ABS: Rigid plastic for drain-waste-vent; strong but light and easy to cut. Join with solvent glue. * Restricted in some areas.

Access Panel
An opening in the wall or ceiling near the fixture that allows access for servicing the plumbing/electrical system.

Ball Cock:The mechanism that controls the flow of water into a gravity-operated toilet tank. The ballcock is controlled by the float mechanism floating in the water in the tank. When the toilet is flushed, the float drops and opens the ballcock, allowing water to enter the tank and/or bowl. The float rises as the water level in the tank is restored, and shuts off the ballcock when the tank is completely filled. Also referred to as a float valve.

Ball Passage: Refers to the size of a ball, which can pass through the trap way of a toilet. Standards are established based on minimum size ball passage. Ball passage also relates to trap way size. Generally speaking, the size of the trap will be 1/8" larger than the maximum size ball, which can pass through it.

Basin Wrench: Tightens or removes hard-to-reach faucet mounting and coupling nuts.

Bidet: A personal hygiene fixture with hot and cold water supply for genital and perineal cleanliness.

Blow-out Water: A toilet having a non-siphonic trap way at the rear of the bowl, and integral flushing rim and jet.

Bowl: Water-containing receptor, which receives liquid and solid body waste; two general bowl classifications are round front and elongated.

Cleanout
A plug in a trap or drain pipe that provides access for the purpose of clearing an obstruction. 

Closet Auger
A flexible rod with a curved end used to access the toilet's built-in trap and remove clogs

Closet Bend
A curved fitting that connects the closet flange to the toilet drain.

Closet Flange
An anchoring ring secured to the floor. The base of the toilet is secured to this ring with bolts

Close Couple: Describes a toilet with a separate tank and bowl, secured to each other, and with a separate tank cover. Also referred to as a two-piece toilet.

Cycle Time: The time beginning at the instant a toilet flush lever is actuated, until the instant the water supply shuts off, completing the flush cycle.

Coupling
A fitting that joins two pieces of pipe.

CPVC (Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride)
Rigid plastic pipe used in water supply systems, where code permits.

DWV
Abbreviation for drain, waste and vent.

Dam: The barrier built into the trap way of a toilet that controls the water level in the toilet bowl.

Elbow
A pipe fitting with two openings that changes the direction of the line. Also called an ell. It comes in a variety of angles, from 22 1/2° to 90°

Elongated Bowl: Toilet bowl having dimensions of 14" wide by 18 1/2" long (from center of seat hinge holes to front outside rim edge). Generally more comfortable for adults.

Fall/Flow
The proper slope or pitch of a pipe for adequate drainage

Fixture
In plumbing, the devices that provide a supply of water and/or its disposal, e.g. sinks, tubs, toilets.

Flapper: Also known as flush ball, the flapper is the moving part of the flush valve that seals the water into the tank or allows water to exit the tank for the flush cycle. This is the predominant replacement part used on conventional toilets.

Flux
The paste that is used in soldering metal joints. Flux aids the process by preventing oxidation of the joint.

Float ball: The floating ball connected to the ballcock inside the tank, which rises or falls with changing water levels in the tank, and actuates or shuts off the ballcock as needed.

Flushing Surface: The interior surface of the bowl, and all other surfaces, which may come into contact with water during flushing.

Flush-o-meter Tank System: Toilet flushing system, which utilizes supply water pressure to compress water to provide a pressurized flush (versus a gravity flush).

Flush-o-meter Valve: The valve located at the bottom of a gravity-operated toilet flush tank, which opens when the trip lever is actuated, and closes when the tank has drained to the desired level. Usually contains an overflow tube as well.

Glaze: Glossy, water-resistant, colored finish surface on vitreous china plumbing fixtures.

GPF: Abbreviation for "gallons per flush", used in discussing water consumption for toilets.

Gravity Operated Toilet: A toilet, which relies on the natural downward pressure (or "head") of water in a toilet tank to flush the toilet effectively.

I.D.
Abbreviation for inside diameter. All pipes are sized according to their inside diameter

Insuliner®: Kohler's Registered trade name for factory-installed tank insulation, which minimizes condensation on the outside of the tank  when exposed to high humidity.

Jet:  orifice or other feature of a toilet that is designed to direct water into the trap way quickly, to start the siphon action.

Low Consumption Toilets:  classification of toilet designed to flush using 1.6 or less gallons of water, as opposed to 3.5 gallon "Water-Saving" toilets, and other higher-consumption toilets.

O.D.
Abbreviation for outside diameter

One Piece Toilet: A toilet in which the tank and bowl are manufactured as a single vitreous china fixture. Typically, one-piece toilets have a lower profile than two-piece toilets. One piece toilets are sleeker, easier to clean, more leak proof.

Overflow Tube: The vertical tube inside a toilet tank (usually part of the flush valve), which directs water into the bowl in case the ballcock malfunctions. If the ballcock does not shut off properly, water will drain through the overflow tube into the bowl, and flow harmlessly over the dam and out the drain. This prevents potential water damage caused by the tank overflowing, and indicates to the user that there is a problem by a "constant running" condition. On most toilets, the overflow tube also has a refill tube flowing into it. The refill line directs water from the ballcock through the overflow tube, to the bowl, after the siphon break.

