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PLUMBING
vent. See

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or exhaust

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used t to degree u s of
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has a straighten
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T.
LOCAL VEN

hole, pipe
aa-ter)] a flap ininaadrilled a g e to a sewer evaluation barium c of conditio
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DICTIONARY
s e s to p r e v (c r u -c i-b
devic
ture ise hoop
and th en clo
(com-pres-sion)] g . the com- classified
fractory as either
material le) a
p -
a pression o m e n te r in in g or caor used
t, isfrom er air fr stress onh ) the1 .wall arcof haaichazard” lc “nonhealth
in a
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Engto
te r fo r s la shing a b B a term
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high deto
ssemerseal of four g r e
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late wa stream. 2. in Process o
e
heat-
t is n o t r a s h a
vent
ll o w in a(ster-i-liz-er g o
a water
p
r r o -c e (be
a
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2. theting stanchindrainage
building g is used to system m o v
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or a pip ) that portion of
short dise fitting which,
enlarged tance, is suffic
spigot en to receive the pla
pipe or p d of another len
diameter ipe fitting of the g
making a for the purpo
bee-hive joint. See HUB. s
hive stra strainer, urina
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er, spira lotted cage type spe
Sixth Edition
drain of l shaped, attach tr
cover_1
liquids toa urinal, used to ed
i flow bu al
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PLUMBING
DICTIONARY
Sixth Edition

Published by
ASSE International
18927 Hickory Creek Drive, Suite 220
Mokena, Illinois 60448

Edited by
ASSE Plumbing Nomenclature Committee
Carl Schroeder, FASSE, Chairman
Diana Corcoran, ASSE Staff Liaison

© Copyright 2007, 1996, 1988, 1979, 1975, 1971

Mokena, Illinois

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording
or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission in
writing from the publisher.

i
Foreword
This edition is for practical and widespread use to fill a void in existing technical
literature for this field of knowledge. It will be tested through use and improved
as needed. It is to be expected that omissions will be discovered by readers and
critics, and that some of the entries will engender criticism and comment. The
Nomenclature Committee of ASSE International will welcome every criticism and
suggestion for inclusions and deletions in future editions.

Almost every professional society has a nomenclature committee. Ours decided

to venture where no one in plumbing had gone before us – that is, to this actual
publication. It is a beginning.

Let special legal meanings be decided by constituted authorities and the courts.
It is the purpose of this book to be “descriptive,” not prescriptive; to describe,
define, and explain, and not to prescribe limitations or establish fixed and
restrictive meanings; to record the words and combinations of words used in
plumbing, and to give the definitions and meanings of these words and terms.
Wherever possible, nontechnical language has been used, but specialized and
technical terminology have been retained wherever necessary to help give the
truest pertinent meanings. It is intended, thereby, that either the knowledgeable
sanitarian or the student who seeks to learn, can rely on the information to be
found in this book.

Plumbers’ work encompasses many fields of knowledge. Plumbing is affected by

advancements in technology, new inventions, improvements of materials, and
discoveries in seemingly unrelated fields. Similarly, the terminology of plumbing
is derived from everyday human language, which is constantly changing. In
this dynamic environment, the Nomenclature Committee of ASSE International
collected the terms and words of plumbing for this Plumbing Dictionary.

This dictionary includes many words that are not common in daily speech. On
the other hand, it has many words that are regularly used by everyone, but have
become specialized and thus have, in the sense used, become plumbing terms
– like “vent,” “fixtures,” and “water closet.” To prepare this book, we started to
collect words and terms from plumbing trade publications, product catalogues,
text books, plumbing code books, reference books, and dictionaries. We
solicited lists from people in all phases of plumbing; from manufacturers,
plumbers, plumbing inspectors, and educators ... and we are extremely
grateful for the enthusiastic responses we received.

ii
Trade names and brand names have been purposely omitted from this book.
Several grammatical functions such as pronunciation symbols, inflectional forms,
and etymologies have been omitted as they are in most technical dictionaries.
When two or more words have similar meanings, or are used interchangeably,
the definition given under the term is the most-used or preferred. Use of varied
terms and meanings, due to geographical differences, has resulted, in several
instances, in a polysemous entry (many meanings for the same word).

