BD 2

1. PLUMBING
SYSTEMS

8. Three degrees or grades of WASTE WATER
1. Storm Water – from the rain
2. Grey Water – wastes from laundries, wash basins, sinks,
showers, bath tubs
3. Black Water – water plus human waste solid and liquid,
urine, that is flushed out of toilets and urinals.
ELEMENTS OF THE SANITARY SYSTEM
1. Soil Pipe – any pipe which conveys the discharge of water
closets, urinals, or fixtures having similar functions.
2. Stack – a general term used for any vertical line of soil,
waste, or vent piping.
3. Soil Stack Pipe – a vertical soil pipe conveying fecal matter
and liquid waste.

9. ELEMENTS (cont’d.)
4. Stack Vent – an extension or waste stack above the highest
horizontal drain connected to the stack.

10. ELEMENTS (cont’d.)
5. Vent – a pipe or opening used for ensuring the circulation of
air in a plumbing system and for reducing to pressure exerted
on trap seals.
6. Unit Vent – an arrangement of venting so installed that one
vent pipe will serve two (2) traps.
7. Wet Vent – that portion of a vent pipe through which liquid
waste flow.
8. Branch – any part of a piping system other than the main,
riser or stack.
9. Main – the main of any system of continuous piping is the
principal artery of the system to which branches may be
connected.
10. Branch Vent – a vent pipe connecting from a branch of the
drainage system to a vent stack.

11. ELEMENTS (cont’d.)
11. Waste Pipe – a pipe which conveys only liquid wastes free
of fecal matter.
12. Drain – a sewer or other pipe or conduit used for conveying
ground water, surface water, waste water, or sewage.
13. Sewer – a pipe or conduit for carrying sewage and waste
liquids.
14. Sewage – the liquid wastes conducted away from buildings/
structures, also of the storm water.
15. Sewerage – a comprehensive term, including all construction
for collection, transportation, pumping, treatment and final
disposition of waste.
16. Cleanout Ferrule – a metallic sleeve, calked or otherwise,
joined to an opening in a pipe, into which a plug is screwed
that can be removed for the purpose of cleaning or examining
the interior of the pipe.

12. ELEMENTS (cont’d.)
17. Trap – a fitting or device so constructed as to prevent the
passage of air, gas, and some vermin through a pipe with-
out materially affecting the flow of sewage or waste water
through it.
Cleanout Ferrule

13. ELEMENTS (cont’d.)
18. House Drain – that part of the lowest horizontal piping of a
plumbing system which receives the discharge from soil,
waste and other drainage pipes inside of a building and
conveys it to the house sewer. It should have a slope of at
least ¼” to a foot or 0.00g for every 0.30 meter (6 mm for
every 300 mm).
1/4”
12”
6 mm
300 mm (30 cm or 0.30 m)
19. House Sewer – the house sewer is that part of a plumbing
system extending from a point about four (4) or five (5) feet
from the inner face of the foundation wall of a building to the
junction with another sewer.

14. 20. House Trap – a trap connected to lowest horizontal piping
or House Drain.
21. Relief Vent – a vent the primary (Fresh Air Inlet) function of
which is to provide circulation of air between drainage and
vent system.
22. Public Sewer – a common sewer directly controlled by public
authority to which abutters have equal rights of connection.
23. Sipitonage – a section caused by the flow of liquids in pipes.

15. 24. Spigot – The end of a pipe which fits into a bell. Also a word
synonymously with the faucet.
25. Seal – The vertical distance between the dip and crown wire
of a trap.

16. 26. Roughing In – The installation of all pipes in the plumbing
system that are in partitions and under floors.
27. Finishing – The setting of Fixtures.
28. Sump – a pit or receptacle at a low point to which the liquid
wastes are drained.
29. Shaft – a vertical opening through a building for elevators,
dumbwaiters, light, ventilation, etc.
30. Sleeve – a sheet metal placed when concrete is poured to
accommodate future plumbing pipes.
31. Pipe Chase – an opening or space accommodate a group
pipes.
32. Duct – Opening for ventilation circulation of air.

17. Figure: A shaft, a pipe chase, and pipe sleeves

29. NATIONAL PLUMBING CODE