PLUMBING

is defined as the art and science of installing

pipes, fixtures and other apparatus to convey
and supply water in building and to dispose and
discharge waste water and other liquids, gases
and other substances out of buildings in s safe
and orderly, healthy and sanitary way to ensure
the health and sanitation of life and property.
The word PLUMBER, is a title given to a person
who is skilled in the field of sanitation. It was
derived from the ancient Roman word
Plumbarius which was taken from the Latin word
Plumbum.
PLUMBARIUS refer to an individual who worked
in the sanitary field of ancient Rome. PLUMBUM
on the other hand, meant lead. A metal used as
plumbing materials by the Romans, preferred for
its twin properties of malleability and resistance
to acid.
 MAIN OBJECTIVES OF PLUMBING

1. To supply water to different parts of the

building.
2. To remove and discharge human wastes and
other substances out of building in to the
public sewer or septic tank
CONDITIONS FOR AN EFFECTIVE WATER SUPPLY
IN BUILDING
1. To provide sufficient amount of water to
supply each fixture
2. To prevent back flow of used water into
water supply system
 The drainage system should accomplished
the following
1. Fast removal of the waste with a minimum
probability of leakage and stoppage of drains
2. To prevent the entry of house vermin and
obnoxious gases into the house from the
piping system.
 WASTE IS CLASSIFIED INTO TWO TYPES

1. SOLID WASTE
that is being discharged by water closet
2. LIQUID WASTE
that are coming from various fixtures.
WASTE PIPE
Any pipe that conveys waste from various
fixtures other than water closet.

SOIL PIPE
Those pipes that convey waste coming from
water closet.
 DEFINITION OF TERMS
AIR GAP
is the unobstructed vertical distance through the free
atmosphere between the lowest opening from any pipe or
faucet supplying water to tank, plumbing fixture, or other device
and the flood level rim of the receptacle.
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.
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 negative pressure

BATTERY OF FIXTURE
Refer to any group of two or more similar adjacent
fixtures which discharges into a common horizontal
waste pipe or soil branch.
BIB
Is synonymous with faucet, cock, tap, plug, etc.