The main entry appears in bold type without capitalization. Filing is in strict
alphabetical order by letter, without regard to spacing, hyphens, etc. – as
shellac, orange, and shellac white; before shell, tank. A word having more than
one syllable is usually divided into phonetic syllables, retaining correct spelling.
This is shown in parenthesis. (pa-ren-the-sis).

Definitions are shown in sentence form. Wherever examples follow the definition
sentence, the first word of the example sentence is capitalized. Cross-references
are encouraged by use of “see” and “see also” in small letters, no punctuation;
followed by the referred-to term.

Special acknowledgment and gratitude of all contributors to this edition is due

to lexicographer Amy Jacobson for the dedication and diligence that provided
the wealth of information that was gathered for the first edition. The Library of
Congress in Washington, D.C., The Cleveland Public Library in Cleveland, Ohio,
and The Library of The American University in Washington, D.C. were used
at various stages in the preparation of this book. The committee resubmitted
sections to the subject authorities for their comments and criticism, and thus were
able to maintain cross-checks for accuracy and completeness. We were capably
assisted in cross-referencing and in keeping format by our librarian, Amy Isaacs.

The pursuit of this project has given many great personal pleasures, not
the least of which were the pleasures of friendships proved over and over
again in the cooperation of all who participated in preparing this book. The
patience shown and the encouragement given by ASSE officers and members
is gratefully acknowledged. Since the work of all contributors was voluntary,
it was performed in time not otherwise preempted in busy schedules. Perhaps
this patience will be rewarded by the early establishment of a repository for a
library of catalogues and a long list of tradenames, the beginnings of which
has been collected by the Nomenclature Committee in the course of preparing
this book.

iii
Dedications
I.D. “Budd” Jacobson
ASSE International, by action of its Board of Directors, dedicates the Sixth
Edition of the ASSE Plumbing Dictionary to I.D. (Budd) Jacobson, who, as
Chairman of the Nomenclature Committee, originated the idea of the ASSE
Plumbing Dictionary. Through his efforts, the first four editions of the Plumbing
Dictionary were published – each containing more and more definitions and
other information, to the point where the book is now used internationally as a
basis for plumbing terminology. As its author, his name will be remembered for
generations to come.

John E. Matthews, P.E.

ASSE International, by action of its Board of Directors, dedicates the Sixth
Edition of the ASSE Plumbing Dictionary to John E. Matthews, P.E., through
whose efforts the Fifth Edition of the Plumbing Dictionary was published.

iv
Nomenclature Committee
Sixth Edition
Carl Schroeder – Chairman, Michigan Chapter
Sean Cleary – Northeastern Pennsylvania Chapter
Shannon M. Corcoran – Northern Ohio Chapter
Robert L. Cross – Texas Gulf Coast Chapter
Joseph Fugelo – Pennsylvania Chapter
Thomas Molnar – New York Chapter
Richard J. Prospal – Northern Ohio Chapter

v
 A.    accessory

Aa

A. 1. in plumbing, a designer’s abbreviation. absorption (ab-sorp-tion) if a solid takes

for air. 2. less common in plumbing up a liquid or a gas or a liquid takes up
terminology but sometimes used to a gas and the latter permeates the former
abbreviate acres or absolute. through its entire substance, absorption
is said to take place.
Abbr. in this book, used to mean
abbreviation. abv. Abbr. for above.
abdominal cavity discharges (ab-dom- accepted engineering practice (ac-cept-
i-nal cav-it-y dis-charg-es) 1. the ed en-gi-neer-ing prac-tice) that which
body wastes from the abdomen. 2. the conforms to accepted principles, tests
discharges from the intestines, bladder, or standards of nationally recognized
etc. technical or scientific authorities.
abs. Abbr. for Absolute. access door (ac-cess door) See ACCESS
PANEL.
ABS Abbr. for Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-
Styrene. access panel (ac-cess pan-el) usually a
sunken or raised section of a surface in an
absolute (ab-so-lute) a term frequently
appliance or machine, in a wall, floor or
used to indicate a thing as being perfect
ceiling of a building, made to be opened
or exact. Abbr. abs.
so that the interior may be reached for
absolute pressure (ab-so-lute pres-sure) service. Also called access door.
fluid pressure measured above a perfect
accessary (ac-cess-a-ry) See ACCESSORY.
vacuum. It is the pressure indicated
by an ordinary pressure gauge plus the accessible (ac-ces-si-ble) 1. capable of
atmospheric pressure. being easily reached. 2. in a plumbing
code accessible usually means having
absolute scale (ab-so-lute scale) a
access thereto even though removal of an
temperature scale based on absolute zero
access panel or door may first be necessary.
(approximately - 460 °F on the Rankine
Compare with readily accessible which has
Scale or -273 °C on the Kelvin Scale)
come to mean direct accessibility without
absolute temperature (ab-so-lute tem- removal of doors or panels.
per-a-ture) temperature measured on the
accessory (ac-ces-so-ry) 1. a thing of
absolute scale. Symbol is T.
secondary or subordinate importance as
absorber (ab-sorb-er) that portion of in achieving a purpose or an effect. 2. an
a solar energy collector which receives adjunct or accompaniment. 3. an object
incident radiant energy and transforms or device that is not essential in itself but
it into thermal energy. It usually has a that adds to the beauty, convenience,
solid surface through which energy is or the effectiveness of something else
transmitted to a surface through fluid. The such as: toilet seat, soap dish, beaded
transfer fluid itself can be the absorber in chain, towel bars, rubber stoppers, grab
the case of black liquid.

1
accurate    acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene

rail, curtain pins and hooks, etc. 4. a the term used to describe any form of
component which can, at the discretion waste in which acids appear in stronger
of the user, be readily added, removed or concentration than normally found in
replaced and which, when removed, will household waste.
not prevent the device from fulfilling its
acid waste fitting (ac-id waste fit-ting)
primary function.
a pipe fitting made of acid resistant
accurate (ac-cu-rate) without error; materials, suitable for use in acid waste
precise; correct; conforming exactly to piping systems.
a standard.
acid waste pipe (ac-id waste pipe) pipe
acet. Abbr. for Acetylene. made of acid resistant materials. Some
of these are combinations of silicates and
acetylene (acet-y-lene) a colorless gaseous
iron, stainless steel, glass.
hydrocarbon HC=CH made especially by
the action of water on calcium carbide. acid waste system (ac-id waste sys-tem) in
Used for illuminating and in welding plumbing a system of pipe and fittings,
and soldering. paralleling a plumbing drainage system,
except that it is installed where acids are
acid (ac-id) the name of a group of organic
formed in stronger concentration than
or inorganic compounds with common
normally found in household waste, i.e.:
characteristics. One of the characteristics
a laboratory, research or medical building.
is that it will ionize in water to produce
The system is constructed of materials
hydrogen ions. Turns blue litmus red.
resistant to the acids encountered.
Inorganic acids are used in producing
metals, plastics, explosives, and dyes. See acme thread (ac-me thread) a screw thread,
ALKALINE; CORROSION; ION; pH. the section of which is between the square
and V threads. Used extensively for feed
acid lead (ac-id lead) See HARD LEAD.
screws. The included angle of space is 29°
acid proof (ac-id proof) not susceptible to as compared to 60° of the National Coarse
acid attack. Compare with “acid resistant.” or U.S. Thread.
acid proof drain pipe and fittings (ac-id acre-foot (a-cre-foot) the volume that
proof drain pipe and fit-tings) piping would cover one acre to a depth of one
and fittings resistant to many acids. Used foot.
in laboratory waste, vent, and drainage
acr ylonitrile (a-cr y-lo-ni-trile) a
systems.
colorless volatile flammable liquid nitrile
acid resistant (ac-id re-sis-tant) term used CH=CHCN soluble in most organic
to describe a surface or material which solvents that is usually made by reaction
is not normally affected by contact with of hydrogen cyanide with acetylene or
acid. Compare with acid proof. with ethylene oxide with subsequent
dehydration of the ethylene cyanohydrin
acid resistant pipe (ac-id re-sis-tant pipe)
formed and that is used chiefly in organic
a conduit made of material which is
synthesis ‑ as an insecticide, and as a raw
resistant to corrosive action of acid. Used
material for polymerization especially
in laboratories, acid conduits, etc.
to synthetic rubbers and acrylic fibers.
acid sink (ac-id sink) a receptacle properly Also called vinyl cyanide. Abbr. ABS. See
trapped and connected to the acid waste ACRYLONITRILE-BUTADIENE-
system. The sink is usually made of acid STYRENE.
resistant materials.
acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (a-cry-
acid waste (ac-id waste) in plumbing, lo-ni-trile bu-ta-diene sty-rene) a
thermoplastic compound from which
fittings, pipe, and tubing are made.
Abbr. ABS. See ACRYLONITRILE;
BUTADIENE & STYRENE.
2
 actinometer    adjustable tap

actinometer (ac-ti-no-me-ter) in the field adapter fitting (a-dap-ter fit-ting) 1. any

of solar energy the general name for any of various fittings designed to mate or fit
instrument used to measure irradiance to each other two pipes or fittings which
of the sun. are different in design, so that connecting
the two together would otherwise not be
actinometry (ac-ti-nom-e-try) branch
possible. 2. a fitting that serves to connect
of physics devoted to the study and
two different tubes or pipes to each other,
measurement of radiation; especially in
such as copper tube to iron pipe, etc.
meteorological, solar, atmospheric and
terrestrial radiation. additional grade (ad-di-tion-al grade)
to elevate or to move the floor plane by
activated carbon (ac-ti-va-ted car-bon)
additional flooring material, i.e.: plywood,
1. a highly absorbent carbon or charcoal,
tile, etc.
used for absorbing gases. 2. a highly
absorbent powdered or granular carbon adiabatic (ad-i-a-bat-ic) a process that
usually made by carbonization and involves no gain of heat by, or loss from,
chemical activation and used chiefly the system.
for purifying by absorption. Also called
adiabatic temperature change (ad-
activated charcoal.
i-a-bat-ic tem-per-a-ture change) a
activated charcoal (ac-ti-va-ted char-coal) temperature change within a gas due to
See ACTIVATED CARBON. compression resulting in a temperature
increase or due to expansion resulting in
activated sludge (ac-ti-va-ted sludge)
a temperature decrease.
sludge floc produced in raw or settled
sewage by the growth of zooglea and other adjustable die stock (ad-just-able die
organisms in the presence of dissolved stock) a tool to hold adjustable dies that
oxygen, and accumulated in sufficient are used for cutting threads on more than
concentration by returning floc previously one size of pipe or rod, as opposed to a
formed. fixed die stock which is only used for one
size pipe or rod. See DIE STOCK.
activated sludge process (ac-ti-va-ted
sludge pro-cess) a biological sewage adjustable hanger (ad-just-a-ble hang-er)
treatment process in which a mixture of a hanger consisting of a beam clamp, and
sewage and activated sludge is agitated an adjustable ring. See PIPE HANGER.
and aerated. The activated sludge is
adjustable open end wrench (ad-just-a-
subsequently separated from the treated
ble o-pen end wrench) an open ended
sewage (mixed liquor) by sedimentation,
wrench with a moveable lower jaw.
and wasted or returned to the process
as needed. The treated sewage overflows adjustable pipe support (ad-just-a-ble
the weir of the settling tank in which the pipe sup-port) a stand to support pipe
separation of the sludge takes place. while cutting and threading.
active sludge (ac-tive sludge) sewage adjustable reamer (ad-just-a-ble ream-
sediment, rich in destructive bacteria, that er) a reamer which can be increased
can be used to break down fresh sewage in size, usually by means of a central
more quickly. bolt or screw, the tightening of which
causes an expansion of the reamer. See
active system (ac-tive sys-tem) in the
EXPANSION REAMER; REAMER.
terminology of solar energy collection,
a solar heating or cooling system that adjustable tap (ad-just-a-ble tap) an
requires external mechanical power to instrument for cutting the thread of an
move the collected heat. internal screw usually made with inserted
blades, or chasers, capable of radial
A.D. in plumbing, Abbr. for area drain.
adjustment.

