Glossary of Top 50 Plumbing Terms You Should Know

When it comes to home plumbing, the more you learn, the better you will be able to understand plumbing problems. Learning the terminology also will help you communicate better with a professional plumber. Here is a glossary of the top 50 plumbing terms you should know.

1/8 Bend Offset
A plumbing fitting used for positioning a pipe around an obstacle

ABS
Stands for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, which is a hard, black plastic piping material used for vents and drains

Access Panel
Covered opening in a wall or ceiling near a fixture that allows access for servicing a plumbing or electric system

Adapter
A feature that fits pipes of different sizes and/or materials together

Air Trap
A u-shaped pipe filled with water and located beneath plumbing fixtures to form a seal against the passage of gases and odors

Angle Stop
The shutoff valve between the water supply line and the faucet/ toilet, which should be turned off during plumbing emergencies

Backflow
When water flows back into the main water supply

Back Vent
A separate vent for a plumbing fixture located on the downstream side of a trap

Balancing Ell
Using fitting, a configuration that controls the flow of water from a heating device

Ballcock
Activated by a float, it is primarily responsible for controlled water flow from the water supply line to the toilet

Ball Joint
The sphere shaped end of this flexible plumbing joint rests in a socket

Circuit Vent
Plumbing drainage system vertical vent which is run from the last two traps on a horizontal drain line to the main vent stack of a building drainage system

Closet Auger
A flexible, curved bar used for clearing obstructions from toilet traps to the mouth of the waste pipe

Coupling
A type of fitting used to join plumbing pipes

Diverter
Used most commonly in showers, bathtubs, sinks and bidets, it allows water to flow in several directions and different outlets

Drain
A system of pipes that draws away liquids

Drum Trap
A cylindrical plumbing fixture which retains water as a seal, with an outlet at its top and an inlet at its base

Ell
Plumbing fitting, shaped like an elbow, which allows water to flow in a curve

Fitting
A general term which refers to piping features like faucets and shower valves

Fixture
Any plumbing device that receives clean water and disposes of wastewater such as tubs, sinks and toilets

Fixture Drain
Also called a waste pipe, wet vent, or fixture branch, it carries wastes from non-toilet plumbing fixtures directly to the building drain

Flapper Valve
When opened, this mechanism allows water to flow from the water tank into the toilet bowl

Flow Control Valve
Device designed to reduce water flow to a plumbing fixture to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs

Horizontal Branch
Lateral drain pipes which run from the plumbing fixtures to the waste stack in a building or into the soil

Hot Water Main
It is through this pipe that fixtures are supplied with hot water

Increaser
Plumbing drainage fitting that enlarges the diameter of a straight-line run by virtue of its larger size on one end and smaller on the other

Main
The main channel of the plumbing system, to which all other pipes (drain and supply) branch off

Manifold
A fitting that connects multiple branches to the main

Mixing Valve
The faucet valve that allows the mixing of hot and cold water to reach a desired temperature

Nipple
A short-threaded pipe that squeezes between couplings or other fittings that enables the extension of an existing connection

P-Trap
Plumbing device, used to prevent sewer gas from entering a building, by keeping a water seal in the drain

Pipe Wrench
A tool that is used for holding and turning pipes

Plumber’s Putty
Material that is used to seal joints between pipes and fixtures

Plumbing Bend
Elbow fitting, used in drain and vent lines, to make a bend at an angle to the main line

Plumbing Snake
Thin, flexible length of spiral metal which is inserted into a drain and rotated to clear anything that is clogged in the pipes

Plunger
Basic plumbing tool that clears up clogs in traps and drains through suction and pressure

PVC
Stands for Polyvinyl Chloride, which is a strong white plastic that is used to build water supply lines

Reducer
Fitting that connects one pipe to another that is smaller

Riser
A vertical pipe that carries water to its respective fixture

Rough-in
Installation phase that covers waste and vent lines, drains and water

S-Trap
A plumbing trap that takes the shape of the letter S and is used where a waste pipe feeds into the floor instead of the wall

Sewer
A system of pipes, containment and treatment facilities for the disposal of plumbing wastes

Shutoff Valve
Generally points to the angle stop of a certain fixture, but can also refer to a branch line valve or the main valve located directly beside the water meter

Sleeve
Used either for insulation or protection of walls and pipes

Soil Pipe
A pipe that penetrates a roof and is used to vent a building’s plumbing

Strainer
A device commonly found in sinks and bathtubs, which prevents solid residue from entering and clogging drains

Supply Lines
These are the pipes responsible for carrying clean water to fixtures

Trap
The curved section of the drainpipe attached to every fixture which prevents harmful gases and unpleasant sewage odors from seeping into the house

Valve
A mechanism that controls the flow of liquid or gas to or from a pipe

Vent
This protrudes from the roof and allows air to pass through the drainpipes, ensuring wastewater flows properly

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