ACTIVITY 2
Due Date : October 6, 2022
Define the following:
1. Air gap – Plumbing codes call for an air gap
between portable water and a drain. This
gap is usually about the distance between
the faucet and the top of the sink or
bathtub (one inch or more). Basically, the
air gap is there to prevent accidental
backflow. If contaminated water backflows,
it can cause serious health risks.
2. Back flow – The flow of water or other
liquids, mixtures, or substances into the
distributing pipes of a potable water supply
from any source or sources other than the
intended source.
3. Back siphonage – The flowing back of used,
contaminated, or polluted water from a
plumbing fixture or vessel into a potable
water supply because of negative pressure
in the pipe.
4. Battery of fixture – Battery of fixtures
means any group of two (2) or more similar
adjacent fixtures that discharge into a
common horizontal waste or soil branch.
5. Bib – A hose bib is a spigot that protrudes
from the exterior of a building with
plumbing, allowing those who garden or
work in the yard to attach a hose and use
water while outside.
6. Blind flange – It is used to terminate the
end of a piping system. The blind flange is
basically a flange that does not have a hub
or a bored center.
7. Blow off – Blow off means a valve or device
to allow the escape of air, fluid, or
sediments from a pipe within which fluid is
flowing under pressure greater than
atmospheric pressure.
8. Branch – Any part of the piping system
other than the main, riser, or stack. Branch
vent—A vent connecting one or more
individual vents with a vent stack.
9. Branch interval – Branch interval is a
distance along a soil or waste stack
corresponding to a story height, but not less
than 8 feet, within the horizontal branches
from one floor or story of a structure are
connected to the stack.
10. Branch vent – Branch vent means a vent
pipe that is connected at its lower end to
the junction of 2 or more vent pipes, and at
its upper end, either to another branch vent
or to a stack vent, vent stack or vent
header, or terminates in open air.
11. Calking – Caulking is the application of
caulk, a sealant used to fill gaps or seams in
pipe joints to ensure watertight or gas-tight
integrity of those joints.
12. Circuit vent – A vent that connects to a
horizontal drainage branch and vents two
traps to no more than eight traps or
trapped fixtures connected into a battery.
13. Continuous vent – A vertical vent that is a
continuation of a drain, a soil pipe, or a
waste pipe to which the vent connects.
14. Combination fixtures – A combination
plumbing fixture is provided for institutional
use which combines a toilet, wash basin and
drinking fountain.
15. Combination waste and vent system – 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.
16. Common vent – A vent connecting at the
junction of two fixture drains or to a fixture
branch and serving as a vent for both
fixtures.
17. Cross connection – A cross connection is
any actual or potential connection between
the drinking water lines and potential
sources of pollution or contamination.
18. Dead end – The term dead leg, or dead end
is typically used to describe a run of
pipework that is no longer in use or a pipe
that has become isolated from the regular
flow of water.
19. Developed length – Developed length
means that length of pipe measured along
the center line of the pipe and fittings.
20. Diameter – Tubing is measured by the
OUTSIDE DIAMETER (O.D.), specified in
inches (e.g., 1.250) or fraction of an inch
 (eg. 1-1/4″). Pipe is usually measured by
NOMINAL PIPE SIZE (NPS).
21. Drainage system – A drainage system
consists of piping that conveys sewage,
rainwater, or other liquid waste to a point
of disposal, either in the sewer system or
septic tank.
22. Dry vent – A dry vent system only
transports air. No water is carried.
23. Effective opening – The minimum cross-
sectional area at the point of water supply
discharge, measured or expressed in terms
of the diameter of a circle or, if the opening
is not circular, the diameter of a circle of
equivalent crosssectional area.
24. Existing work – The term “existing work”
shall apply to those portions of plumbing
system which have been installed and
approved prior to the contemplated
additions, collections, or corrections.
25. Fixture branch – Any pipe which connects
several plumbing fixtures, such as a drain
serving two or more fixtures or a supply
pipe between the water-distributing pipe
and several fixtures.
26. Fixture drain – Fixture drain means the
drain from the trap of a fixture to the
junction of that drain with any other drain
pipe.