Peace Keeper™: Kohler is patented, factory-installed, battery-powered, seat-actuated flushing system, which initiates the flush cycle when the user simply lowers the seat lid.

Pipe Wrench: Used to tighten and loosen pipes and large fittings.

PB (Polybutylene)
Flexible plastic tubing used in water supply systems where allowed by code.

Plumber's Putty;
A pliable, popular putty used to seal joints between drain pieces and fixture surfaces .

Pressure Clean™: Kohler is Trademarked trade name for Kohler-designed and manufactured 1.6 gpf flushometer tank system.

Priming Jet: Opening in bowl through which tank-supplied water flows, designed to propel waste up into the trap way.

Putty Knife: Used to scrap putty and caulk from fixtures.

PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
A rigid white or cream colored plastic pipe used in non pressure systems, such as waste and vent systems

Reducer A fitting that connects pipes of different sizes.

Riser
A vertical assembly of fittings and pipes that distributes water upward.

Refill Tube: On most toilets, a refill tube directs water from the ballcock into the overflow tube to refill the bowl after the siphon break.

Reverse-Trap Water Closet: A toilet having a siphonic trap way at the rear of the bowl, and integral flushing rim and jet. Minimum dimensions are 9" x 8" water spot, and 1 1/2" ball pass.

Rim Holes: A series of small holes, in the underside of a toilet rim, around the circumference of the bowl. Incoming water flows down into the bowl through these holes, creating a rinse effect, or "rim wash" over the entire inner surface of the bowl.

Round front Bowl: Toilet bowl having dimensions of 14" wide by 16 1/2" long (from center of seat hinge holes to front outside rim edge).

Rough-In,
The portion of a plumbing installation that includes running the water supply lines and drain, waste & vent lines to the proposed location of each fixture

Rough-in Dimensions: The distance from a finished wall or floor to the center of the waste or supply opening or mounting holes on a plumbing fixture.

Rough-in Valve: Refers to the valve body which gets installed inside the wall. Generally sold as an required item to the shower trim.

Run
A complete or secondary section(s) of pipe that extend from supply to fixture or drain to stack.

Sanitary Fitting
Fitting that joins the assorted pipes in a drain, waste and vent system; designed to allow solid material to pass through without clogging

Self-Rimming: A plumbing fixture, such as a sink or tub that is mounted on top of a counter top or platform. This type of mounting is sometimes referred to as a drop in.

Soil Stack
Largest vertical drain line to which all branch waste lines connect; carries waste to the sewer line.

Solder
A metal alloy that is melted to join or mend metal surfaces; also, the act of melting solder into the joint.

Stop Valve
A valve that controls the flow of water to an individual fixture, allowing water supply to be stopped to one fixture without affecting the water supply to other fixtures

Tank: The fixture reservoir for flush water. On a conventional toilet, the ballcock, flush valve and trip lever are installed in the tank. A tank lid closes the top tank opening.

Tee
A T-shaped fitting with three openings used to create branch lines

Traps: Chromed brass or plastic. Choose a style and diameter to fit application, join with compression fitting. Attaches to the drain.

Trap seal: The heights of water in a toilet bowl "at rest, it provides a water seal which prevents sewer gases from entering the home. Trap seal is measured from the top of the dam, down to the inlet of the trap way. Also referred to as deep seal.

Trap seal: The heights of water in a toilet bowl "at rest, it provides a water seal which prevents sewer gases from entering the home. Trap seal is measured from the top of the dam, down to

the inlet of the trap way. Also referred to as deep seal.
Trim: Any non-vitreous china toilet components except the seat. Examples include ballcock,

bolt caps, and trip lever.
Trip Lever: Handle, which is rotated to initiate the toilet flush cycle. Kohler factory-installed trip levers have a polished chrome finish; optional trim kits offer trip levers in other finishes.

Toilets equipped with Peacekeeper seat-actuated flush do not have a trip lever.
Two Piece toilet: A standard toilet with a separate tank and bowl. Also referred to as close-coupled.

"ULF": "Ultra Low Flush", a widely used descriptor for 1.6 gpf (or less) low consumption toilets.

Union
Three-piece fitting that joins two sections of pipe, but allows them to be disconnected without cutting the pipe. Used primarily with steel pipes, but never in a DWV system

Urinal: A plumbing fixture which receives only liquid body waste and conveys the waste through a trap seal into a gravity drainage system.

Under mount: A plumbing fixture, such as a sink or tub that is mounted underneath a counter top or platform. This type of mounting offers a clean and contemporary look.

Vitreous China: As applied to plumbing fixtures, compounded of ceramic materials fired at high temperature to form a nonporous body with exposed surfaces coated with ceramic glaze fused to the body.

Wash down Water Closet: A water closet having a siphon trap way at the front of the bowl, and integral flushing rim. Minimum dimensions are 8" x 7" water spot, and 1 1/2" ball pass.

Water Closet: A plumbing fixture having a water-containing receptor which receives liquid and solid body waste and, upon actuation (flushing), conveys the waste through a trap way into a gravity drainage system.

Water Saving Toilet: A classification of toilet, which uses no more than 3.5 gallons and no less than 1.6 gallons per flush.

Water Spout: The water surface in the toilet bowl once the flush is completed. This is established by the height of the integral trap way dam. Usually expressed in inches of width by length. For example, the K-3490 Portrait Lite has a 9" x 8" water spot. Also referred to as water surface.