
The trip lever is the flush handle and actuating arm on a toilet tank. The trip lever is attached to the flapper, which results in the toilet flushing. The trip lever can also refer to the drain in a tub.

Vent
The vent is a pipe that allows air into the drain system.

Vent stack
The vent stack, also known as a stink pipe, releases gas and odors outside the home.

Water hammer
The water hammer is a loud noise and vibration associated with pipes being turned on or off. The water hammer is caused by a sudden surge, or halt, of water in the pipes.

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Common Plumbing Terms

• Bleed: to release excess air in a pipe by opening a valve at the end.
• Brass: generic slang term for any faucet or fixture.
• Branch Drain: fixture drain which leads to the main drain pipeline.
• Effluent: liquid waste in a septic system.
• Fitting: term used to describe any part that connects two sections of pipe.
• Flow Rate: how much water flows through a plumbing system; measured in either gallons per minute (GPM) or per hour (GPH).
• Gallons per Flush (GPF): measurement of water needed to flush; used to regulate toilets and flush valves; 1.6 GPF is the current legal maximum permitted for new toilets.
• Gray Water: water waste from non-toilet fixtures.
• KiloPascal (kPa): metric unit of pressure equaling 1/100th of an atmosphere.
• Maximum Containment Level (MCL): maximum amount of a contaminant permitted in a water supply by law.
• Non-Ferrous: contains no iron.
• Potable: water which is safe to consume.
• Pressure Head: unit of measure for pressure in a plumbing system describing the vertical force caused by water at a depth of one foot.
• Riser: vertical supply pipes which bring water from the branch to a fixture or to a higher floor.
• Sediment: debris that settles at the bottom of water tanks.
• Soil Pipe: pipe carrying waste from a toilet.
• Trap Seal: the water in a trap which serves as a liquid seal.
• Trap Weir: the highest point for water before it drains in both P-traps and S-traps.
• Water Hammer: a loud banging sound caused when the water supply is suddenly cut off from a fixture, causing hydraulic shock.

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Plumbing Components and Fixtures

• Aerator: insert screwed onto a faucet nozzle that reduces splashing by mixing air into the flowing water.
• Ball Check Valve: valve which employs a ball which can seal against a seat to stop the flow in one direction.
• Closet Bend: curved fitting located under the toilet connecting it to the drain.
• Closet Flange: ring used to anchor a toilet and connects to the closet bend; sometimes called a floor flange.
• Flow Control Valve: device which can reduce costs and improve efficiency by reducing the water flow to a plumbing fixture.
• Gasket: flat rubber or fiber ring used to create a watertight seal between metal fixtures.
• Interceptor: device which separates oil and grease from drain systems.
• Main: the main pipeline in a supply or drain system to which all branches connect.
• Manifold: fitting that connects multiple branches to the main, acting as a distribution point.
• O-Ring: round rubber washer used to make valve stems watertight.
• Scald Guard: valve that maintains the balance between hot and cold water pressure in your shower by shifting back and forth behind the shower handle in response to sudden pressure drops.
• Shutoff Valve: valve under toilet or sink to stop water supply for repairs.
• Tee: T-shaped fitting used where three pipes intersect.
• Trap: a curved portion of plumbing designed to hold enough water to block, or seal, the section of pipe from gasses, odors, and pests.
• Valve Seat: the stationary section of a valve.
• Vent: sloped or vertical section of drainpipe designed to allow sewer gasses to escape and be replaced by outdoor air so pressure is not lost during the venting.
• Water Hammer Arrestor: device which prevents the banging sound known as water hammer by absorbing the hydraulic shock caused from suddenly cutting the water supply to a fixture.
• Wye Fitting: drain fitting which connects two sections of pipe at a 45 degree angle.

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Plumbing Tools and Materials

• ABS: short for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, this black plastic pipe is rigid and commonly found in drains, vents, and waste lines.
• Auger: flexible rod with a curved end used to pull clogs from a toilet trap.
• Blowbag: tool with a nozzle and rubber bladder attached to a hose and inserted into a clogged drain where it swells to fill the pipe and releases water in bursts to force a path through the obstruction.
• CPVC: chlorinated polyvinyl-chloride; black PVC pipe treated to withstand high temperatures; often used in water supply systems.
• Dope: plumbing lubricant used on pipe threads.
• Polybutylene (PB): bendable tubing used in some supply lines for bathroom fixtures.
• Polyethylene (PE): flexible pipes often used in supply lines.
• PEX: crossed-linked polyethylene; stronger than normal PE.
• Plumber’s Putty: putty with dough-like consistency used to seal the joints between fixture settings and metal pieces.
• Plunger: AKA “plumber’s helper”; six inch rubber suction cup with a wooden handle commonly used to unclog drains and toilets.
• PVC: rigid white pipe made of polyvinyl-chloride plastic; often used for drains and waste or vent pipes.
• Snake: thin, flexible cord of spiral-wound metal that fits down a drain and is rotated to dislodge clogs.
• Teflon Tape: fluorocarbon polymer tape with non-stick properties that is wrapped around the threads of a pipe to create a tighter joint seal.