27. Fixture supply – Fixture supply means that
portion of a water distribu- tion system
serving one plumbing fixture, appliance or
piece of equipment.
28. Fixture units – In plumbing, a Fixture Unit
(FU) or Drain Fixture Unit (DFU) is “a unit of
measure, based on the rate of discharge,
time of operation and frequency of use of a
fixture, that expresses the hydraulic load
imposed by that fixture on the sanitary
plumbing installation”.
29. Fixture unit flow rate – The fixture unit
rating represents the hydraulic load placed
by that fixture on the sanitary drainage
system. Whatever the number value
assigned to the theoretical plumbing load
from the operation of a fixture in a
plumbing system, it is still described as a
fixture unit.
30. Flood level – Flood level rim—The top edge
of a receptacle from which water overflows.
31. Ferrule – A plumbing ferrule is a tool inside
of a pipe known to connect two plumbing
pipes.
32. Flush valve – A flush valve is a self-closing
valve designed to release a large volume of
water when activated.
33. Flushometer valve – Flushometer valve
means a device which discharges a
predetermined quantity of water to a
fixture for flushing purposes and is closed
by direct water pressure.
34. Grade - In plumbing work the grade is the
slope at which sanitary drainage pipes are
to be laid in trenches.
35. Group vent – In plumbing, a branch vent
that serves two or more traps.
36. Horizontal pipe – Horizontal pipe means
any pipe or fitting which makes an angle of
more than forty-five degrees (45) with the
vertical.
37. Invert - An invert level is defined as the
elevation of the inside-bottom of a pipe,
trench, culvert, or tunnel.
38. Liquid waste – Liquid waste can be defined
as such Liquids as wastewater, fats, oils or
grease (FOG), used oil, liquids, solids, gases,
or sludges and hazardous household liquids.
39. Local vent pipe – Local vent means a pipe
connecting to a fixture and extending to
outside air through which vapor or foul air
is removed from the fixture.
40. Looped vent - A vent arrangement for a
group of plumbing fixtures; consists of a
vent pipe which is connected to the waste
or soil branch immediately before the first
fixture of the group and immediately before
the last fixture of the group; the two
connections are then “looped” together and
connected to the vent stack.
41. Lateral - Your sanitary sewer lateral is the
pipe that carries your wastewater from your
home (toilets, sinks, showers, laundry, floor
drains, etc.) to the public sanitary sewer
main that is typically in the street.
42. Main – What is a main line? Simply put,
your mainline is your sewer line. It’s the line
that goes from your house to the city
 connection or your septic tank. Before
leaving your home, all of your drains dump
into your mainline.
43. Main sewer - The main sewer line is exactly
what you think it is. It’s the plumbing line
that channels all of the waste from toilets,
tubs, and sinks out of your home, toward
the main sewer under the street in front of
your home.
44. Main vent – It is a vertical pipe attached to
a drain line and runs through the roof of
your home.
45. Plumbing fixtures - : a part (such as a sink,
toilet, faucet, etc.) that is attached to a
system of pipes that carry water through a
building.
46. Plumbing system – The primary purposes of
a plumbing system are. To bring an
adequate and potable supply of hot and
cold water to the inhabitants of a house,
and. To drain all wastewater and sewage
discharge from fixtures into the public
sewer or a private disposal system.
47. Relief vent – Relief vent means a vent pipe
that is used in conjunction with a circuit
vent to provide additional air circulation
between a drainage system and a venting
system.
48. Re-vent pipe – A revent pipe, also called an
auxiliary vent, attaches to the drain line
near the fixture and runs up and over to the
main vent.
49. Riser – A riser pipe is a durable metal or
plastic pipe which extends from the water
supply line to the water heater and up
through the walls to deliver water, steam,
or gas to the lavatories, kitchens, and
plumbing fixtures on the upper floors of a
building and branch to up to two higher
levels.
50. Rough-in – Rough-in is the stage of a
construction project when the various
mechanical, electrical, and plumbing lines
are brought in.
51. Return bend - : a bend (as in a pipe fitting)
that alters the direction of its center line
180 degrees.
