NHIE Terms (Plumbing System) Exam
Latest Premium Exam Questions and Answers | Expert Verified |
Latest Edition 2026/2027
Q: a bathroom with a sink and a toilet; also called a powder room.
Answer:
Half Bathroom
Q: 3/4 Bathroom
Answer:
a bathroom with a sink, toilet, and a shower, but no bathtub
Q: Aerator
Answer:
a device that introduces air into a water stream; usually attached to the outlet of sink
and
lavatory faucets.
Q: Adaptor
Answer:
a fitting that allows connection of different pipe types or different pipe sizes.
Q: an air pressure operated one-way valve used in place of an atmospheric
plumbing vent; this device is different from a check (cheater) vent which contains a
spring loaded gasket
and is not approved for use in site-built houses in most jurisdictions.
Answer:
Air Admittance Valve (AAV)
Q: Air Gap
Answer:
,the vertical distance between the discharge opening of a water supply fixture, such as a
faucet,
and the flood rim level of a fixture such as a sink; an air gap is one method of
preventing a cross-
connection between the water supply and drainage systems.
Q: Appliance, plumbing
Answer:
an appliance connected to the plumbing system that uses energy to perform its
function, such as a clothes washing machine, dishwashing machine, food-waste
disposer, or a water
heater.
Q: Arm, shower
Answer:
the generally horizontal pipe that connects the shower riser to the shower head;
usually
curves down at about a 30° angle near the shower head.
Q: Backflow
Answer:
the flow of a contaminate from an unintended source into the water supply system.
Q: Backpressure
Answer:
an uncommon condition that can occur when the pressure at a point outside the water
supply system is greater than the water supply system pressure. Ex-ample: the weight
of water in a
swimming pool located above the water supply system pipes can create enough
pressure to force
swimming pool water back into the water supply system pipes.
,Q: Backsiphonage
Answer:
an uncommon condition that can occur when there is negative pressure in the water
supply system pipes; contaminants can be sucked into the water supply system pipes.
Backsiphonage
usually occurs because of a sudden loss of water pressure combined with rapid
drainage of the water
supply system pipes.
Q: Backwater valve
Answer:
a device installed in the building drain pipe to prevent the flow of sewage from a
public sewer into the house. A backwater valve is recommended when plumbing
fixtures in a house are
located below the nearest upstream manhole cover of the public sewer.
Q: a fitting that changes the direction of flow in drainage pipes. Bends are identified
by the angle of
the direction change, either by a fraction or by the number of degrees of the direction
change. Common
bends include: 90° (1/4 bend), 60° (1/16 bend) 45° (1/6 bend), and 22° (1/16 bend).
The fraction describes
how much of a 360° circle that the bend angle sweeps
Answer:
Bend
Q: Branch drain (fixture branch)
Answer:
a pipe that receives material from two or more fixture drains or from
other branch drains; branch drains are usually horizontal pipes that may have some
vertical sections; a
, branch drain usually flows into a stack or into the building drain.
Q: Brazing (silver soldering)
Answer:
a method of joining metal pipe and fittings (usually copper) by fusing them
together with an alloy made mostly from silver at a temperature above 800° F; makes
a stronger
connection than soldering. Contrast Soldering (sweating).
Q: Building drain
Answer:
usually the lowest drainage pipe in the house; it extends 30 inches from the house
exterior wall where it connects to the building sewer
Q: Cleanout (plumbing)
Answer:
an accessible opening in drainage pipes that allows clearing of blockages; a
cleanout may be a fitting with a covered opening, or it may be a removable trap or a
fixture such as a
toilet.
Q: Compression Fitting
Answer:
a method of connecting water supply pipes and valves using a compression ring
(ferrule) and a compression nut; commonly used to connect small size pipes and tubes
to fixture shutoff
valves and to appliances such as ice makers.
Q: Coupling
Answer:
Latest Premium Exam Questions and Answers | Expert Verified |
Latest Edition 2026/2027
Q: a bathroom with a sink and a toilet; also called a powder room.
Answer:
Half Bathroom
Q: 3/4 Bathroom
Answer:
a bathroom with a sink, toilet, and a shower, but no bathtub
Q: Aerator
Answer:
a device that introduces air into a water stream; usually attached to the outlet of sink
and
lavatory faucets.
Q: Adaptor
Answer:
a fitting that allows connection of different pipe types or different pipe sizes.
Q: an air pressure operated one-way valve used in place of an atmospheric
plumbing vent; this device is different from a check (cheater) vent which contains a
spring loaded gasket
and is not approved for use in site-built houses in most jurisdictions.
Answer:
Air Admittance Valve (AAV)
Q: Air Gap
Answer:
,the vertical distance between the discharge opening of a water supply fixture, such as a
faucet,
and the flood rim level of a fixture such as a sink; an air gap is one method of
preventing a cross-
connection between the water supply and drainage systems.
Q: Appliance, plumbing
Answer:
an appliance connected to the plumbing system that uses energy to perform its
function, such as a clothes washing machine, dishwashing machine, food-waste
disposer, or a water
heater.
Q: Arm, shower
Answer:
the generally horizontal pipe that connects the shower riser to the shower head;
usually
curves down at about a 30° angle near the shower head.
Q: Backflow
Answer:
the flow of a contaminate from an unintended source into the water supply system.
Q: Backpressure
Answer:
an uncommon condition that can occur when the pressure at a point outside the water
supply system is greater than the water supply system pressure. Ex-ample: the weight
of water in a
swimming pool located above the water supply system pipes can create enough
pressure to force
swimming pool water back into the water supply system pipes.
,Q: Backsiphonage
Answer:
an uncommon condition that can occur when there is negative pressure in the water
supply system pipes; contaminants can be sucked into the water supply system pipes.
Backsiphonage
usually occurs because of a sudden loss of water pressure combined with rapid
drainage of the water
supply system pipes.
Q: Backwater valve
Answer:
a device installed in the building drain pipe to prevent the flow of sewage from a
public sewer into the house. A backwater valve is recommended when plumbing
fixtures in a house are
located below the nearest upstream manhole cover of the public sewer.
Q: a fitting that changes the direction of flow in drainage pipes. Bends are identified
by the angle of
the direction change, either by a fraction or by the number of degrees of the direction
change. Common
bends include: 90° (1/4 bend), 60° (1/16 bend) 45° (1/6 bend), and 22° (1/16 bend).
The fraction describes
how much of a 360° circle that the bend angle sweeps
Answer:
Bend
Q: Branch drain (fixture branch)
Answer:
a pipe that receives material from two or more fixture drains or from
other branch drains; branch drains are usually horizontal pipes that may have some
vertical sections; a
, branch drain usually flows into a stack or into the building drain.
Q: Brazing (silver soldering)
Answer:
a method of joining metal pipe and fittings (usually copper) by fusing them
together with an alloy made mostly from silver at a temperature above 800° F; makes
a stronger
connection than soldering. Contrast Soldering (sweating).
Q: Building drain
Answer:
usually the lowest drainage pipe in the house; it extends 30 inches from the house
exterior wall where it connects to the building sewer
Q: Cleanout (plumbing)
Answer:
an accessible opening in drainage pipes that allows clearing of blockages; a
cleanout may be a fitting with a covered opening, or it may be a removable trap or a
fixture such as a
toilet.
Q: Compression Fitting
Answer:
a method of connecting water supply pipes and valves using a compression ring
(ferrule) and a compression nut; commonly used to connect small size pipes and tubes
to fixture shutoff
valves and to appliances such as ice makers.
Q: Coupling
Answer:
