Plumbing

What is the minimum width of space needed for a toilet installation? a. 18 inches d. 36 inches b. 24 inches e. there is no minimum c. 30 inches

30 Inches

What is the recommended horizontal spacing of supports for copper piping?

6 to 10 feet

Where does the discharge tube from the temperature/pressure relief valve have to dump water in a cold climate?

6 to 12 inches above the floor beside the hot water tank

Where does the temperature/pressure relief valve have to discharge water in a warm climate?

6 to 24 inches above grade level outside of the house

What is the approximate temperature rise in residential water heaters?

70 degrees Fahrenheit

Sewage ejector pumps should not vibrate significantly when running.

True

Surface cracking in an acrylic kitchen sink is not usually a concern because there is no leakage. True False

True

Vertical pipes at ends of runs are one method of preventing water hammer. True False

True

How high above the floor should a gas or oil-fired water heater be in a garage?

18 Inches

When was copper supply piping first used? a. 1850s d. 1960s b. 1900 e. 1990 c. 1930s

1930s

At least how far should an outdoor vent termination be above an operable door?

2 feet

What is the minimum entrance width for shower stalls?

22 inches

What is the typical maximum distance between the fixture and the trap?

24 inches

What is the typical minimum diameter of water service piping in modern construction?

3 /4 inch

A running trap is a good idea because it provides extra protection. True False

False

A toilet does not need a vent. True False

False

A waste pipe is intended to carry solids only. True False

False

Copper pipe does not rust. True False

False

It's impossible for a trap to be too big. True False

False

Nearly horizontal vent pipes should slope slightly down away from the trap they are protecting

False

Plastic piping needs less support than copper piping because it tends to expand more. True False

False

Running toilets are less prone to sweating because the water in the tank is constantly replenished. True False

False

The vent diameter must be as large as the trap diameter. True False

False

The vent is typically located upstream of the trap. True False

False

What is the required slope for nearly horizontal pipes in a drain, waste, and vent system?

1 /4 to 1 /2 inch fall per foot run

List three types of faucet-related noise

1) Bang; 2) chatter; 3)whistle

List seven different materials used for piping in drain, waste, and vent systems

1) Copper; 2) ABS plastic; 3) PVC plastic; 4) cast iron; 5) lead; 6) galvanized steel; 7) brass; 8) clay

List five common materials used in venting systems

1) Copper; 2) galvanized steel; 3) cast iron; 4) ABS plastic; 5) PVC plastic

List the common problems found with fan-assisted gas water heaters.

1) Inoperative; 2) blower intake obstructed; 3) poor venting arrangement; 3) poor blower wiring.

List two methods of reducing the freezing risk of pipes in a cold environment

1) Insulating the pipe; 2) wrapping the pipe with heating cable

List three common leak locations in a two-piece toilet

1) The bowl; 2) the tank; 3) the seal

How do these two relate?

1) The volume of water it can hold; 2) the size of the burner.

What are the two methods of rating a water heater?

1) The volume of water it can hold; 2) the size of the burner.

List two possible cross connections at basins and sinks.

1) Vegetable sprayer left lying in a sink; 2) extendable faucets

List five locations in a house where there may be a cross connection.

1. Fixtures where the faucet spout is below the overflow or flood rim of the fixture 2. Fixtures where hand held showers, extendable faucets or vegetable sprayers can be left in tubs, basins or sinks 3. Garden hoses attached to a hose bibb 4. A toilet tank where the fill water enters at the bottom

What is the recommended horizontal spacing of supports for galvanized steel piping?

10 to 12 feet

Where does the probe for the temperature/pressure relief valve sit in the tank?

Top 6 inches of the tank

Every trap should be provided with some method of removal or cleaning. True False

True

Gas and oil-fired water heaters are not allowed in sleeping areas.

True

Briefly describe a cross connection

A cross connection is a piping arrangement in which waste can back up into the supply piping and contaminate it when the pressure drops on the supply side

What is the function of a stop and waste valve

A stop and waste valve shuts off the water supply and allows the system plumbing to be drained.

Describe the function of a trap.

A trap prevents sewer gases from entering the house through the fixture drain outlet.

Explain briefly what is meant by a wet vent

A wet vent occurs when the drain for one fixture is serving as the vent for another.

Pipe size should always increase as you move downstream and more fixtures join in. True False

True

What is the exhaust pipe material for a fan assisted water heater typically?

ABS or PVC piping

Which type of water heater has the slowest recovery rate

An electric water heater.