52. Public sewer - A public sewer is generally
considered to begin where two or more
drains from separate premises meet.
53. Sanitary sewage – The sanitary sewer is a
system of underground pipes that carries
sewage from bathrooms, sinks, kitchens,
and other plumbing components to a
wastewater treatment plant where it is
filtered, treated and discharged. The storm
sewer is a system designed to carry rainfall
runoff and other drainage.
54. Sanitary sewer – A sanitary sewer goes to
the waste water treatment plant where the
water goes through a complicated process
where it is cleaned and released back into
the water.
55. Secondary branch – And branch in a
building drain other than the primary
branch.
56. Sewerage of sewage work - A
comprehensive term, including all
construction for collection, transportation,
57. Pumping, treatment and final disposition
of sewage. – The material removed is
washed and pressed and disposed of in a
landfill. The screened wastewater is then
pumped to the next step: grit removal. In
this step, heavy but fine material such as
sand and gravel is removed from the
wastewater. This material is also disposed
of in a landfill.
58. Siamese connection – Inspired by the Y-
shaped Siamese twins, a Siamese
connection is a Y shaped fire department
connection with two female inlets through
which firefighters can attach two hoses and
refill standpipes or sprinkler systems with
water.
59. Standpipe - : a high vertical pipe or
reservoir that is used to secure a uniform
pressure in a water-supply system.
60. Side vent – helps regulate the air pressure
in your plumbing system.
61. Soil pipe – A soil pipe is any pipe which
conveys the discharge of water closets,
urinals, or fixtures having similar functions.
 Also, a cast-iron pipe, with bell and spigot a branch pipe, which is inclined at an angle
ends, used in plumbing to convey fecal of more than 45 degrees above the
matter or liquid wastes. horizontal; Sample 1Sample 2Sample 3.
62. Stack - - A general term used for any 73. Waste pipe - A waste pipe is a pipe, which
vertical line of soil, waste, or vent piping. conveys only liquid waste, free of fecal
63. Stack group – The Uniform Plumbing Code matter.
(UPC) defines a stack as a primary pipeline 74. Water distributing pipe – A water-
for any water or waste system that spans distribution pipe is located inside a building
through one or more floors of a building or and delivers potable water to the fixtures.
home. 75. Water service pipe – Water service pipe—
64. Stack vent - : a pipe placed vertically or The pipe from the water main or other
nearly so and connected to the traps of sources of potable water supply to the
plumbing fixtures in such a manner as to water-distributing system of the building
ventilate them and prevent the water seal served.
from being siphoned out of them. 76. Water supply system – Plumbing system
65. Stack venting - : a pipe placed vertically or means the water supply and distribution
nearly so and connected to the traps of pipes; plumbing fixtures and traps; soil,
plumbing fixtures in such a manner as to waste, and vent pipes; sanitary and storm
ventilate them and prevent the water seal sewers and building drains, including their
from being siphoned out of them. respective connections, devices, and
66. Subsoil drain – Subsoil drains are appurtenances within the premises; and
underground drain pipes that receives only water-treating equipment.
sub-surface or seepage water and convey it 77. Wet vent – Wet vent is that portion of a
to place of disposal. vent pipe through which liquid waste flow.
67. Sump – A pit or receptacle at a low point to
which the liquid wastes are drained.
68. Trap – A fitting or device so constructed as
to prevent the passage of air, gas, and some
vermin through a pipe without materially
affecting the flow of sewage or waste water
through it.
69. Trap seal – A trap seal is a pluming term
where water is used to both seal a pipe and
aid in the movement of water.
70. Vent stack - : a pipe placed vertically or
nearly so and connected to the traps of
plumbing fixtures in such a manner as to
ventilate them and prevent the water seal
from being siphoned out of them.
71. Vent system – In modern plumbing, a drain-
waste-vent is a system that allows air to
enter the plumbing system to maintain
proper air pressure to enable the removal
of sewage and greywater from a dwelling.
Drain refers to water produced at fixtures
such as sinks, and showers; waste refers to
water from toilets.
72. Vertical pipe – Vertical pipe means any soil-
water pipe or waste-water pipe, other than