3
adjusted roof area    air compressor

adjusted roof area (ad-just-ed roof area) apparatus for aerating a liquid, especially
in plumbing, the roof space which must water. 3. a drain, waste, and vent fitting
be added to the projected roof area to designed to control the flow of waste
take into consideration the effect on roof within the stack(s).
areas of parapets and other projections
aerator fitting (aer-a-tor fit-ting) 1. any
of a building. See PROJECTED ROOF
of a number of types of devices designed
AREA.
to deliver a mixture of air and water. 2.
adjustment (ad-just-ment) the placing any specialized apparatus for aerating a
and setting of parts or pieces in related liquid, especially water. 3. a drain, waste
positions. and vent fitting designed to control the
flow of waste within the stack or stacks.
adjustment range (ad-just-ment range)
the lowest to highest pressure to which aerogen (aer-o-gen) any of various gases
a valve can be adjusted by the existing producing bacteria.
means under static (no flow) conditions.
A.F.F. Abbr. for Above Finished Floor.
administrative authority (ad-min-is-tra-
agglomeration (ag-glom-er-ation) the
tive au-thor-ity) an individual official,
uniting of dispersed suspended particles
board, department or agency established
into larger particles which settle rapidly.
and authorized by a state, county, city or
other political subdivision created by law air (air) a colorless, odorless, tasteless,
to administer and enforce the provisions gaseous mixture of nitrogen, oxygen
of the plumbing code as adopted or and other gases forming the atmosphere
amended. Shall include the administrative enveloping the earth.
authority’s duly authorized representative.
air admittance valve (air ad-mit-tance
See PLUMBING INSPECTOR.
valve) a device installed on a plumbing
A.DR. Abbr. for Access Door. drain, waste and vent system to allow air to
enter the drainage piping system, thereby
adsorption (ad-sorp-tion) the adhesion in
relieving negative pressure in the system.
an extremely thin layer of molecules as of
gases, solutes, or liquids, to the surface of air break (air break) a physical separation
solid bodies or liquids with which they which may be a low inlet into the indirect
are in contact. Compare to absorption. waste receptor from the fixture, appliance
or device indirectly connected. See
advance (of an offset) [ad-vance (of an
Drainage System Air Break.
off-set) ] the forward distance in a piping
offset. air chamber (air cham-ber) a vertical
or expanded pipe with its upper end
aeration (aer-a-tion) an artificial method
sealed, and its lower end connected to a
in which water and air are brought into
pressurized liquid system to absorb the
direct contact with each other. One
shock caused by sudden obstruction of
purpose is to release certain dissolved
flow. See Shock Arrestor.
gases which often cause water to have
obnoxious odors or disagreeable tastes. air chamber calculated (air cham-ber
Also used to furnish oxygen to waters that cal-cu-lated) an air chamber designed in
are oxygen deficient. The process may be accordance with the Dawson and Kalirski
accomplished by spraying the liquid in the formula for reducing the water hammer
air, bubbling air through the liquid or by pressure.
agitation of the liquid to promote surface
air compressor (air com-pres-sor) 1. any
absorption of the air.
devise used to compress air. A common
aerator (aer-a-tor) 1. any of a number type works on the same principle as a
of types of devices designed to deliver a pump. It has a piston that moves back
mixture of air and water. 2. any specialized and forth within a hollow cylinder,
compressing the air and forcing it into

