MASTER PLUMBER EXAM DEFINITION
OF TERMS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
BELL OR HUB - Answer-that portion of a pipe which, for a short distance, is sufficiently
enlarged to receive the end of another pipe of the same diameter for the purpose of
making rt caulked or push-on joint
BENDING PIN (or IRON) - Answer-a tool for straightening or bending lead pipe
synonymous with faucet, cock, tap, plug, etc. The word "faucet" is preferred
BIDET - Answer-A plumbing fixture used for washing the middle private part of the
body, especially the genitals. Also called a "sitz" bath.
BLANK FLANGE - Answer-A pipe flange that is not drilled for bolt holes
BLIND FLANGE - Answer-a flange that closes the end of a pipe. There is no opening for
the passage of liquid or gas.
BLOW·OFF - Answer-a controlled outlet of a pipeline to discharge liquid or detritus.
BOARO - Answer-the Licensure Board for Master Plumbers
BOILER BLOW-OFF - Answer-a valved outlet of a boiler that permits discharge of
accumulated sediment.
BRANCH - Answer-any part of the piping system other than a main, riser or stack .
BRANCH INTERVAL - Answer-a length of soil or waste stack corresponding in general
to a story height, but in no case less than 2.43 meters within which the horizontal
branches from one floor or story of a building are connected to the stack
BRANCH VENT - Answer-a horizontal vent connecting one or more individual vertical
back vents with the vent stack or stack vent.
BRAZED JOINT - Answer-any joint obtained by joining of metal parts with alloys which
melt at temperatures higher than 449 degrees centigrade, but lower than the melting
temperature of the parts to be joined
BUILDING DRAIN - Answer-that part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage
system which receives the discharge from soil, waste and other drainage pipes inside
the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer beginning 0.6 meter
outside the building wall.
,BUILDING SEWER - Answer-that part of the horizontal piping of a drainage system
which starts from the end of the building drain and which receives the discharge of the
building drain and conveys it to a public sewer, private sewer, individual sewage
disposal system or other point of disposal.
BUILDING SUBDRAIN - Answer-that portion of an underground system, which cannot
drain by gravity into the building sewer.
BUILDING SUPPLY - Answer-the pipe carrying potable water from the water meter or
other source of water supply to a building or other point of use or distribution on the lot.
Building supply shall also mean water service connection.
CAULKING - Answer-plugging an opening with oakum, lead or other materials that are
pounded into the annular space. Also, the material pounded into the annular opening .
CAP - Answer-a fitting, screwed or caulked over the end of a pipe for closing the pipe
end.
CATCH BASIN - Answer-a receptacle in which liquids are retained for sufficient periods
of time to allow settleable material to deposit.
CERTIFIED BACKFLOW ASSEMBLY TESTER - Answer-a person who has shown
competence to test and maintain backflow assemblies to the satisfaction of the
Administrative Authority having jurisdiction.
CESSPOOL - Answer-a non-watertight lined excavation in the ground which receives
the discharge of a sanitary drainage system or part thereof, designed to retain the
organic matter and solids discharging excretion, permitting the liquid to seep through
the bottom and sides of the cesspool.
CHASE - Answer-a vertical shaft for installation of different pipe stacks.
CHECK VALVE - Answer-a valve that automatically closes to prevent the flow of liquid
or gas in a reverse direction
CIRCUIT VENT - Answer-a group vent pipe which starts in front of the extreme fixture
connection on a horizontal branch and connects to the vent stack.
CODE - Answer-when used alone, shall mean these regulations, subsequent
amendments thereto or any emergency rule or regulation which the Administrative
Authority having jurisdiction may lawfully adopt .
COMBINATION WASTE AND VENT SYSTEM - Answer-a specially designed system of
waste piping embodying the horizontal wet venting of one or more sinks or floor drains
by means of a common horizontal waste and vent pipe. adequately sized to provide free
movement of air above the· flow line of the drain.
