Plumbing fixture

A plumbing fixture is an exchangeable device which can be connected to a plumbing system to deliver and drain water.

Common fixtures

Supply

The most common plumbing fixtures are:

Bathtubs
Bidets
Channel drains
Drinking fountains
Showers
Sinks
Tap (connections for water hoses)
- Tapware - an industry term for that sub-category of plumbing fixtures consisting of tap valves, also called water taps (British English) or faucets (American English), and their accessories, such as water spouts and shower heads.
Terminal valves for dishwashers, ice makers, humidifiers, etc.
Urinals
Toilets
- Flush toilets

Waste

Each of these plumbing fixtures has one or more water outlets and a drain. In some cases, the drain has a device that can be manipulated to block the drain to fill the basin of the fixture. Each fixture also has a flood rim, or level at which water will begin to overflow. Most fixtures also have an overflow, which is a conduit for water to drain away, when the regular drain is plugged, before the water actually overflows at the flood rim level. However, water closets and showers (that are not in bathtubs) usually lack this feature because their drains normally cannot be stopped.

Each fixture usually has a characteristic means of connection. Normal plumbing practice is to install a valve on each water supply line before the fixture, and this is most commonly termed a stop or "service valve". The water supply to some fixtures is cold water only (such as water closets and urinals). Most fixtures also have a hot water supply. In some occasional cases, a sink may have both a potable (drinkable) and a non-potable water supply.

Lavatories and water closets normally connect to the water supply by means of a supply, which is a tube, usually of nominal 3/8 in (United States) or 10 or 12 mm diameter (Europe and Middle East), which connects the water supply to the fixture, sometimes through a flexible (braided) hose. For water closets, this tube usually ends in a flat neoprene washer that tightens against the connection, while for lavatories, the supply usually ends in a conical neoprene washer. Kitchen sinks, tubs and showers usually have supply tubes built onto their valves which then are soldered or 'fast jointed' directly onto the water supply pipes.

Drains

The actual initial drain part in a lavatory or sink is termed a strainer. If there is a removable strainer device that fits into the fixed strainer, it is termed a strainer basket. The initial pipe that leads from the strainer to the trap is termed the tailpiece.

Floor-mounted water closets seal to the toilet flange of the drain pipe by means of a wax ring. These are traditionally made out of beeswax. However, their proper sealing depends on proper seating of the water closet, on a firm and secure base (floor), and on proper installation of the closet bolts which secure the closet to the flange, which is in turn supposed to be securely fastened to the floor.

Traps and vents

All plumbing fixtures have traps in their drains; these traps are either internal or external to the fixtures. Traps are pipes which curve down then back up; they "trap" a small amount of water to create a water seal between the ambient air space and the inside of the drain system. This prevents sewer gas from entering buildings.

Most water closets, bidets, and many urinals have the trap integral with the fixture itself. The visible water surface in a toilet is the top of the trap's water seal.

Each fixture drain, with exceptions, must be vented so that negative air pressure in the drain cannot siphon the trap dry, to prevent positive air pressure in the sewer from forcing gases past the water seal, and to prevent explosive sewer gas buildup.

Electronic plumbing

Sensor operated plumbing fixtures have fewer moving parts, and therefore outlast traditional manual flush fixtures. Additionally, they reduce water consumption by way of intelligent flushing schedules (fuzzy logic) that determines the quantity of each flush based on how many people are standing in line to use the fixture.

In public facilities, the trend is toward sensor-operated (automatic) fixtures that improve hygiene and save money. For example, sensor operated automatic-flush urinals have fewer moving parts, reduce wear, and tend to last longer than manual-flush valves. Also, they ensure fixtures are flushed only once per use. Some contain intelligence that flushes them at different amounts of water flow depending on traffic patterns: e.g., the fixture can detect a lineup of users and only give a full flush after the last person has used the urinal. For the same purpose, dual-flush toilets are also becoming more popular. A combination of both technologies can allow for saved power and water.

Automatic flush compensates for users who do not bother to flush. Also, since the fixtures are always flushed, there is no need for a urinal cake, or other odor reduction. Sensor-operated toilets also have automatic flush. Sensor-operated faucets and showers save water. For example, while a user is lathering up with soap, the fixture shuts off and then resumes when the user needs it to. Sensor-operated soap and shampoo dispensers reduce waste and spills that might otherwise represent a slippage hazard.

