Plumbing terms and slang explained

Having an in-depth knowledge of plumbing is what sets you apart from a frequent DIY-er. This includes knowing all the right plumbing words, what they mean, and when to use them.

If you’ve just started your journey to becoming a plumber. Or you’re considering starting your own plumbing business now you have plenty of experience. Knowing the jargon will set you on the right track.

However, even if you’ve been working as a plumber for a while now, you might still not know everything.

The last thing you want is to sound like a novice. That’s why we’ve compiled our own glossary full of some plumbing terms and slang you should definitely know.

Why is it important to know plumbing terms and slang?

Aside from just feeling more confident in the world of plumbing, there other benefits from being able to use the lingo. Below, we go over a few reasons why it’s important to know plumbing terms and slang:

It can help you build a trusted and professional reputation

Being able to use proper plumbing terms will only reflect well on you and your professionalism. For instance, customers will have more trust in you and your abilities if you sound professional.

Plus, if you’re working as a team, other plumbers will be able to see that you know what you’re talking about. This means you’ll also be establishing yourself as a trusted plumber in the industry not just with homeowners.

It makes you more efficient at your job

Knowing the right terminology and what it means can help with identifying a plumbing problem and how to fix it. Once you have an understanding of how things work, you’ll be able to avoid unnecessary repair attempts due to misdiagnosis.

Not only that, but it can help if you’re working with other plumbers on a job. Instead of a long-winded explanation about a problem, you can just use the appropriate plumbing words. You’ll also be able to understand exactly what they’re saying when they’re talking to you!

It means you can help educate others

Whether you’re explaining things to a customer or another plumber, knowing the correct terms and phrases is extremely useful.

For customers, you’ll be able to explain issues in a way that they can then identify things themselves going forward. Meanwhile, for plumbing apprentices, you’ll be able to help them learn and progress in their role.

Now onto what you’re here for… the actual plumbing terms, of course!

Plumbing words for fixtures and parts

In the day-to-day life of a plumber, it’s important to know about what you’re looking at and working with. This is especially true when each component has its own specific name.

To help, we’ve pulled together a list of some plumbing words related to parts and fixtures that you should know.

Access panel

For plumbers, it is super important to know exactly what the access panel is. Generally found in a wall or ceiling opening, it’s a fixture which gives you access to work on plumbing or electrical systems.

Ballcock

A ballcock is a mechanical valve which controls water flow from the supply line in a toilet tank. Basically, it fills the tank whilst maintaining a certain water level. You may also hear a ballcock being referred to as a float valve or ball valve.

U-Bend

A U-Bend is type of fitting that connects piping or draining. As the name implies, it is U-shaped. Its purpose is to trap water and block any gas trying to pass through.

It’s worth mentioning that there are other names for a U-Bend including ‘p-trap’ and ‘bottle trap’.

PVC

PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride which is a type of thermoplastic commonly used for piping. In the plumbing world, PVC pipes are often used for drainage, waste, and vent systems.

Water hammer

A common problem for plumbers, water hammer essentially refers to the noise of banging pipes. However, not every pipe noise is water hammer.

In simple terms, water hammer occurs when water rushing through a pipe is suddenly shut off. This abrupt stop creates a sort of shockwave and leads to a banging noise.

As a plumber, it’s important to be able to identify water hammer as it can lead to real issues. For example, it may cause damage to pipe connections and joints leading to water leaks or appliance problems.

Other common plumbing terms

Aside from parts and fixtures, there are lots of other plumbing terms you’re likely to come across. Below, we’ve compiled just a few that we think you might need to know.

Blackwater

Blackwater is the wastewater which comes from a toilet which flows into a sewer or septic system. Even though it looks clear it contains faecal matter and urine. Water coming from kitchens and dishwashers are also classed as blackwater due to pathogens and grease.

It can also be referred to as sewage or brown water as it can carry disease and bacteria which may be harmful. Blackwater is different to greywater which we’ll discuss further below.

Greywater

Greywater refers to the wastewater from sinks, washing machines, showers, and baths. Compared to blackwater, it contains lower levels of contamination which makes it easier to treat.

Plumbing snake

Named due to its shared appearance with the creature, a plumbing snake is a tool used for clearing clogs. Sometimes you might also hear to this being referred to as an ‘auger’.

There are different types of plumbing snakes, or augers, which vary in size as they are designed for a certain type of job. There are also both powered and manual options available. A few examples include sink augers, closet augers, and sewer augers.

Sweating

Sweating can actually refer to two different things. For instance, ‘sweating a pipe’ involves soldering copper pipes. This is to avoid any leaky joints.

Alternatively, a ‘sweating pipe’ is essentially pipe condensation. This tends to occur when there are high temperatures, which causes water vapour to condense on colder surfaces such as water pipes.

Water closet

Water closet is one of those plumbing terms you might not be aware that you already partially knew. It’s an older phrase that’s meaning has somewhat changed over the years.

In the past, it referred to the spare closet in a home where water was piped to. Nowadays, we’ve shortened it to WC and is used as an alternative to ‘toilet’.

Build your reputation with Checkatrade

Of course, there’s so much more plumbing slang out there which you’ll likely pick up as you learn on the job.

Aside from getting to grips with the lingo, there are other things you can do to be building your reputation as a plumber. This includes becoming a Checkatrade member.

Here are just a few reasons why you should consider signing up today:

• Get access to exclusive member benefits and discounts on everything from vehicles and workwear to tools and plumber insurance
• Win more work due to being listed in our trade directory
• Receive Checkatrade’s seal of approval and win the trust of even more homeowners