, COMBUSTIBLE CONSTRUCTION - Answer-a structure which any part of its structural
framework will ignite and burn at a temperature of 756 degrees centigrade or less.
COMMISSION - Answer-The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
COMMON - Answer-that part of a plumbing system designed and installed to serve
more than one
(1) appliance, fixture, building or system.
CONFINED SPACE - Answer-a room or space having a volume less than 14 cu. m with
250 kilogram calorie of the aggregate input rating of all fueling appliances installed in
that
CONTAMINATION - Answer-an impairment of the quality of the potable water which
creates an actual hazard to the public health through poisoning or spread of disease by
sewage, industrial fluids or waste. Also, defined as High Hazard.
CONTINUOUS VENT - Answer-a continuous vent is a vertical vent that is a continuation
of the drain to which the vent connects.
CONTINUOUS WASTE - Answer-a drain connecting the compartments of a set of
fixtures to a trap or connecting other permitted fixtures to a common trap.
CONDUCTOR OR DOWNSPOUT - Answer-a vertical pipe to convey rainwater .
CORPORATION COCK - Answer-a stop valve placed at the connection of the water
service pipe to the water main.
COURT - Answer-an open, unoccupied space, bounded on two (2) or more sides by the
walls of the building. An inner court is a court entirely within the exterior walls of a
building. All other courts are outer courts.
CRITICAL LEVEL - Answer-C-L or C/L marking on a backflow prevention device or
vacuum breaker is a point conforming to approved standard which determines the
minimum elevation above the flood level rim of the fixture or receptacle served where
the device may be installed. When a backflow prevention device does not bear a critical
level marking, the bottom of the vacuum breaker, combination valve or the bottom of
any such approved device shaH constitute the critical level.
CROSS-CONNECTION - Answer-any connection or arrangement, physical or
otherwise, between a potable water supply system and any plumbing fixture or any
tank. receptacle, equipment or device, through which enables non-potable, used,
unclean, polluted, contaminated water or other substances to enter into any part of such
potable water system under any condition.
OF TERMS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
BELL OR HUB - Answer-that portion of a pipe which, for a short distance, is sufficiently
enlarged to receive the end of another pipe of the same diameter for the purpose of
making rt caulked or push-on joint
BENDING PIN (or IRON) - Answer-a tool for straightening or bending lead pipe
synonymous with faucet, cock, tap, plug, etc. The word "faucet" is preferred
BIDET - Answer-A plumbing fixture used for washing the middle private part of the
body, especially the genitals. Also called a "sitz" bath.
BLANK FLANGE - Answer-A pipe flange that is not drilled for bolt holes
BLIND FLANGE - Answer-a flange that closes the end of a pipe. There is no opening for
the passage of liquid or gas.
BLOW·OFF - Answer-a controlled outlet of a pipeline to discharge liquid or detritus.
BOARO - Answer-the Licensure Board for Master Plumbers
BOILER BLOW-OFF - Answer-a valved outlet of a boiler that permits discharge of
accumulated sediment.
BRANCH - Answer-any part of the piping system other than a main, riser or stack .
BRANCH INTERVAL - Answer-a length of soil or waste stack corresponding in general
to a story height, but in no case less than 2.43 meters within which the horizontal
branches from one floor or story of a building are connected to the stack
BRANCH VENT - Answer-a horizontal vent connecting one or more individual vertical
back vents with the vent stack or stack vent.
BRAZED JOINT - Answer-any joint obtained by joining of metal parts with alloys which
melt at temperatures higher than 449 degrees centigrade, but lower than the melting
temperature of the parts to be joined
BUILDING DRAIN - Answer-that part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage
system which receives the discharge from soil, waste and other drainage pipes inside
the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer beginning 0.6 meter
outside the building wall.
,BUILDING SEWER - Answer-that part of the horizontal piping of a drainage system
which starts from the end of the building drain and which receives the discharge of the
building drain and conveys it to a public sewer, private sewer, individual sewage
disposal system or other point of disposal.
