Plumbing Tools

Adjustable wrench
This type of wrench will adjust in size to fit a range of nuts, bolts, or
fittings that have flat sides. These types of wrenches come in
several sizes; a 10-inch wrench, which can open up to a 1 1/8-inch
span, is a good, general-purpose size. When using an adjustable
wrench always position it so that the force pushes against the fixed
jaw.

Rib-joint pliers
For gripping and turning pipes, nuts, and fittings, rib-joint pliers are
very handy. With these, a pivot slides along a slot and engages in
channels at various positions to adjust the size of the jaws so they
will firmly grips objects from small to large.

Pipe wrenches
Used in pairs, one to grip the pipe and the other to turn the fitting,
pipe wrenches have adjustable, toothed jaws designed for gripping
and turning threaded pipes and pipe fittings. They come in several sizes,
from 12 to 18 inches long’the larger the wrench, the larger the pipe it will fit.
Lock a pipe wrench onto a pipe or fitting so that, during turning, the force
is applied against the permanent jaw, not the adjustable one. When turning
appearance-grade pipes, such as those with a chrome finish, protect the
material from scratches by wrapping the pipe wrenches’ jaws with duct tape.

Locking pliers
With a clamping action that locks onto an object such as a bolt or a pipe,
locking pliers have a knurled screw mounted in one handle that adjusts
the size of the tool’s jaw to fit the object.

Hacksaw
Able to cut nearly all types of pipe, from steel to plastic, a hacksaw has
a removable 10- or 12-inch-long, fine-toothed blade that’s held taut by an
adjustable steel frame. For making cuts where the frame of a conventional
hacksaw won’t allow access, you can use a ‘mini,’ or ‘flush-cut,’ hacksaw;
its blade protrudes straight out from the handle.
Screwdrivers
Needed for a variety of plumbing tasks, from changing faucet washers
to disassembling plumbing-related appliances, screwdrivers come
in an assortment of sizes and types. You will want to have two or three
sizes each of standard, flat-bladed screwdrivers and Phillips screwdrivers.
A ‘4-in-1’ driver is a handy option; it has a removable shank with
interchangeable Phillips and standard tips in two sizes each. Be sure the
driver fits the screw’s head snugly; otherwise, it will mangle the screw and
the tip of the driver.

Measuring tape
A few plumbing jobs, such as measuring runs of pipe, call for a
retractable steel tape measure. Get a 25-footer because you’ll be
able to extend its blade unsupported for several feet.

Pipe cutter
Two types of pipe cutters can be helpful for do-it-yourself jobs.
First, a plastic tubing cutter, which looks similar to a pair of pruning
shears, can make quick cuts through rigid and flexible plastic tubing such
as sprinkler pipe. Second, a pipe cutter with a sharp cutting wheel and an
adjustable jaw grips onto a copper or steel pipe; you rotate it around the
pipe, repeatedly tightening it until it cuts all the way through.

Drain-clearing tools
Toilet and sink plungers, ‘snakes’ or drain augers, toilet augers, and
hydraulic ‘blow bags’ are helpful to have on hand in the event of a clog.
 Inclination of the pipe used in Ventilation, Water Closet and Slope