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Septic System-Specific Components

• Absorption Field: seeping field designed to filter and disperse the liquid waste from a septic tank; also referred to as a leach field.
• Leach Line: pipes which carry the liquid waste from the septic tank to an absorption/leach field.
• Septic Tank: large underground tank used mainly in rural settings where sewers are not available; temporarily stores waste as bacteria and gravity separates it into solids, liquids, and sludge before the liquids drain into an absorption field.

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Aerator
An aerator, a mesh piece that screws onto the tip of your faucet–making it also known as a faucet aerator–helps create a non-splashing stream of water and air.

Auger
Augers are like plumbing snakes, except instead of pulling the blockage out of your pipes, augers push the clog through.

Bleed
To “bleed” in plumbing means to let out excess water or air from your pipe or plumbing system. Plumbers typically do this by opening a valve.

Blowbag
Blowbags are typically attached to your garden hose to clear a blockage using water pressure. They are made of heavy-duty rubber–think of them as heavy-duty rubber balloons!

Brass
Brass is a type of metal material that is used in plumbing. There are many different types of plumbing materials, and brass is one of the most common.

Branch Drain
Branch drains are just that–a drain that collects from multiple pipe branches. They are waste pipes that collect waste from at least two drain pipes in your home.

Closet Bend
A closet bend is a 90-degree elbow-fitting pipe–probably what your toilet plumbing includes.

CPVC
CPVC stands for chlorinated polyvinyl chloride. It’s similar to PVC pipes you’re probably familiar with, although plumbers don’t typically recommend their use anymore.

Effluent
An effluent sewer carries the wastewater from the tank in your home to the drain field.

Fitting
Fittings are used to connect multiple straight pipes or tubes.

Flow Rate
Another phrase for this is GPF or gallons per flush. This measures how many potential gallons per minute could come out of your faucet or bathtub.

Flow Control Valve
These valves are used in pneumatic systems to regulate compressed air flow through your pipes.

Gasket
Gaskets are sealing materials used in plumbing. They’re typically put between connected flanges to create a “static seal.”

GPF (Gallons Per Flush)
Also known as the flow rate. See the definition of flow rate above.

Gray Water
Gray water is non-potable, used water.

Interceptor
This device is placed in your sanitary drainage system to catch non-petroleum fat, oil, and grease.

KPA (kilopascal)
Kilopascals are a unit of measurement used to measure pressure–water, air, or otherwise.

Leach Line
These are drainage systems. They begin after the water passes through the septic tank.

Main
This is the main line in your home that carries waste from the smaller drains out of your home drainage system.

Manifold
Your manifold is the device that distributes both hot and cold water throughout your piping system.

MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level)
The MCL is the unit of measurement used to measure the maximum level of contaminated water in domestic plumbing.

Non-Ferrous
This means metals, including aluminum, copper, zinc, tin, and iron.

Non-Potable
This means water that is not drinkable and may be contaminated.

O-Ring
The o-ring prevents leakages from your sealed pipes. They’re part of your pipe connection.

Plumber’s Putty
Plumber’s putty is exactly how it sounds; it is a malleable clay used to make a watertight seal around the flange.

Plunger
You probably already know this one! A plunger is a plumbing tool that clears blockages in drains and pipes using suction.

Potable
This means drinkable, uncontaminated water.

PVC
Like the CPVC, the PVC is a polyvinyl chloride pipe used in plumbing.

Riser
These move water from one floor to another within your home.

Scald Guard
These protect you and your water from being scalding hot! Although hot water is excellent, you don’t want to get second or third-degree burns!

Sediment
You’ve probably heard of this term before. Sediment is usually dirt or other things deposited in underground pipes by the flowing water.

Septic Tank
You’ve also probably heard of this term before, too. The septic tank is part of the septic system, the wastewater systems in individual, domestic homes.

Soil Pipe
These pipes move sewage water from toilets and sink to soil drains and sewers.

Shutoff Valve
This is the primary valve that will turn your water on and off. Once this is turned on, your water should stop!

Snake
Snakes (no, not the reptile!) are plumbing tools used to unclog drains and pipes. They are a flexible type of auger.

Tee
Tees are the most common pipe fitting type, combining or dividing the fluid flow.

Teflon Tape
Like plumbers’ putty, Teflon tape is a standard plumber’s tool. It is a professional-strength adhesive used in ducting and plumbing work.

Trap
A trap is a portion of piping designed to trap liquid or gas and prevent any unwanted flow of these materials. It’s usually in the form of a U-shape.

Trap Seal
A trap seal is another part of the “trap.” It can open to allow water drainage and close to seal when water flow halts.

Valve Seal
The valve seal is a seal around the valve that prevents leakages. They’re also used in cars!

Vent
These regulate the air pressure throughout your home.

Water Hammer
A water hammer is a possible event, not a tool or material. This can happen when there is a pressure surge of water or air in your piping system. This means it can occur in any home that uses valves to control liquid or steam.

Water Hammer Arrester
These devices help prevent and lessen the damage of water hammers. They absorb the pressure behind the water hammer pressure surge to protect your home drainage system and pipes.

Wye Fitting
Wye fittings link both vertical and horizontal lines in either direction.

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