4
 air-cock    algicide or algaecide

a closed chamber. Rotary (fan type) air hammer (air ham-mer) a portable tool
compressors are used in gas turbines, jet in which a chisel, rivet set, or other tool
engines and other devices. 2. a machine, is driven percussively by compressed air.
usually driven by a gasoline engine, Also called pneumatic hammer.
electric motor or steam power, in which
air inlet (air in-let) an opening, or series
a gas is compressed so that its expansion
of openings, through the body of a device
may be utilized as a source of power.
from the free atmosphere to the liquid
air-cock (air cock) See Air Valve. passage.
air conditioning (air con-di-tion-ing) the air lock (air lock) a stoppage of flow, as in
artificial process of treating air to adjust a pumping device, caused by air being in
its temperature, humidity, cleanliness, a part where liquid ought to circulate. See
distribution, and ventilation to meet the Vapor Lock.
requirements of the conditioned spaces.
air plug (air plug) a removable plug
air duct (air duck) a duct, conduit, or pipe screwed in a water-tight manhole or
for conveying air. scuttle cover.
air furnace (air fur-nace) a type of furnace air pump (air pump) a pump for
used in the production of malleable iron exchanging air from a closed space or
castings. A furnace that depends on a for compressing air or forcing it through
natural draft, as a reverberatory furnace, other apparatus.
and not on a blast.
air shutter (air shut-ter) an adjustable
air gap (air gap) in a water-supply system, device for varying the size of the primary
is the unobstructed vertical distance air inlets thus controlling the volume of
through the free atmosphere between the air to be mixed with gas for combustion.
lowest opening from any pipe or faucet
air valve (air valve) 1. any valve controlling
supplying water to a tank or plumbing
the passage of air as used in connection
fixture and the flood-level rim of the
with blast furnaces, gas producers, etc. 2.
receptacle. See Air Gap, Drainage
a small valve of the cock type to draw off
System.
or drain gas or liquid. See Pet Cock.
air gap, drainage system (air gap, drain-
alclad pipe (al-clad pipe) a composite pipe
age sys-tem) the unobstructed vertical
with an aluminum alloy core, having on
distance through the free atmosphere
one or both surfaces a metallurgically
between the outlet of waste pipe and the
bonded aluminum or aluminum alloy
flood rim of the receptacle into which it
layer that is anodic to the core alloy to
is discharged
which it is bonded, thus electrolytically
air gap, water supply system (air protecting the core alloy against corrosion.
gap, wa-ter sup-ply system) 1. the
alga (al-ga) pl. algae. Any of a group of
unobstructed vertical distance through
chiefly aquatic, non vascular plants such
the free atmosphere between the lowest
as seaweed, pond scums, stonewarts, with
opening from any pipe or faucet supply
chlorophyll often marked by a brown or
water to a tank or plumbing fixture and
red pigment. These plant bodies carry on
the flood-level rim of the receptacle 2. the
photosynthesis and are independently able
unobstructed vertical distance through
to make their own food.
the free atmosphere between the lowest
opening of any pipe or faucet supply algaecide (al-gae-cide) See Algicide.
water to a tank, plumbing fixture, or
algicide or algaecide (al-gi-cide or al-gae-
other device, and the flood level rim of
cide) any substance which kills algae; such
the receptor
as copper sulfate.

5
alignment    American Standard Pipe Threads

alignment (a-lign-ment) the act of forming and provides an equivalent level of

a straight line, either horizontal, vertical, performance for the protection of public
or at a given angle. health, safety and welfare. System design is
not specifically regulated by the plumbing
alinement (a-line-ment) See
code.
Alignment.
alternator (al-ter-na-tor) a generator, a
alkali (al-ka-li) any base or hydroxide that
machine that generates an alternating
is soluble in water, neutralizes acids and
voltage when its rotating portion is driven
forms salts with them, and turns red litmus
by a motor, engine or other means. It is
blue. Sometimes differentiated as mild —
thus a means for converting mechanical
sodium, potassium, ammonium, etc., and
power into electric power. The frequency
caustic corresponding hydroxides. See
of the generated alternating voltage is
Alkaline; pH; Ion.
exactly proportional to the speed at which
alkaline (al-ka-line) 1. containing more the alternator is driven. An alternator
alkali than normal. 2. having a pH factor generates one cycle of alternating current
of more than seven. 3. having a relatively each time one of its coils passes a pair of
low concentration of hydrogen ions. See magnetic poles in the field structure.
pH; Acid; Ion; Alkali.
a l u m ( a l - u m ) S e e A luminum
a l k yd ( a l - k yd ) a n y o f n u m e r o u s Sulfate.
thermoplastic or thermosetting synthetic
alum, black (al-um, black) alum containing
resins made by heating polyhydroxy
a small percentage of activated carbon.
alcohols with polybasic acids or their
Used in water works.
anhydrides.
aluminum (alu-mi-num) a bluish silver-
allen screw (al-len screw) cap screw and
white metallic element, very malleable,
set screw with a hexagonal socket in the
ductile, and sonorous and noted for its
head. Such screws are adjusted by means
lightness, good electrical and thermal
of a hexagonal key.
conductivity, high reflectivity, and
allen wrench (al-len wrench) an L shaped resistance to oxidation. Widely used in
hexagonal bar of hardened steel made with alloys.
special ends that fit into the types of nuts
aluminum pipe (alu-mi-num pipe) seam
having heads made to receive them. Set
welded internally coated (alclad) plain
screws, machine screws, and some small
end aluminum pipe for use in plumbing
sizes of bolts are made with this special
sanitary drain, waste and vent (DWV) and
head which can be turned direct mating
storm systems.
parts. See Tolerance.
aluminum sulfate (alu-mi-num sul-fate)
alloy (al-loy) a substance composed of two
a colorless salt usually made by treating
or more metals or a metal and non-metal
bauxite with sulfuric acid. Used in making
intimately united usually fused together
paper, water purification, and tanning.
and dissolving in each other when molten.
ambient temperature (am-bi-ent tem-
all thread nipple (all thread nip-ple) a
per-a-ture) the actual air or liquid
short section of pipe on which the external
temperature that occurs in the area
thread is continuous from one end to
encompassing where a test or an event is
the other. Made by threading a length
scheduled to take place.
of piping and sectioning the resulting
product. Compare with close nipple. American Standard Pipe Threads (a-me-
ri-can stan-dard pipe threads) formerly
alternative engineered design (al-ter-na-
known as Briggs Pipe Threads Standard.
tive en-gi-neer-ed de-sign) a plumbing
It is the thread most commonly used on
system that performs in accordance
metal or plastic pipe and fittings for steam,
with the intent of the plumbing code
gas, and water.