BUILDING SUBDRAIN - Answer-that portion of an underground system, which cannot
drain by gravity into the building sewer.
BUILDING SUPPLY - Answer-the pipe carrying potable water from the water meter or
other source of water supply to a building or other point of use or distribution on the lot.
Building supply shall also mean water service connection.
CAULKING - Answer-plugging an opening with oakum, lead or other materials that are
pounded into the annular space. Also, the material pounded into the annular opening .
CAP - Answer-a fitting, screwed or caulked over the end of a pipe for closing the pipe
end.
CATCH BASIN - Answer-a receptacle in which liquids are retained for sufficient periods
of time to allow settleable material to deposit.
CERTIFIED BACKFLOW ASSEMBLY TESTER - Answer-a person who has shown
competence to test and maintain backflow assemblies to the satisfaction of the
Administrative Authority having jurisdiction.
CESSPOOL - Answer-a non-watertight lined excavation in the ground which receives
the discharge of a sanitary drainage system or part thereof, designed to retain the
organic matter and solids discharging excretion, permitting the liquid to seep through
the bottom and sides of the cesspool.
CHASE - Answer-a vertical shaft for installation of different pipe stacks.
CHECK VALVE - Answer-a valve that automatically closes to prevent the flow of liquid
or gas in a reverse direction
CIRCUIT VENT - Answer-a group vent pipe which starts in front of the extreme fixture
connection on a horizontal branch and connects to the vent stack.
CODE - Answer-when used alone, shall mean these regulations, subsequent
amendments thereto or any emergency rule or regulation which the Administrative
Authority having jurisdiction may lawfully adopt .
COMBINATION WASTE AND VENT SYSTEM - Answer-a specially designed system of
waste piping embodying the horizontal wet venting of one or more sinks or floor drains
by means of a common horizontal waste and vent pipe. adequately sized to provide free
movement of air above the· flow line of the drain.
, COMBUSTIBLE CONSTRUCTION - Answer-a structure which any part of its structural
framework will ignite and burn at a temperature of 756 degrees centigrade or less.
COMMISSION - Answer-The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
COMMON - Answer-that part of a plumbing system designed and installed to serve
more than one
(1) appliance, fixture, building or system.
CONFINED SPACE - Answer-a room or space having a volume less than 14 cu. m with
250 kilogram calorie of the aggregate input rating of all fueling appliances installed in
that
CONTAMINATION - Answer-an impairment of the quality of the potable water which
creates an actual hazard to the public health through poisoning or spread of disease by
sewage, industrial fluids or waste. Also, defined as High Hazard.
CONTINUOUS VENT - Answer-a continuous vent is a vertical vent that is a continuation
of the drain to which the vent connects.
CONTINUOUS WASTE - Answer-a drain connecting the compartments of a set of
fixtures to a trap or connecting other permitted fixtures to a common trap.
CONDUCTOR OR DOWNSPOUT - Answer-a vertical pipe to convey rainwater .
CORPORATION COCK - Answer-a stop valve placed at the connection of the water
service pipe to the water main.
COURT - Answer-an open, unoccupied space, bounded on two (2) or more sides by the
walls of the building. An inner court is a court entirely within the exterior walls of a
building. All other courts are outer courts.
CRITICAL LEVEL - Answer-C-L or C/L marking on a backflow prevention device or
vacuum breaker is a point conforming to approved standard which determines the
minimum elevation above the flood level rim of the fixture or receptacle served where
the device may be installed. When a backflow prevention device does not bear a critical
level marking, the bottom of the vacuum breaker, combination valve or the bottom of
any such approved device shaH constitute the critical level.
CROSS-CONNECTION - Answer-any connection or arrangement, physical or
otherwise, between a potable water supply system and any plumbing fixture or any
tank. receptacle, equipment or device, through which enables non-potable, used,
unclean, polluted, contaminated water or other substances to enter into any part of such
potable water system under any condition.
