LIZA, ERIEL-LYNN E.

BUILDING UTILITIES 1
BS ARCHITECTURE ARCH. IGO BASA DEPAZ, JR.

TERMINOLOGY:
AIR GAP an air gap 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.
BACK FLOW is the flow of water or other liquids, mixtures, or substances into the distributing pipes of
a potable supply of water from any source or sources other than its intended source.
BACK-SIPHONAGE is 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.
BIB is synonymous with faucet, plug, etc. the word faucet is preferred.
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 pipe line used to discharge water.
BRANCH is any part of a piping system other than the main, riser or stack.
BRANCH INTERVAL is a 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 stack vent.
CALKING is plugging an opening with oakum, lead or other materials that are pounded into the place.
Also, the materials that are pounding into the opening.
CATCH BASIN a walled pit usually with perforated cover that receive surface drainage and carry into a
connected underground storm water sewer.
CONTINUOUS VENT is a vertical vent that is a continuation of the drain, to which the vent connects.
CIRCUIT 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.
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.
COMMON VENT is a drain from two or three fixtures connected to a single trap. It is also called a dual
trap.
CROSS CONNECTION is any physical connection or arrangement between two otherwise separate
piping systems, one of which contains potable water and the other wart of 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 to which no connections are
made on the extended portion, thus permitting the stagnation of water or air therein.
DEVELOPED LENGTH the length along the center of the pipe and fitting.
DRAINAGE SYSTEM drainage system includes all piping within public or private premises which
conveys sewage, rain water, or other liquid waste to a legal point of disposal, but does not include the
mains of a public sewer system or private or public sewerage treatment or disposal plant.
DOWNSPOUT a rain leader or vertical pipe that conducts water from the eaves or gutter.
DRAINAGE PIPE are the pipes that carry water from the house to the sewer.
DRY VENT a vent that does not carry water or water borne wastes.
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.
EXISTING WORK the term existing work shall apply to those portions of a plumbing system which have
been installed and approved prior to the contemplated addition, alteration or correction.
FIXTURES are the attachment to the service pipes such as faucets, shower head, receiving vessels for
waste in drain pipes such as sinks, lavatories, water closets and urinals.
FIXTURE BRANCH is a pipe connecting several fixtures.
FIXTURE DRAIN is the drain from the trap of a fixture to the junction 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 of terms of which the load producing effects on the plumbing system of
different kinds of plumbing fixtures are expressed on some arbitrarily chosen scale.
FLOOD LEVEL is a device located at the bottom of the tank for the purpose of flushing water closets
and similar fixtures.
FERRULE a metallic sleeve called or otherwise, joined to an opening pipe, into which a plug is screwed
that can be removed for the purpose of cleaning or examining the interior of the pipe.
FLUSH VALVE is a device located at the bottom of the tank for the purpose of flushing water closets
and similar fixtures.
FLUSHOMETER VALVE is a device which discharges a predetermined quantity of water to fixture for
flushing purposes and is activated by direct pressure.
GRADE is the slope or fail of a line of pipe in reference to a fraction of an inch per foot length of pipe.
INVERT is the lowest portion of the inside of any pipe or conduit that is not vertical.
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.
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 directly controlled by public authority.
MANHOLE an access chamber for underground piping, wiring or the likes.
PIPE a tubular conduit for liquid or gas.
PLUMBING the crafts of installing pipe lines, valves, fixtures, etc for water, sewage and gas.
PLUMBING FIXTURES any various receptacles for receiving water from a water system and discharging
the liquid waste into a drainage system.
PLUMBING SYSTEM the plumbing system includes the water supply and distribution pipes; plumbing
fixtures and traps; soil, waste and vent pipes; house drain and house sewers including their respective
connections, devices and appurtenances within the property lines of premises; and water treating or
ware using equipment.
RELIEF VENT a relief vents primary is to provide circulation of air between drainage and vent systems.
REVENT PIPE is that part of the vent pipe line which connects directly with an individual waste or
group wastes, underneath or back of the fixture and extends either to the main or branch vent pipe.
RISER is a water supply pipe which extends vertically one full storey or more to convey water to the
branches or fixtures.
SANITARY SEWAGE the sewage containing human excrement and liquid household waste.
SEPTIC TANK tank in which occur the disintegration of organic matter in sewage by bacterial action.
SEWER a pipe or other artificial conduit usually underground for carrying off sewage and other liquid
waste to a treatment plant or other point of disposal.
SIAMESE CONNCETION a wye connection used on fire lines so that two lines of those maybe
connected to a hydrant or to the same nozzle.
STACK is the vertical main of a system of soil, waste or vent piping.
STACK VENT sometimes called waste vent or soil vent is the extension of a soil or waste stack above
the highest horizontal drain connected to the stack.
SUMP a pit or receptacle at a low point to which the liquid waste are drained.
TRAP is a fitting or device so designed and constructed as to provide, when properly vented, a liquid
seal which will prevent the back passage of air without materially affecting the flow of sewage or waste
water through it.
VENT STACK is a vertical vent pipe installed primarily for the purpose of providing circulation of air to
and from any part or the drainage system.
WASTE PIPE is a pipe which conveys only liquid waste, free of fecal matter.