5 terms a plumbing engineer uses that don’t mean what you think

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1. Head

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It’s not the part of your body that sits in between your shoulders nor is it the frothy foam on top of beer and carbonated beverages. 

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It is a unit of measure for pressure in a plumbing system describing the vertical elevation and piping resistance that water must overcome.

A diagram of the pressure inside a plumbing system generating flow.
Diagram via pumpfundamentals.com

2. Aquastat

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It’s not a term that means you need a drink of water, pronto!

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It is a device used in water heating systems for controlling water temperature ensuring the availability of tempered water. 

A diagram indicating the placement of an aquastat.

3. Cycle Time

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It’s not the time you decide to take a ride on a bike.

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It is the amount of time it takes a toilet to complete a flush cycle, from the instant it is flushed until the water supply shuts off.

4. Nipple

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It’s not the rubber piece you find on the end of a baby bottle.

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It is a fitting that is a short piece of pipe. A nipple is usually provided with a male pipe thread (MPT) connection at each end of the fitting, which are used to make a watertight seal when connecting piping threaded fittings, valves or equipment.

Various pipe fittings and elements.

5. Scale

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It’s not the thing you stand on to determine one’s body weight.

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It is a buildup of minerals and other deposits in areas that come in contact with water, including pipes and plumbing fixtures.

Scale on the inside of drain pipes.