However, many people, especially children, dislike or even fear automatic flush toilets, since they have the tendency to flush without warning, even while the user is still sitting on the toilet. Some parents have started keeping track of public bathrooms that have manual flush toilets, or even carrying post-it notes or other devices with them to temporarily disable the automatic flush sensor.^[1]

These fixtures typically cost more to install than conventional plumbing fixtures, because they require the services (or presence) of both a licensed plumber and a licensed electrician. Construction companies on cost-plus contracts may actually favor these fixtures for this reason, although their clients may not. The additional complexity of these fixtures also complicates repairs, particularly the diagnosis of malfunctions causing unexpected flushing. Few electricians, and fewer plumbers, understand microelectronics well enough for complex diagnosis.

Standardization

Some widely used standards for plumbing fittings and accessories located between the supply stop and the terminal fitting area are:

A112.18.1 Plumbing Supply Fittings Standard, American Society of Mechanical Engineers
A112.18.2 Plumbing Waste Fittings Standard, American Society of Mechanical Engineers

References

^ Kelley, Tina (Nov 12, 2007). "For Children, a Scary World Out There (in There, Too)". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-07-25.

[1] Kelley, Tina (Nov 12, 2007). "For Children, a Scary World Out There (in There, Too)". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-07-25.

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v t e Plumbing
Fundamental concepts	Air gap (plumbing) Backflow Compatibility (chemical) Corrosion Drain (plumbing) Drinking water Fuel gas Friction loss Grade (slope) Greywater Heat trap Hydrostatic loop Leak Neutral axis Onsite sewage facility Pressure Sanitary sewer Sewer gas Sewage Sewerage Siphon Storm sewer Stormwater Surface tension Tap water Thermal expansion Thermal insulation Thermosiphon Trap (plumbing) Venturi effect Wastewater Water hammer Water supply network Water table Well
Technology	Brazing British Standard Pipe (BSP) Cast iron pipe Chemical drain cleaners Compression fitting Copper tubing Crimp (joining) Drain-waste-vent system Ductile iron pipe Flare fitting Garden Hose Thread (GHT) Gasket Hydronics Leak detection National Pipe Thread (NPT) Nominal Pipe Size (NPS) O-ring Oakum Pipe (fluid conveyance) Pipe dope Pipe support Plastic pipework Push-to-pull compression fittings Putty Sealant Sewage pumping Soldering Solvent welding Swaging Thread seal tape Threaded pipe Tube bending Water heat recycling
Components	Atmospheric vacuum breaker Automatic bleeding valve Automatic faucet Backflow prevention device Ball valve Bleed screw Booster pump Butterfly valve Check valve Chemigation valve Chopper pump Circulator pump Cistern Closet flange Concentric reducer Condensate pump Coupling (piping) Diaphragm valve Dielectric union Double check valve Eccentric reducer Expansion tank Faucet aerator Float switch Float valve Floor drain Flow limiter Flushing trough Flushometer Gate valve Globe valve Grease trap Grinder pump Hose coupling Manifold Needle valve Nipple (plumbing) Pinch valve Piping and plumbing fitting Plug (sanitation) Pressure regulator Pressure vacuum breaker Pressure-balanced valve Pump Radiator (heating) Reduced pressure zone device Reducer Relief valve Riser clamp Rooftop water tower Safety valve Sewage pump Street elbow Submersible pump Tap (valve) Thermostatic mixing valve Trench drain Vacuum breaker Vacuum ejector Valve Water tank Zone valve
Plumbing fixtures	Accessible bathtub Bathtub Bidet Dehumidifier Dishwasher Drinking fountain Electric water boiler Evaporative cooler Flush toilet Garbage disposal unit Hot water storage tank Humidifier Icemaker Instant hot water dispenser Laundry tub Shower water recycling shower Sink Storage water heater Sump pump Tankless water heater Urinal Washing machine Washlet Water dispenser Water filter Water heater Water softener
Specialized tools	Basin wrench Blowtorch Borescope Core drill Drain cleaner Driving cap Flare-nut wrench Pipecutter Pipe wrench Plumber's snake Plumber wrench Plunger Strap wrench Tap and die
Measurement and control	Control valve Flow sensor Pressure sensor Water detector Water metering
Professions, trades, and services	Hydronic balancing Hydrostatic testing Leak detection Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing Pipe marking Pipefitter Pipelayer Plumber
Industry organizations and standards	International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) NSF International Plumbing & Drainage Institute (PDI) Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) World Plumbing Council (WPC)
Health and safety	Plumbing code Scalding Waterborne disease
See also	Fire sprinkler system Piping Template:HVAC Template:Public health Template:Sewerage Template:Toilets Template:Wastewater