Glossary of Plumbing Terms - R - 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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R & D	Reamed and Drifted. Pipe commonly used in water wells having a special, heavy-duty coupling and a guaranteed I.D. clearance

Rail Fittings	Fittings with setscrews rather than threads, which hold pipes used for hand railings. Available in various sizes and configurations to suit a number of applications. Not used for plumbing or conduit.

Rated Storage Volume	Quantity of water stored in a tank.

Raw Water	Water supplied to the plant before any treatment.

Reamer	A grinding tool used to level or remove burrs from valve seats in faucets so that the valve stem will fit properly.

Recessed Tub	A tub that has a decorative finish on one side only, and surrounded by three walls. The apron, or skirting, may not be included and must be ordered separately. The most popular style.

Recirculating Harness	PVC tubing setup that circulates water throughout a whirlpool system, delivering water to the jets

Recovery	The amount of water in gallons that can be heated in one hour. (gph)

Recovery Capacity	The amount of water in gallons per hour raised 100 degrees F at a given thermal efficiency and BTU per hour input.

Red Water	Water which has a reddish or brownish appearance due to the presence of precipitated iron and/or iron bacteria

Reducer	A fitting that connects pipes of different sizes together.

Reed Switch	A serviceable, magnetic sensing switch that triggers the water flow to stop when the neck jet pillow (with magnet) is removed from the whirlpool

Refill Tube	The tube that directs water from a ballcock into the overflow tube to refill the bowl after a siphon break in order to refill the toilet.

Reflective glass	glass that bounces back at least some of the light that strikes it.

Relief Valve	A valve that opens to relieve excess temperature.

Repair Clamp	Sleeve type clamp used to repair a split pipe, held in place by bolts

Residential	Water heaters for single family dwellings.

Return Circulation System	Tempered water from or near the point of usage which eliminates waste of hot water used for long runs and adds storage to the system.

Revent	Pipe installed specifically to vent a fixture trap. Connects with the vent system above the fixture.

Reverse Osmosis	A water treatment method whereby water is forced through a semi permeable membrane which filters out impurities.

Reverse Trap Water Closet	A water closet having a siphonic trapway at the rear of the bowl, and integral flushing rim and jet. Min. dimensions are 9" x 8" water spot and 1 ½" ball pass.

RF	Recovery Factor - Rating based on the efficiency of the product which is input required to raise 1 gallon of water 1 degree Fahrenheit

RH	Right Hand

Rich Mixture	A mixture of gas and air containing too much fuel or too little air for complete combustion of the gas.

Rigid Pipe	Pipe designed to transmit the backfill load to the foundation beneath the pipe. Rigid pipe must be supported on the bottom portion of the pipe

Rim Holes	A series of small holes in the underside of a toilet rim, around the circumference of the bowl. Incoming water flows down into the bowl through these holes, creating a rinse effect or wash over the entire inner surface of the bowl.

Riser	A vertical assembly of pipe and fittings that generally distributes water upward. A vertical metal or plastic tube or assembly that connects a faucet to the water supply stop valve. Usually made of copper. Metal Flex Risers are corrugated to facilitate bending. Also a supply line that rises from one story to the next.

Residual Chlorine	Chlorine Chlorine remaining in treated water after a specified period of contact time to provide continuing protection throughout a distribution system; the difference between the total chlorine added, and that consumed by oxidizable matter.

Rockwell Hardness	relative resistance of a metal to indentation by a diamond cone, expressed in hardness-scale units (A, B, C, or G)

Roller Hanger	A pipe hanger similar to a clevis hanger except that the yoke bolts to a roller rod instead of a metal strap. This roller rod supports the pipe and permits horizontal movement.

Roman Spout	Deck-mounted faucet spout.

Roof Drain	A drain installed at the low spot in a roof that channels water into a drainpipe to prevent pooling

Roof Flashing	Sheet metal installed at any break in a shingled roofline to prevent leaks. Also around sewer vents, fluepipes.

Root Valve	A multi-port valve commonly used on gauges or switches in high pressure, high temperature, or under otherwise severe process conditions. Typically built with non-rotating and non-threaded stems.

Rough-in	Installation of the drain, waste, vent, and supply lines in a structure to the proposed location of each fixture.

Rough-in Dimensions	The distance from a finished wall or floor to the center of the waste or supply opening or mounting holes on a plumbing fixture.

Round Front Bowl	Standard shape of the front of a toilet bow, having dimensions of 14" wide by 16 ½" long from center of seat hinge holes to front outside rim edge. (about 2" shorter than an elongated bowl)

Run	A complete or secondary section of pipe that extends from supply to fixture or drain to stack.

Running Trap	An in-line trap mounted in a horizontal drainpipe, where the inlet and outlet are parallel.

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