Ventilation
In modern plumbing, a drain-waste-vent (or DWV) is part of a system that allows air to enter a
plumbing system to maintain proper air pressure to enable the removal of sewage and greywater from a
dwelling. Waste is produced at fixtures such as toilets, sinks, and showers. As the water runs down, proper
venting is required to avoid a vacuum from being created. As the water runs down air must be allowed into
the waste pipe either through a roof vent, or the "drain waste vent." (or DWV).
DWV systems maintain neutral air pressure in the drains, allowing free flow of water and sewage down
drains and through waste pipes by gravity. It is critical that a sufficient downward slope be maintained
throughout, to keep liquids and entrained solids flowing freely towards the main drain from the building. In
relatively rare situations, a downward slope out of a building to the sewer cannot be created, and a special
collection pit and grinding lift "sewage ejector" pump are needed. By contrast, potable water supply systems
operate under pressure to distribute water up through buildings, and do not require a continuous downward
slope in their piping.
Every fixture is required to have an internal or external trap; double trapping is prohibited by plumbing
codes due to its susceptibility to clogging. Every plumbing fixture must also have an attached vent. The top
of stacks must be vented too, via a stack vent, which is sometimes called a stink pipe.[1]
All plumbing waste fixtures use traps to prevent sewer gases from leaking into the house. Through traps, all
fixtures are connected to waste lines, which in turn take the waste to a "soil stack", or "soil vent pipe". At the
building drain system's lowest point, the drain-waste vent is attached, and rises (usually inside a wall) to and
out of the roof. Waste exits from the building through the building's main drain and flows through a sewage
line, which leads to a septic system or a public sewer. Cesspits are generally prohibited in developed areas.
The venting system, or plumbing vents, consists of a number of pipes leading from waste pipes to the
outdoors, usually through the roof. Vents provide a means to release sewer gases outside instead of inside
the house. Vents also admit oxygen to the waste system to allow aerobic sewage digestion, and to
discourage noxious anaerobic decomposition.[further explanation needed] Vents provide a way to equalize the pressure
on both sides of a trap, thereby allowing the trap to hold the water which is needed to maintain effectiveness
of the trap, and avoiding "trap suckout" which otherwise might occur.

Operation
A sewer pipe is normally at neutral air pressure compared to the surrounding atmosphere. When a column
of waste water flows through a pipe, it compresses air ahead of it in the pipe, creating a positive pressure
that must be released so it does not push back on the waste stream and downstream trap water seals. As
the column of water passes, air must freely flow in behind the waste stream, or negative pressure results.
The extent of these pressure fluctuations is determined by the fluid volume of the waste discharge.
Excessive negative air pressure, behind a "slug" of water that is draining, can siphon water from traps at
plumbing fixtures. Generally, a toilet outlet has the shortest trap seal, making it most vulnerable to being
emptied by induced siphonage. An empty trap can allow noxious sewer gases to enter a building.
On the other hand, if the air pressure within the drain becomes suddenly higher than ambient, this positive
transient could cause waste water to be pushed into the fixture, breaking the trap seal, with
serious hygiene and health consequences if too forceful. Tall buildings of three or more stories are
particularly susceptible to this problem. Vent stacks are installed in parallel to waste stacks to allow proper
venting in tall buildings.
External venting
Most residential building drainage systems in North America are vented directly through the building roofs.
The DWV pipe is typically ABS or PVC DWV-rated plastic pipe equipped with a flashing at the roof
penetration to prevent rainwater from entering the buildings. Older homes may
use copper, iron, lead or clay pipes, in rough order of increasing antiquity.
Under many older building codes, a vent stack (a pipe leading to the main roof vent) is required to be within
a 5-foot (1.5 m) radius of the draining fixture it serves (sink, toilet, shower stall, etc.). To allow only one vent
stack, and thus one roof penetration as permitted by local building code, sub-vents may be tied together
inside the building and exit via a common vent stack. One additional requirement for a vent stack connection
occurs when there are very long horizontal drain runs with very little slope to the run. Adding a vent
connection within the run will aid flow, and when used with a cleanout allows for better serviceability of the
long run.
A blocked vent is a relatively common problem caused by anything from leaves, to dead animals, to ice
dams in very cold weather, or a horizontal section of the venting system, sloped the wrong way and filled
with water from rain or condensation. Symptoms range from bubbles in the toilet bowl[citation needed] when it is
flushed, to slow drainage,[citation needed] and all the way to siphoned (empty) traps which allow sewer gases to
enter the building.
When a fixture trap is venting properly, a "sucking" sound can often be heard as the fixture vigorously
empties out during normal operation. This phenomenon is harmless, and is different from "trap suckout"
induced by pressure variations caused by wastewater movement elsewhere in the system, which is not
supposed to allow interactions from one fixture to another. Toilets are a special case, since they are usually
designed to self-siphon to ensure complete evacuation of their contents; they are then automatically refilled
by a special valve mechanism.[citation needed]

