Glossary of Plumbing Terms - W - 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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Wall Thickness	The thickness of the tubing wall.

Washdown Water Closet	Water closet having a siphon trapway at the front of the bowl, and integral flushing rim.

Waste Arm	Drain extension pipe, usually to extend a sink drain into a wall.

Waste & Overflow	Drain assembly for a bathtub. The outlet at the top removes the overflow water during tub filling and the drain at the bottom removes wastewater when the tub is drained.

Waste Plug	Drain stopper on a bathtub drain

Waste Shoe	Bathtub drain assembly

Waste Stack	See Soil Stack. The vertical main pipe in a drainage system, extending one or more stories.

Water Closet (W.C.)	A toilet

Water Hammer	A loud banging noise caused by the hydraulic shock of suddenly shutting off a water supply, where water moves against the side of containing pipe or vessel.

Water Hammer Arrestor	A device installed near a fixture to absorb the hydraulic shock caused by a sudden shutoff of water.

Water Heater	Appliances for providing a more-or-less constant supply of hot water.

Water Horse Power (W H P)	The calculated horse power produced by the pump using the formula WHP = head x gpm/3960

Water Service Pipe	The pipe from the water main or other sources of potable water supply to the water-distributing system of the building served.

Water Spot	Water surface in the toilet bowl once the flush is completed.

Water Table	Level below the earth's surface at which the ground becomes saturated with water.

Waterway Fitting	A channel through which water can flow; connects water heater to inlet and outlet lines.

Watt	A unit of electrical energy or power. One ampere x one volt equals one watt.

Watt Density	Amount of watts concentrated per square inch of element blade surface area.

Wave Washer	A washer, common in drain linkages, which provides pressure against a ball or other mechanism even when the opposing nut is not fully tightened

WC	Water Closet; toilet; small room that contains only a toilet.

Weak Well	Weak well application occurs when the pump lowers the water level in the well faster than the well can replenish itself.

Weir	A long notch with a horizontal edge, as in the top of a vertical plate or plank, through which water flows, used in measuring the quantity of flowing water.

Well Casing	A steel or plastic pipe inserted into a drilled well to prevent dirt and debris from contaminating the water

Wellpoint	A pipe fitted with a driving point and a fine mesh screen used to remove underground water. A complete set of equipment for drying up ground including wellpoints, connecting pipes and pumps.

Wet Vent	Drain or waste pipe that also acts for one or more fixtures on the same line.

WH	Code for white colored finish on faucets

Whirlpool Tub	A bathtub with circulation jets in various spots throughout the tub that provide therapeutic massaging action.

White	Not all whites are alike. Euro-white generally is a somewhat yellowish white. Similar to Corian and Avonite's 'Cameo' white and Surell/Formica and Wilsonart's 'Frosty' white. Polar-white generally is a bluish white. Similar to Kohler, Elkay, Moenstone, and Swanstone's 'White' and Corian's 'Glacier' white or Avonite's 'Porcelain' white and Surrell/Formica's 'Arctic 'white.

Widespread	A style of bathroom lavatory faucet having separate spout and handles, usually 8" from center of handle to handle. Some widespread faucets can be set with handles up to 12" apart.

Working pressure	Normal, maximum operating pressure design of a faucet, valve or plumbing product

Working Water	Water used in a home for most general purposes including bathing and laundering

Wrought Copper Fittings	Plumbing fittings used to connect copper tubes made of mechanically worked and toughened copper as opposed to an as-cast brittle copper.

Wye	A Y-shaped fitting with three openings used to create branch lines. Allows one pipe to be joined to another at a 45 degree angle.

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