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Designated as an American National Standard, the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) is a model code developed by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials to govern the installation and inspection of plumbing systems as a means of promoting the public's health, safety and welfare.
The most common plumbing fixtures are: Bathtubs; Bidets; Channel drains; Drinking fountains; Showers; Sinks; Tap (connections for water hoses) . Tapware - an industry term for that sub-category of plumbing fixtures consisting of tap valves, also called water taps (British English) or faucets (American English), and their accessories, such as water spouts and shower heads.
An air gap, as related to the plumbing trade, is the unobstructed vertical space between the water outlet and the flood level of a fixture. [1] Air gaps of appropriate design are legally required by water health and safety regulations in many countries. An air gap is the simplest form of a backflow prevention device.
Any material permitted by the plumbing, health, or building code (as applicable) may be used, but it must be compatible with the other materials in the system, the fluids being transported, and the temperature and pressure inside (and outside) the system. Brass or bronze fittings are common in copper piping and plumbing systems.
The IPC is the most widely used plumbing code in the United States and is also used as the basis for the plumbing code of several other countries [citation needed].Wide adoptions are important as they help reduce manufacturer and end-user costs by allowing the use of materials across a wide user base, thus allowing economies of scale in the production of materials used in construction.
In plumbing, a Fixture Unit (FU) or Drain Fixture Unit (DFU) is "a unit of measure, based on the rate of discharge, time of operation and frequency of use of a fixture, that expresses the hydraulic load imposed by that fixture on the sanitary plumbing installation". [1] A Fixture Unit is not a flow rate unit but a design factor.
Plumbing systems also service air distribution/control, and therefore contribute to the mechanical part of MEP. Plumbing for HVAC systems involves the transfer of coolant, pressurized air, water, and occasionally other substances. Ducting for air transfer may also be consider plumbing, but is generally installed by different tradespeople. [11]
In the U.S., every plumbing fixture must also be coupled to the system's vent piping. [1] Without a vent, negative pressure can slow the flow of water leaving the system, resulting in clogs, or cause siphonage to empty a trap. The high point of the vent system (the top of its "soil stack") must be open to the exterior at atmospheric pressure.