A guide to understanding plumbing jargon

When your plumbers talk to you, you may hear many unfamiliar and confusing words. They may use so much plumbing jargon and terminology for plumbing parts and components that you can't help but be turned around.

Considering how important your plumbing system is, it is helpful to understand what your plumbers say. Here's a guide to understanding plumbing jargon that you can use.

You can learn more about blocked drains terminology, water heater jargon, septic systems, and plumbing terminology for gas lines.

Plumbing Terminology Explained

Here are some plumbing jargon and their descriptions:

Blocked drains

You need to understand what blocked drains are to be able to understand the process of practices like pipe relining. In addition, your plumber may need your access cover to be unscrewed if your household sewer drains are blocked.

Drain cleaning and sewer repairs

You may hear some plumbing terminology when your plumber needs to access your sewer drains for drain cleaning and sewer repairs.

Sewer inspection shaft

A sewer inspection shaft usually provides access to sewer drains. Plumbers use inspection points when they need to perform sewer repairs and drain cleaning.

Government inspection opening (GIO)

This sewer inspection shaft has been extended to the surface level. It is usually located at your property boundary and serves as the connection point between your sewer and the sewer system of the authorities.

Access panel

Access panels provide access to plumbing systems. They are openings in ceilings or walls close to plumbing fixtures.

Vent pipes

Vent pipes play an important role in drawing air into sewer systems in a bid to prevent pressure fluctuations and ease the passage of gases. They also allow sewer systems to breathe.

Sanitary drains

A sanitary drain carries waste water away from your property. You can consider fittings and pipes outside your building and within your property line sanitary drains.

House drains

These are plumbing components that are within sanitary drain systems. They are plumbing located within your building.

Inspection opening (I.O)

An inspection opening provides a point of access for plumbers to get into your house drains and branch drains.

Drainage diagram

Your local water authority can provide you with a plan or map showing the approved sewer lines on your property. This is called a drainage diagram.

Sewer main

Sewer mains refer to the pipes that move wastewater from your property. They are publicly owned pipes.

Hot Water Heater Supply and Water Heater Jargon

Your water mains or wells can supply cold water to your toilet tanks or taps. On the other hand, your water heater supplies hot water for dishwashing, baths, and showers. You may connect a central water heater to your main water pipe through a branch line.

A different series of pipes can transport the hot water to the locations where you need hot water.

Breacher piece

These are pipe fittings typically located in walls that link hot and cold water pipes/taps to aid the proper mixing of water and final discharge from a single outlet.

Tempering valve

Tempering valves function as three-way mixing devices for hot and cold water. They also help to temper the hot water supply to the taps in your home.

Relief valves

Relief valves are safety valves, including Pressure Temperature Relief (PTR) and Expansion Control Valves (ECV). They help to protect storage hot water tanks from excessive water pressure.

Valve train

A valve train consists of a series of fittings and valves that link the water mains to the cold water inlet of storage hot water heaters. Here, you can find the tempering valve's tee piece, the expansion control valve, and the duo valve.

Anode rod

This sacrificial rod helps to protect your water heater tank from corrosion.

Galvanised steel pipes

Galvanised steel pipes are commonly used for both hot and cold water lines. They are good at preventing external rust but may rust internally as time goes on. As such, they are not ideal if your home has hard water.

General Plumbing Repair Terminologies

You may wonder what could cause water gushing from under sinks, drains, or toilet bases. You may suspect a plumbing leak from a pipe or clogged drains. Before your plumber begins kitchen or toilet repairs or decides to use water softeners, you should understand the plumbing issue to prevent future recurrence.

But then, you may find it difficult to understand specific plumbing terminology and be unable to differentiate between plumbing fixtures. Here is some general plumbing jargon for an easier understanding of "plumbing speak:"

Water hammer arrestors

These devices help to absorb sudden pressure changes in plumbing systems. They are connected to water pipeworks, and they also help to reduce pipe noises and vibrations.

O-ring

This plumbing component is a simple rubber loop that directs water in the proper direction. It functions by creating a watertight seal.

Ball valve

This is a spherical device that turns and controls the flow of water.

