Google Translate: Plumber to English

Sometimes it can be hard to communicate with our customers. Plumbing jargon that is second-nature to our Calgary plumbers is often foreign to homeowners, and they’ll look at us like we’re not even speaking English. To help bridge the gap, we thought we’d create a list of common plumbing terms that you may want to know!

ABS — not your anti-lock braking system but good guess! For plumbers, ABS actually refers to type of plastic which goes by the scientific name of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene — you can see why we use the initialism! This is rough, black plastic pipe is usually used for drainage. Other initialisms you’ll hear include: CPCV, IPB, PEX, and PVC. These all describe what a pipe is made out of.

Adapter — an adapter for your phone and car lets you attach your cell to your vehicle for charging or playing music. Similarly, in plumbing an adapter joins two pipes together. You may also hear the term reducer. A reducer connects one pipe or another smaller pipe.

Air Gap — This one’s pretty self explanatory actually. You can think of it as the open space between plumbing, such as the gap between where water comes out of your faucet and the drain in the sink.

Backflow Preventer — This is another easy one! This machine prevents water from flowing backwards through your plumbing system.

Cleanout — If you have an obstruction in your pipes, you’ll likely hear this word. This can refer to a plug or branch of piping that let’s us clean and unclog your plumbing system.

T&P Valve — T refers to temperature and P to pressure. Plumbers use this valve to release excess pressure or temperature from a system.

Trap — Specifically a sewer-gas trap. This plumbing fixture holds water and prevents sewer-gases from creeping up your sewer system and into your home.

Valve — A valve is simply a mechanism for controlling the flow of water. Most plumbers will talk to you about a specific valve such as the T&P valve or a shut off valve.

Here a Plumbing Paramedics, we take customer experience very seriously. That’s why we’re always happy to take the necessary time to explain exactly what’s wrong with your plumbing and how we’ll need to fix it. If you ever have any questions about what needs to be done or how you can better maintain your plumbing, just talk with one of our experts! We’re here to help.