6
 American Standard Straight Pipe Threads   annulet

American Standard Straight Pipe Threads anchors (an-chors) 1. anything regarded

(a-me-ri-can stan-dard straight pipe as a reliable support. 2. devices for
threads) Se e N ational P ipe supporting and securing pipe, fixtures,
Thread Straight. and equipment, to walls, ceilings, floors, or
any other structural members. Also called
American Standard Tapered Pipe
supports. See Hanger; SUPPORTS.
Threads (a-me-ri-can stan-dard ta-
pered pipe threads) See Tapered angle check valve (an-gle check valve) a
Pipe Thread; National Pipe valve with intake and exit ports at right
Thread Tapered. angles permitting flow in one direction
but retarding a return flow.
ammeter (am-me-ter) an instrument for
measuring the rate of flow of an electric angle gate valve (an-gle gate valve) a
current in amperes by an indicator valve with intake and exit ports at right
activated by the movement of a coil in angles, and the valve in a pipeline consists
a magnetic field or by the longitudinal essentially of a flat or wedgeshaped gate-
expansion of a wire carrying the current. that can be lowered into a seat to seal off
the line or raised into an external recess
ammonia soap (am-mo-ni-a soap) a finely
so that the full area of the line is open.
powdered rosin mixed with a strong
ammonia solution. Suitable for flux for angle globe valve (an-gle globe valve) a
soldering copper. valve with intake and exit ports at right
angles and enclosed in a globular chamber.
ammonification (am-mo-ni-fi-ca-tion)
bacterial decomposition of nitrogeneous angle of thread (an-gle of thread) the angle
matter producing ammonia. included between the sides of the thread
measured in an axial plane.
ammonium chloride (am-mo-ni-um
chlo-ride) NH4CL. Colorless crystals or angle shower valve (an-gle show-er valve)
a white soluble powder used in medicine, faucet type valve with the inlet and outlet
as a reagent in fertilizers and as a flux in ports at a 90° angle.
soldering, etc.
angle stops (an-gle stops) a 90° valve;
amp meter (amp me-ter) slang; See its inlet and outlet ports at 90° and the
Ammeter. operating stem at 180° to the inlet port.
See ANGLE VALVE.
amperemeter or amperometer (am-
pere-me-ter or am-per-om-e-ter) See angle valve (an-gle valve) a valve with
Ammeter. intake and exit ports at right angles. See
ANGLE STOPS.
analog gauge resolution (an-a-log gauge
res-o-lu-tion) analog gauge readings can annular (an-nu-lar) 1. ring shaped. 2. In
be taken to one-half of the smallest gauge plumbing, the annular space is the ring
division (example: an analog gauge with shaped open space between the inside
increments of 0.2 psi can resolve readings wall of the hub and the outside wall of the
of 0.1 psi) spigot on a fitting to be caulked.
anchor bolt (an-chor bolt) a bolt for annulate (an-nu-late) having rings, ring