Check valve

Check valves help to keep water flowing in a direction without reversing courses.

Rainbank

People connect this automatic pump system to their cold water supply and rainwater tanks to feed their toilets.

Inlet valve

This water valve in the cistern controls water flow into your cistern.

Valve seat

Valve seats help to stop water flow when the movable component of valves comes into contact with the valve seats.

Ball check valve

A ball check valve discontinues flow in a particular direction when the ball seals against a seat.

Well casing

This is a plastic pipe that you can insert into a well. It helps to prevent dirt contamination.

Plumbing Jargon for Toilet and Septic Systems

You may face common plumbing issues on your sewer drain lines or septic drain fields and may need an expert to repair sewer plumbing. You can read up on the following plumbing terminology to better understand your plumber.

Septic tank

Septic tanks are underground tanks where household toilet wastewater is treated. Septic systems can separate solids and liquids.

Pans

Pans are toilet bowls.

Backflow preventer

This device helps to defend your water supply. It helps maintain water pressure and prevents clean water from mixing with already-drained water.

Waste stack

Waste stacks are central vertical pipes in drainage systems. They can extend to several stories.

Float valve

Float valves turn off the flow of water upon reaching a specific capacity. In other words, float valves monitor water levels in cisterns and act when the capacity is reached.

This way, the float valve controls the water flowing in your toilet cistern.

Bioretention basin

You may go for this eco-friendly basin if you need a natural filtration system for your stormwater system. Plants and soil are used to clean up water runoff.

Pressure reducing valve (PRV)

With Pressure Limiting Valves (PLVs), PRVs help regulate water pressure in plumbing systems. They maintain a steady flow and prevent spikes.

Stop valves

If you need to perform faucet repairs on a single leaky faucet, you most likely need to shut it off temporarily. Stop valves help you to shut off the supply to an individual faucet and thus avoid having to shut off the water supply to your home.

Traps

Traps are sections of pipes that are located beneath your sink. They are also found as a built-in component in the base of your toilet. Traps help to prevent the backup of sewer gas into your home as water always remains in the trap.

Cleanout plug

This drain pipe or plug-in trap provides access for clearing blockages.

Closet auger

This is a flexible rod that you can use to access toilet traps to remove clogs.

Closet bend

You can find closet bends below toilets. They are curved fittings that join closet flanges to toilet drains.

Closet flange

This anchoring ring is a closet bend attachment secured to the floor. It helps to secure toilets in position.

Flapper valve

The flapper valve is the toilet tank component that opens up and allows water to flow from the tank into the bowl.

Float balls

The floating ball rises or falls as the tank water levels change. It, therefore, shuts off the ballcock or activates it as needed.

Floor flange

This helps to connect your toilet to a floor drain.

Grey water

Wastewater that comes from bathtubs, sinks, and showers is referred to as grey water.

Horizontal branch

These are lateral soil pipes that connect plumbing fixtures to waste stacks.

Plumbing Jargon for Gas Lines and Repairs

Here are a few plumbing terminology that relate to gas lines:

Gas cock

This refers to a plug valve installed in the main gas lines.

Drip leg

Plumbers place drip legs at low points in gas piping. Drip legs aid in the collection of condensate.

Vent stack

This is a fixture for conveying gases and odours out of the building.

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

ABS is a plastic pipe that you can use for drain, waste, and vent lines.

Branch vent

This vent connects one or several vents with a vent stack.

How Plumbing Professionals Can Be of Help

• Plumbing professionals are qualified to provide plumbing tips for water supply lines and irrigation systems.
• They can help provide money-saving options for repairs. For instance, they can advise if your corroded anode rod needs replacement.
• They can help you locate shutoff valves and deal with issues such as broken pipes.
• Plumbers provide emergency plumbing services such as leak detection and fix problems relating to trenchless sewers and slab leaks.

Hire a Plumbing Contractor for Plumbing Problems

This guide on understanding plumbing jargon can serve as a helpful plumbing glossary. However, you must look beyond plumbing repair or installation costs and consider the benefits of using professional plumbing services.

Plumbing issues can be complex, even when you know how the components function. A plumbing contractor can help with plumbing repairs and installations, amongst other services.