Glossary of Plumbing Terms - O - Keidel Bath, Kitchen, Plumbing, Cabinetry, Appliances

Welcome to Keidel's Plumbing Glossary. Every industry and trade has its own standards and terminologies. This glossary is our attempt to help the general public understand some of the terms unique to our industry.

Our database contains over 1000 unique terms, compiled from a variety of public and private sources. To use the glossary efficiently you can click on the letter of the desired term that you would like to find. For example: click on "C" to find out about "Closet Augers" or "P" for "Petcock." Definitions listed here are provided without warranty.

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O Ring	Round rubber washer used to create a watertight seal, chiefly around valve stems

Oakum	Loosely woven hemp rope that has been treated with oil or other waterproofing agent; it is used to caulk joints in a bell and spigot pipe and fittings.

Obscure glass	A glass that lets light through but is not totally transparent.

OCTG	Oil Country Tubular Goods - oil and gas industry seamless tube (pipe) products

OD	Outside diameter of a pipe

OEM	Original Equipment Manufacturer

OHM	A unit of electrical resistance

Oil Powered	A water heater that uses oil as its fuel source

Oiled	Pipe that has been protected with a varnish type oil on the OD for temporary corrosion protection during transit and for short term storage.

One-piece Toilet	A toilet in which the tank and bowl are manufactured as a single vitreous china fixture. One-piece toilets usually have a lower profile than two-piece toilets.

Operating Cost	The cost of running a water heater for a given time period

Orbital Weld	A circumferential, full fusion weld used to join together two lengths of tubing. It is a GTAW welding process. Usually to join coiled lengths

Organic Matter	plant and animal residues, or substances made by living organisms

Orifice	An opening through which gas is discharged and whereby the flow of gas is limited and/or controlled.

Outlet/Discharge	The opening through which the water exits the pump

Outlet Sewer	Pipe section in a septic system which runs between the septic tank and the drainage field

Outside Diameter	The diameter of a pipe measured from the outside edge

Ovality	The difference between the most widest OD and the narrowest OD on a pipe or tube. Found be subtracting the minimum outside diameter from the maximum outside diameter on a pipe.

Overflow hood	On a bath drain, the decorative hood concealing the overflow

Overflow Tube	The vertical tube inside a toilet tank that directs water into the bowl in case the ballcock malfunctions. It is usually part of the flush valve. It prevents potential water damage caused by a tank overflow. A "constant-running" condition alerts the user to a problem. On most toilets, the overflow tube also has a refill tube flowing into it, which directs water from the ballcock through the overflow tube to the bowl, after a siphon break.

Ozone	An unstable form of oxygen (O₃ ), which can be generated by an electrical discharge through air or regular oxygen. It is a strong oxidizing agent and has been used in water conditioning as a disinfectant.

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