Internal venting
Mechanical vents (also called cheater vents[2]) come in two types: Air admittance valves and check vents,
the latter being a vent with a check valve.
Air admittance valves (AAVs, or commonly referred to in the UK as Durgo valves and in the US
as Studor vents and Sure-Vent®) are negative-pressure-activated, one-way mechanical valves, used in
a plumbing or drainage venting system to eliminate the need for conventional pipe venting and roof
penetrations. A discharge of wastewater causes the AAV to open, releasing the vacuum and allowing air to
enter the plumbing vent pipe for proper pressure equalization.
Since AAVs will only operate under negative pressure situations, they are not suitable for all venting
applications, such as venting a sump, where positive pressures are created when the sump fills. Also, where
positive drainage pressures are found in larger buildings or multi-story buildings, an air admittance valve
could be used in conjunction with a positive pressure reduction device such as the PAPA positive air
pressure attenuator, to provide a complete venting solution for more-complicated drainage venting systems.
Using AAVs can significantly reduce the amount of venting materials needed in a plumbing system, increase
plumbing labor efficiency, allow greater flexibility in the layout of plumbing fixtures, and reduce long-term
roof maintenance problems associated with conventional vent stack roofing penetrations.
While some state and local building departments prohibit AAVs, the International Residential and
International Plumbing Codes allow it to be used in place of a vent through the roof. AAV's are certified to
reliably open and close a minimum of 500,000 times, (approximately 30 years of use) with no release of
sewer gas; some manufacturers claim their units are tested for up to 1.5 million cycles, or at least 80 years
of use. AAVs have been effectively used in Europe for more than two decades.[when?] US manufacturers offer
warranties that range from 1 year to "lifetime".
Island fixture vent

Island fixture vent for under-cabinet waste plumbing

An island fixture vent, sometimes colloquially called a "Chicago Loop", “Boston loop” or "Bow Vent", is an
alternate way of venting the trap installed on an under counter island sink or other similar applications where
a conventional vertical vent stack or air admittance valve is not feasible or allowed.
As with all drains, ventilation must be provided to allow the flowing waste water to displace the sewer gas in
the drain, and then to allow air (or some other fluid) to fill the vacuum which would otherwise form as the
water flows down the pipe.
An island fixture vent provides an elegant solution for this necessity: when the drain is opened, water
displaces the sewer gas up to the sanitary tee, the water flows downward while sewer gas is displaced
upward and toward the vent. The vent can also provide air to fill any vacuum created.
The key to a functional island fixture vent is that the top elbow must be at least as high as the "flood level"
(the peak possible drain water level in the sink). This ensures that the vent never becomes waterlogged.

Fittings
Drainage and venting systems require not only pipe, but also many specialized fittings which add
considerably to their cost of construction. Special access fittings such as "clean-outs" enhance the long-term
maintainability of the systems, and are required by most plumbing codes.
Water Closet
A flush toilet (also known as a flushing toilet, water closet (WC) – see also Toilet
(names)) is a toilet that disposes of human excreta (urine and feces) by using water to flush it
through a drainpipe to another location for disposal, thus maintaining a separation between
humans and their excreta. Flush toilets can be designed for sitting (in which case they are also
called "Western" toilets) or for squatting, in the case of squat toilets. The opposite of a flush
toilet is a dry toilet, which uses no water for flushing.
Flush toilets are a type of plumbing fixture and usually incorporate an "S", "U", "J", or "P"
shaped bend called a trap that causes water to collect in the toilet bowl and act as a seal
against noxious gases. Most flush toilets are connected to a sewerage system that conveys
waste to a sewage treatment plant; where this is not available, a septic tank may be used.
When a toilet is flushed, the wastewater flows into a septic tank, or is conveyed to a treatment
plant.[3]
Associated devices are urinals, which handle only urine, and bidets, which can be used for
cleansing of the anus, perineum, and genitals after using the toilet.

