MODULE 8 PLUMBING - TERMS

• Personal hygiene

  • This is to maintain the body clean, a regular supply of hot water is required to break down and dissolve oil and dirt
• Washing

  • Certain substances, such as fatty foods on plate, require a temperature of 60 degrees centigrade to lift them.
• Storage tank and heating device

  • These are so assembled as to create a circulation of water within them.
• Range boiler

  • In this system, the water is being heated by the boiler is used out of the hot water faucets
• Range boiler and furnace oil

  • Usually mounted upright on a stand.
  • A drain placed at the bottom to remove the sediment.
  • The furnace oil is the furnace box.
• Range boiler and heater

  • It is usually installed horizontally on a stand
  • The heater may be fired by coal, gas, or oil
• Indirect water heating system

  • In this system, the water that is heated by the boiler is never used out of the hot wate rfaucets but circulates through a heat exchanger.
  • It takes form of a coil of pipe within the hot water storage tank.
• Centralized Hot - Water System

  • In this system, water is heated and stored centrally and distributed to the water faucets via hot water spring.
  • For residences, electric heating element is directly immersed into the water to be heated.
  • For commercial, independent boil or furnace is being used to heat water remotely.
• The hot water is stored in a range boiler or storage tank that is located as near the boilers as possible to keep heat losses at minimum.
• Heating element

  • The size of this element has a direct bearing on the heating up time, which is also related to the size of storage cylinder.
• Thermostat

  • The key to a satisfactory and economical water heater, automatically switching off the power when the preset temperature is reached and switching on again when the hot water is drawn off, or the temperature drops through heat loss.
• Hot water storage tank

  • This tank serves the domestic hot water system in a storage capacity.
• Hot water pipes

  • This should be as short as possible to avoid dead leg.
• Instantaneous water heater

  • This instantly heats cold water as it passes through the heater. This heater is compact since storage is not required.
• Shower model

  • This type of instantaneous water heater model has a power consumption of 6kW and provides a continuous supply of hot water at a maximum rate of 3 liters per minute at a showering temperature of 40 deg. centigrade.
• Multi-point model

  • This kind of model serves as several fixtures such as lavatory, sink, bidet and shower.
• Cold water supply

  • Delivered into the tank via a boiler tube that extends to within 150mm of the tank bottom. The purpose of this is to avoid the possibility of cooling the hot water which accumulates at the top of the tank.
• Flow connection

  • It is connected to an opening on the tank somewhere above its center point. The heated water flows from the heater into the tank.
• Return connection

  • Connected to a tapping on the bottom of the tank. It returns the cold water from the bottom of the tank to the heater.
• Drain valve

  • Located as the lowest point of the storage tank.
• Hot water distribution pipe

  • Connected to a tapping on the top of the tank at the point near the flow inlet.
• Blow-off valve

  • Installed to the storage tank to control the temperature and pressure and to prevent serious difficulties should the tank become overheated.
• The essential principle of "Equa-flow" is that the demand on each heater in the tank is the same as any other.
• Lavatory Model

  • This kind of model has a rated power consumption of 3kW and provides a continuous supply of warm water for hand washing at a rate of about 1.4 LPM.
• Pressure relief valve

  • It is designed to open if the pressure in the system reaches that set of point on the valve.
• Air vent

  • It is a fitting used to remove air, either manually but most common automatically from water heating system.
• Air separator

  • It removes smaller air bubbles called microbubbles from the system.
• Dead leg

  • It is a long pipe run whereby it takes a long time to push out the cold water for the sake of small amount of water.
• Pump circuit system

  • The circulation of hot water to the plumbing fixtures by means of a mechanical device, usually a centrifugal pump.
• Up - feed and gravity return system

  • With this system, as the hot water in the pipe cools, the cooled water, being heavier than the how water, slowly falls down the return pipes to the heaters while the hot water replaces it in the system.
  • Most commonly used in residences.
• Overhead feed and gravity return system

  • The operating principle of this system is water rises when heated. After it has reached the high point of the system, natural forces of gravity return it to the storage unit.
  • Most efficient method of delivering hot water to fixtures.
  • Generally used in multi-storey buildings.
• Range boiler

  • It is a small cylindrical hot water tank that varies in size from 300mm to 600mm in diameter and is not more than 1800mm long.
  • It is made of galvanized steel of standard and extra heavy gauge.
• Single boiling type heater

  • It is filed with water to the desired level before use.
  • As long as there is a reading on the sight glass heating element will be covered.
• Circulating pump

  • Moves water through a piping system
• The movement of the water is the result of "molecular activity."