Which type of water heater has the fastest recovery rate?

An oil-fired water heater.

If we only need a pressure relief valve because the water heater has some internal temperature control, where can this pressure relief valve be?

Anywhere on the tank, or on piping near the tank in some jurisdictions

At what interval is vertical support required for copper piping?

At least every ten feet, or every floor level

What is the minimum trap arm length?

At least two pipe diameters

Where should the floor drain be located?

At the low point in the floor

Polybutylene supply piping should not be closer than 18 inches to a water heater. True False

True

Why can plastic pipe not typically be used between units in shared dwellings?

Because it is combustible

Why is an explosion with propane more likely than with natural gas?

Because propane is heavier than air, and can accumulate, especially in a low area

Why is water hammer more common in a house with cartridge faucets than with compression faucets?

Cartridge faucets can be opened and closed more quickly

What is the implication of poor manifolding?

Clogging of pipes

What can cause a toilet to sweat?

Cold supply water on a warm, humid day can cause the toilet tank and toilet fill pipe to sweat, particularly if it is not allowed to warm up because of a running toilet.

Water running out of the burner compartment on start-up of a gas water heater suggests ______

Condensation in the combustion chamber is running down through the center of the water heater and draining out the bottom.

What is the implication of a cross connection?

Contamination of a potable water supply.

When would a fan-assisted gas water heater typically be used?

If the house has no chimney or a chimney too large for a water heater

Why in a cold climate is the trap portion of the drainage system most vulnerable to freezing?

It contains the most water

Why is PVC or ABS plastic piping usually allowed only in single-family homes

It is combustible

What is the biggest impact of the single-pass feature on a water heater

It is constantly exposed to fresh water and so is more prone to corrosion than a boiler

Explain briefly the simple test required to check the venting system when you test functional drainage from a fixture

Listen for gurgling as the last bit of water leaves the drain, and smell for sewer odors.

Are fan-assisted water heaters condensing?

No

Can polybutylene piping be used on a hot water recirculating loop?

No

Is a vacuum necessary to have backflow at a cross connection?

No

Which way should a hinged shower door open in a shower stall?

Outward

What are three things that go wrong with water supply?

Pressure or flow is insufficient; leaks; dirty water

What is the implication of a trap arm that is too long?

Siphoning the trap

Briefly describe a test used to determine if the tiles in an enclosure are bonded well to the backer material.

Tap or press on the tiles, looking for spongy areas or give in the tiles or tiles that sound loose and tinny. Concentrate on areas in Question # 168.

Polybutylene piping failures seem to be concentrated most at a. the crimp rings b. elbows in the pipes c. horizontal splits in the piping d. at the connection to fixtures e. in vertical pipe runs only

The crimp rings

What is the component that introduces cold water near the bottom of a gas- fired water heater tank?

The dip tube

What is the implication of improper support on piping?

The implication of improper support is leakage.

Why are leaks more difficult to find in drain, waste and vent systems than in supply systems?

The pipes are usually idle, and the water is not under pressure

Briefly describe the purpose of a trap primer.

The purpose of a trap primer is to ensure there is always water in a floor drain trap to prevent sewer odors entering the home

Explain briefly why a toilet does not need a trap

The toilet bowl itself is a trap

A water heater is termed a single-pass appliance because ______

The water heater does not use a recirculating system; it sees the water only once.

What is the purpose of the venting system?

To equalize the air pressure in the waste plumbing system so that the traps won't siphon

What is the purpose of a trap?

To prevent sewer odors and gases from entering the home through the plumbing fixtures.

Explain the purpose of a backwater valve

To protect the home against sewer back up

What is the purpose of a baffle or turbulator in a gas fired water heater?

To slow down the exhaust products as they move up through the water heater

Briefly describe water hammer, and why it occurs.

Water hammer is a loud banging sound in the pipes. Water hammer occurs because water moving at several feet per second has to stop abruptly when a valve is turned off. The water bounces off the valve and creates a vacuum as it bounces away from the valve. The vacuum then violently attracts the water back to the low pressure area and the water again bounces off the closed valve. The effect of this is a reverberation, which sounds like someone pounding on metal piping with a hammer

What is the minimum height of vent pipe above the roofline?

What is the minimum height of vent pipe above the roofline?

How is a cross connection possible with a hose bibb?

With no backflow prevention device, outside water could be sucked into the plumbing system if the hose is attached, and the supply pressure drops below atmospheric pressure.

Does a toilet need to have a shutoff valve on the supply line? Ye s N o

Yes