Tank fill valve

The ballcock or float valve is often used to regulate the filling of a tank or cistern. When the fluid level drops, the float
descends, levering the valve opening and allowing more fluid to enter. Once the float reaches the 'full' position, the arm
presses the valve shut again.

Tank fill valves are found in all tank-style toilets. The valves are of two main designs: the side-
float design and the concentric-float design. The side-float design has existed for over a
hundred years. The concentric design has only existed since 1957, but is gradually becoming
more popular than the side-float design.
The side-float design uses a float on the end of a lever to control the fill valve. The float is
usually shaped like a ball, so the mechanism is often called a ball-valve or a ballcock (cock in
this context is an alternative term for valve; see, for example, stopcock). The float was
originally made from copper sheet, but it is now usually plastic. The float is located to one side
of the main valve tower or inlet at the end of a rod or arm. As the float rises, so does the float-
arm. The arm connects to the fill valve that blocks the water flow into the toilet tank, and shuts
off the water when the float reaches a set height. This maintains a constant level in the tank

The newer concentric-float fill valve consists of a tower which is encircled by a plastic float
assembly. Operation is otherwise the same as a side-float fill valve, even though the float
position is somewhat different. By virtue of its more compact layout, interference between the
float and other obstacles (tank insulation, flush valve, and so on) is greatly reduced, thus
increasing reliability. The concentric-float fill valve is also designed to signal to users
automatically when there is a leak in the tank, by making much more noise when a leak is
present than the older style side-float fill valve, which tends to be nearly silent when a slow
leak is present.

Flapper-flush valve
In tanks using a flapper-flush valve, the outlet at the bottom of the tank is covered by a buoyant
(plastic or rubber) cover, or flapper, which is held in place against a fitting (the flush valve seat)
by water pressure. To flush the toilet, the user pushes a lever, which lifts the flush valve from
the valve seat. The valve then floats clear of the seat, allowing the tank to empty quickly into
the bowl. As the water level drops, the floating flush valve descends back to the bottom of the
tank and covers the outlet pipe again. This system is common in homes in the US and in
continental Europe. Recently this flush system has also become available in the UK due to a
change in regulations.[5]
Dual flush versions of this design are now widely available. They have one level of water
for liquid waste and a higher level for solid waste.
Siphon-flush mechanismEdit

A simplified diagram of a siphonic WC cistern. The siphon is formed of a vertical pipe (1) that links the flush pipe (2) to a
domed chamber (3). A perforated disc (4) covered by a flexible plate or flap (5) is joined by the siphon rod (6) to the
flush lever (7).

This system, invented by Albert Giblin and common in the UK, uses a storage tank similar to
that used in the flapper-flush-valve system above.[6] This flush valve system is sometimes
referred to as a valve less system, since no valve as such is required.
The siphon is formed of a vertical pipe that links the flush pipe to a domed chamber inside the
cistern. A perforated disc, covered by a flexible plate or flap, is fitted inside this chamber and is
joined by a rod to the flush lever.

Pressing the lever raises the disc, forces water over the top of the siphon into the vertical pipe,
and starts the siphonic flow. Water flows through the perforated disc past the flap until the
cistern is empty, at which point air enters the siphon and the flush stops. The advantage of a
siphon over the flush valve is that it has no sealing washers that can wear out and cause
leaks, so it is favoured in places where there is a need to conserve water.
Until 1 January 2001, the use of siphon-type cisterns was mandatory in the UK[7] to avoid the
potential waste of water by millions of leaking toilets with flapper valves, but due to EU
harmonisation the regulations have changed. These valves can sometimes be more difficult to
operate than a "flapper"-based flush valve because the lever requires more torque than a
flapper-flush-valve system. This additional torque is required at the tank lever because a
certain amount of water must be moved up into the siphon passageway in order to initiate the
siphon action in the tank. Splitting or jamming of the flexible flap covering the perforated disc
can cause the cistern to go out of order.
Dual-flush versions of the siphon cistern provide a shorter flush option by allowing air into the
siphon to stop the siphon action before the tank is empty.

The siphon system can also be combined with an air box to allow multiple siphons to be
installed in a single trough cistern