The DBA Plumber’s Dictionary
Not everyone’s a plumber and some words get “lost in translation”. There’s names, definitions and abbreviations that make sense to plumbers. Other people need a little help. To help with that, we’ve compiled a list of plumbers jargon that you’ve come across at one point or another.
- Backflow
Water that flows back through the pipes. Backflow contamination can cause major health problems if not fixed immediately.
- CxC
Short for “copper by copper”. This is an abbreviation used for copper fittings.
- Galvanized
When a metal pipe gets coated with zinc. This is done to stop corrosion.
- Gas main
A large pipe that’s the main source of natural gas for the city. Lots of offshoot pipes are connected to the main to supply homes and other buildings with gas for appliances and heating.
- Pilot light
A small blue flame that ignites the gas in older gas heaters.
- Plumbing riser
A pipe that connects fixtures to the stop valve.
- PVC
Black plastic that’s favoured for its durability, especially underground. PVC pipes are used for most plumbing solutions.
- Relief valve
A valve that’ll release excess pressure that builds in the pipes.
- Screed
Also called a mortar base. Screed is an essential component of waterproofing domestic wet areas. You can’t make a bathroom without it. Screed is a sand/cement mix that will take a few days to set before tiles and other flooring can get laid.
- Stop valve
The valve that cuts water to the property. It’s helpful to know where the valve is when you have a leak or a burst pipe. You can find these under an accessible panel or to the side of your property.
- Tankless heating
People are well-accustomed to hot water tanks found in a garage or closet, but tankless systems are on the rise. Tank heaters store hot water whereas tankless ones only heat the amount of water that runs through them.
- Tempering valve
This valve “tempers” the hot water so that it doesn’t run at a scalding temperature. They are temperature sensitive and adjust the hot/cold water ratio depending on how the taps are turned. They operate whenever someone runs hot water in the house, whether they’re washing their hands or taking a shower.
These jargon tips brought to you by the Hot Water System Tingalpa experts DBA Plumbing and Gas.
