HELPFUL TIP Before outdoor temps drop below freezing, the water to each outside spigot should be turned off and the pipe drained. > More Tips   PLUMBING TERMS ABS - Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (wow that’s a mouthful). Rigid black plastic pipe used for drain, waste, and vent lines. Access panel - Covered opening in a wall or ceiling near a fixture that allows access for servicing a plumbing or electric system. Aerator - A device screwed into the end of a faucet spout that mixes air into flowing water, and controls flow to reduce splashing. It sometimes contains a baffle to reduce flow to 2.5 gpm. Anti-Siphon - Preventive device for the backflow of liquid into a system. Used on toilet and urinal systems to prevent water from trickling back into the supply that is feeding it. Doesn’t help with snake bites. Area drain - A drain designed to receive and convey run-off water or other liquid from the areas immediately adjacent to the building structure to the drainage system. Backflow preventor - A device to prevent backflow, especially into a potable water supply. This is generally required for sprinkler systems, handheld showers, pullout faucet spouts, kitchen sprayers, etc. Bathbay - Molded fiberglass unit that includes a bathtub and the surrounding walls as a single entity. Boiler drain - Straight globe stop on a washing machine. Also used at the bottom of a water heater. By-pass valve - Used to divert water when it is undesirable for the water to be processed by the water softener. Water supplying a sprinkler system for instance, does not need to be softened. Closet collar - An anchoring ring that attaches to the closet bend and is secured to the floor. The heads of closet bolts, used to secure the toilet in place, insert into slots in the closet flange. Continuous waste - Pipes under a double or triple sink that connect and remove waste water. Direct drain - A drain that flows directly into the waste arm without an air drop. Commonly used in lavatories. Double-bowl vanity - A vanity that has two lavatories. Wow, that’s a lot of vanity. Elongated water closet - The shape of some toilet bowls, where the bowl is about 2 inches longer than the standard round front bowl, usually 14 inches wide by 18 inches long. Extension tailpiece - A slip on tube that connects the continuous waste to the p-trap. Flanged tailpiece - The pipe which is directly under the strainer and commonly used as a laundry tub. Flapper - The moving part of the flush valve that seals the water into the tank or allows water to exit the tank for the flush cycle. The most common replacement part used on conventional toilets. Also a 1920s dancer. Flare adaptor - A fitting used to connect flexible copper pipe, usually gas pipe Float Ball - The spherical float connected to the ball cock inside the tank that rises or falls with changing water levels in the tank, and actuates or shuts off the ballcock as needed. Flush Mount Sink - Sink that sits flush and even with the countertop and is supported by a metal ring. Flux - Paste applied to copper pipes and fittings before soldering to help the fusion process and prevent oxidation. Gasket - Flat device usually made of fiber or rubber used to provide a watertight seal between metal joints. Frost proof sillcock - An exterior threaded faucet connection for garden hoses that provides water outside a home. A frost proof sillcock has an internal mechanism to turn the water flow off inside the house instead of right at the spigot. These are usually installed at a very slight angle so that all of the water will drain out. Hard water - Natural water containing impurities in various proportions. Traditional hardness is a measure of calcium or dissolved solids in a solution, measured in parts per million. Hard water generally ranges from 100 to 250 ppm, Hose bib - An outdoor faucet also used to supply washing machines. Ice Maker Box - Box in the wall behind the refrigerator that contains a valve to attach the copper tubing that supplies water to the ice maker. Johnnie Bolt - Bolts that fasten a water closet (toilet) to the floor. Laundry tub - Very deep sink used in a laundry room for soaking or washing clothing. Laundry box - Box that contains the water supply valves and drain for washing machine. Lavatory - Bathroom sink. Overflow Tube - The vertical tube inside a toilet tank that directs water into the bowl in case the ballcock malfunctions. It is usually part of the flush valve and prevents potential water damage caused by a tank overflow. A "constant-running" condition alerts the user to a problem. On most toilets, the overflow tube also has a refill tube flowing into it, which directs water from the ballcock through the overflow tube to the bowl, after a siphon break. Panic pan - Shallow pan placed under a washing machine to contain any accidental overflow. Pedestal lavatory - Bathroom lavatory with a matching leg. Pex piping - Cross-linked polyethylene. PEX tubing is commonly used for hydronic radiant floor heat, but increasingly also used for water supply lines. Stronger than Polyethylene plastic material. Power vent water heater - Power venting - Mechanical draft exhaust to outside, usually utilizing room air to support combustion. Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) - A valve that automatically reduces inlet water pressure to a specified value at its outlet under static cold water conditions. P-Trap - Curved section of drain line that prevents sewer odors from escaping into the atmosphere. All fixtures that have drains must have a "P" trap installed. A toilet is the only plumbing fixture with an "S" trap. PVC - Polyvinyl chloride. A rigid white or cream-colored plastic pipe used in non-pressure systems, such as drainage, waste, and vent systems. Radon venting - Radon is a ground-generated radioactive gas that seeps into some homes through sump pumps, cracks in the foundation and other inlets. A serious health hazard. Recirculation line - Connects from the highest fixture in the house to the water heater. It may operate with a pump or by gravity. Purpose is to have hot water supply near the fixtures at all times. Reverse osmosis - A water treatment method whereby water is forced through a semi permeable membrane that filters out impurities. Roman tub filler - Deck-mounted faucet spout. Why Roman? We don’t know. Roof vent - A pipe that allows air into a drain system to balance the air pressure, preventing water in the traps from being siphoned off. Round water closet - Standard shape of the front of a toilet bow, having dimensions of 14" wide by 16" long from center of seat hinge holes to front outside rim edge. Self-rim lavatory bowl - Sink with no metal ring that has a built-in lip of the same material, which supports it in the vanity top. Sillcock - An outdoor faucet. Soft water - Water that has a low calcium and magnesium content. Standpipe - A stand pipe can be any of the following: Open vertical pipe that receives water from a washing machine, vertical pipe supplying water to a fire sprinkler system, large vertical pipe into which water is pumped in order to produce a desired pressure, a high vertical pipe or reservoir that is used to secure a uniform pressure in a water-supply system. Stop and waste - Valve required by law to be placed inside the house on a pipe supplying outside sillcocks. Purpose is to allow a homeowner to be able to drain the line. Should be done before temperatures drop below freezing. Sump pump Sump - A pit or pool for draining, collecting, or storing water. Pump - A mechanism for removing water or wastewater from a sump or wet well. Put them together and you’ve got a sump pump. Tub and shower trim - Handles, escutcheon and other decorative metal trim for tubs and showers. Frequently made of chrome but may also have a brass, pewter or other finish. Tub/shower module - Same as a bath bay, but module is very fun word. Under-mount sink - Sink or lavatory that mounts completely under a countertop. Clips are drilled into the side for installation and the seam between the countertop and rim are sealed. Often used with granite countertops. Vent Stack - Upper portion of the soil stack above the topmost fixture through which gases and odors escape. Waste and overflow - Waste pipe that connects the overflow on the side of the tub and the drain at the bottom of the tub. Waste and vent - Each waste line must have a corresponding vent line. When water flows into the line, the displaced air moves out through the vent pipe. To illustrate – if only one hole is punched in a can, the liquid does not flow out easily, if at all. Punch a second hole in the can so air can move in freely to replace the liquid as the container is emptied and the liquid pours out smoothly. Water Closet - A toilet. Water hammer - A loud banging noise caused by the hydraulic shock of suddenly shutting off a water supply, where water moves against the side of containing pipe or vessel. Not caused by the basement monster. Water Meter - A device to measure the amount of water used by a household. Most municipalities bill according to the amount of water consumed. There is often a charge for the water and a corresponding charge for the sewer to remove the waste water. Measured water, who knew?