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.
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 2.4
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.
CAUKING
Is the plugging an opening with oakum, lead or
other materials, that are pounded into the place or
opening.
CIRCUIT VENT
Is a branch vent that serves two or more traps, and
extend from the front of the last fixture connection of a
horizontal branch to the vent stack.
CONTINUOUS VENT
Is a vertical vent that is continuation of the drain to
which the vent connects.
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.
COMMNON VENT
Is a drain from two or three fixture connected to a
single trap. It is also called DUAL VENT
CROSS CONNECTION
Is any physical connection between two otherwise
separate piping system, one contains potable water, and
the other from unknown or questionable safety,
whereby, water may flow from one system ot 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 stagnation of water or air therein.
DEVELOPED LENGTH
The length along the center of the pipe and fitting.
DIAMETER
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.
DRAINAGE SYSTEM
Drainage system 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 included the mains of public sewer
system private or public sewerage treatment or diposal
plant.
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, measure 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 applicable to air gap)
EXISTING WORK
Shall apply to that portion of plumbing system that has
been installed and approved prior to the comteplated
addition , alteration or correction.
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 the 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 fixtures as a unit
of flow. Fixtures are rated as multiple of this unit of
flow. Fixture are rated a 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.
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 he
interior of the pipe.
FLUSH VALVE
Is a device located at the bottom of the tank for
flushing water closet and similar fixture
FLUSHOMETER VALVE
Is a device which discharges a predetermines
quantity of water to the fixture for flushing purposes
activated by direct water pressure.
GRADE
Is the slope or fall of pipe in reference to a fraction of
an inch per foot length of pipe.
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 deg with the vertical
INVERT
Is the lowest portion of the inside of any pipe or conduit
that is not vertical.
LIQUID WASTE
Is the discharge from any fixture appliance or
appurtenances 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.
MAIN VENT
Is the principal artery of the venting system to which vent
branches maybe connected.
PLUMBING FIXTURE
Are installed receptacles, devices or appliances which are
supplied with water, or which receives or discharges liquid or liquid
borne waste, with or without discharge into drainage system which
maybe directly or indirectly connected.
PLUMBING SYSTEM
The plumbing system includes the water supply distribution pipe;
plumbing fixtures and traps; soil, waste and vent pipes; house drains
and house sewers including their respective connections, devices
and appurtenances within the property lines of premises; and water
treating or water using equipment.
RELIEF VENT
A relief vent’s primary function is to provide circulation of
air between drainage and vent systems.
RE-VENT PIPE
A re-vent pipe (sometimes called individual vent) is that
part of the vent pipeline which connect directly with an
individual waste or group of wastes underneath or back of
the fixture, and extend either to the main or branch vent
pipe.
RISER
Is a water supply pipe which extend vertically one
full storey or more to convey water to branches or
fixtures.
ROUGH-IN
Is the installation of all parts of the plumbing system
which can be completed prior to the installation of fixtures.
This include drainage, water supply, vent piping and the
necessary fixture supports.
RETURN BEND
An open return bend usually with inside thread, but
applied also to 180 deg bend in pie
PUBLIC SEWER
Is a common sewer directly controlled by public
authorities where a;; abutters have equal rights of
connection.
SANITARY SEWAGE
The sewage containing human excrement and liquid
household. It is also called domestic sewage.
SANITARY SEWER
A sewer intended to received sanitary sewage with or
without industrial wastes and without the admixture of
surface water, storm water or drainage.
SECONDARY BRANCH
Any branch in the building drain other than the
primary branch.
SEWERAGE OF SEWAGE WORK
Is a comprehensive term including al construction or
collection, transportation, pumping, treatment and final
disposition of sewage.
SIAMESE TWIN
Is a Y connection used on fire lines so that the two
lines of hose maybe connected to a hydrant or to the
nozzle.
STANDPIPE
A vertical pipe usually used for the storage of water,
frequently under pressure.
SIDE VENT
Is a vent connecting to the drain pipe through a
fitting at an angle not greater than 45 deg or to be
vertical.
SOIL PIPE
Is any pipe that conveys the discharge of water closets
or fixture having similar functions, with or without the
discharge from other fixtures, to the building drains
(house drain) or building sewer (house sewer)
STACK
Is the vertical main of a system of soil, waste or vent pipe.
STACK GROUP
Is a term applied to the location of fixtures relation to
the stack so that by means of proper fittings, vents may be
reduced to a minimum.
STACK VENT
A stack vent is the extension of a soil or waste stack
above the highest horizontal drain connected to the
stack. It is sometimes called waste vent or soil vent.
STACK VENTING
Is a method of venting a fixture or fixtures through
the soil or waste stack
SUBSOIL DRAIN
Are underground drain pipes that receive sub-
surface or seepage water only and convey it to a place
of disposal.
VENT STACK
Is a vertical pipe installed primarily for the purpose of
providing circulation of air to different parts of the drainage
system.
VENT SYSTEM
Is a pipe or pipes installed to provide a flow or circulation of
air within the plumbing system to protect trap seals siphoning
and back pressure.
VERTICAL PIPE
Is a pipe installed in verticasl position or at an angle of not
more than 45 deg with the vertical.
WASTE PIPE
Is a pipe that convey liquid waste from fixture that is free of
fecal matter.
SUMP
A pit or receptacle at a low point to which the liquid
waste are drained.
TRAP
Is a fitting or device so designed as to provide when
properly vented a liquid seal that will prevent the back
passage of air without materially affecting the flow of
sewage through it.
TRAP SEAL
Is the maximum vertical depth of liquid that trap will
retain, measured between the crown weir and top of
the dip of the trap.