PLUMBING:TRADESMAN/
JOURNEYMAN TEXAS PLUMBING
EXAMS PREP COURSE QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS.
ACCESS TO - Answer Where applied to a fixture, connection, appliance, or equipment, having
access thereto (without demolition), but which first may require the removal of an access panel,
door, or similar obstruction. (note: The UPC refers to this as "accessible")
(READY) ACCESS TO - Answer Having a direct access without the necessity of removing a
panel, door, or similar obstruction. (note: The UPC refers to this as "readily accessible")
AIR ADMITTANCE VALVE - Answer One-way valve designed to allow air to enter the plumbing
drainage system when negative pressures develop in the piping system. The device shall close
by gravity and seal the vent terminal at zero differential pressure and under positive internal
pressures. The purpose of this device is to provide a method of allowing air to enter the
plumbing drainage system without the use of a vent extended to open air and to prevent sewer
gases from escaping into a building. Allowed by IPC/IRC, not allowed by UPC.
AIR GAP (DRAINAGE) - Answer The unobstructed vertical distance through the free
atmosphere between the lowest opening from a pipe, plumbing fixture, appliance, or
appurtenance conveying waste to the flood- level rim of the receptor. Typically required to be
one inch, or twice the diameter of the waste pipe.
AIR GAP (WATER DISTRIBUTION) - Answer The unobstructed vertical distance through the
free atmosphere between the lowest opening from a pipe or faucet conveying potable water to
the flood-level rim of a tank, vat, or fixture. Typically required to be one inch, or twice the
diameter of the water opening.
APPROVED - Answer Acceptable to the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION - Answer The organization, office, or individual
responsible for enforcing the requirements of a code or standard, or for approving equipment,
materials, installations, or procedures. The Authority Having Jurisdiction shall be a federal, state,
local, or other regional department or an individual such as a plumbing official, mechanical
official, labor department official, health department official, building official, or others having
statutory authority. In the absence of a statutory authority, the Authority Having Juris- diction
may be some other responsible party. This definition shall include the Authority Having
Jurisdiction's duly authorized representative.
, BACKFLOW - Answer The flow of water or other liquids, mixtures, or substances into the
distributing pipes of a potable supply of water from sources other than its intended source. See
Back- siphonage, Backpressure Backflow.
BACKPRESSURE BACKFLOW - Answer Backflow due to an increased pressure above the
supply pressure, which may be due to pumps, boilers, gravity, or other sources of pressure.
BACKSIPHONAGE - Answer The flowing back of used, contaminated, or polluted water from a
plumbing fixture or vessel into a water supply pipe due to a pressure less than atmospheric in
such pipe. See Backflow.
BACKFLOW PREVENTER - Answer A backflow prevention device, an assembly, or other
method to prevent backflow into the potable water system.
BOARD MEMBERS - Answer An individual appointed by the governor and confirmed by the
senate to serve on the Board.
BOARD STAFF - Answer Employees of the Board rather than Members of the Board.
BRANCH - Answer A part of the piping system other than a main, riser, or stack.
BUILDING DRAIN (Sanitary) - Answer That part of the lowest piping of a sanitary drainage
system that receives the discharge (sewage) from soil, waste, and other drainage pipes inside
the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer outside the building wall.
BUILDING SEWER - Answer That part of the horizontal piping of the sanitary drainage system
that extends from the end of the building drain and that receives the discharge of the building
drain and conveys it to a public sewer, private sewer, private sewage disposal system, or other
point of disposal.
BUILDING SUPPLY / BUILDING SERVICE - Answer The pipe carrying potable water from the
water meter or other source of water supply to a building or other point of use or distribution
on the lot.
CLEANOUT (TX) - Answer A fitting, other than a p-trap, approved by the adopted plumbing
code and designed to be installed in a sanitary drainage system to allow easy access for cleaning
the sanitary drainage system.
CODE APPROVED EXISTING OPENING - Answer For the purposes of drain cleaning activities
described in §1301.002(3) of the Plumbing License Law, a code approved existing opening is any
JOURNEYMAN TEXAS PLUMBING
EXAMS PREP COURSE QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS.
ACCESS TO - Answer Where applied to a fixture, connection, appliance, or equipment, having
access thereto (without demolition), but which first may require the removal of an access panel,
door, or similar obstruction. (note: The UPC refers to this as "accessible")
(READY) ACCESS TO - Answer Having a direct access without the necessity of removing a
panel, door, or similar obstruction. (note: The UPC refers to this as "readily accessible")
AIR ADMITTANCE VALVE - Answer One-way valve designed to allow air to enter the plumbing
drainage system when negative pressures develop in the piping system. The device shall close
by gravity and seal the vent terminal at zero differential pressure and under positive internal
pressures. The purpose of this device is to provide a method of allowing air to enter the
plumbing drainage system without the use of a vent extended to open air and to prevent sewer
gases from escaping into a building. Allowed by IPC/IRC, not allowed by UPC.
AIR GAP (DRAINAGE) - Answer The unobstructed vertical distance through the free
atmosphere between the lowest opening from a pipe, plumbing fixture, appliance, or
appurtenance conveying waste to the flood- level rim of the receptor. Typically required to be
one inch, or twice the diameter of the waste pipe.
AIR GAP (WATER DISTRIBUTION) - Answer The unobstructed vertical distance through the
free atmosphere between the lowest opening from a pipe or faucet conveying potable water to
the flood-level rim of a tank, vat, or fixture. Typically required to be one inch, or twice the
diameter of the water opening.
APPROVED - Answer Acceptable to the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION - Answer The organization, office, or individual
responsible for enforcing the requirements of a code or standard, or for approving equipment,
materials, installations, or procedures. The Authority Having Jurisdiction shall be a federal, state,
local, or other regional department or an individual such as a plumbing official, mechanical
official, labor department official, health department official, building official, or others having
statutory authority. In the absence of a statutory authority, the Authority Having Juris- diction
may be some other responsible party. This definition shall include the Authority Having
Jurisdiction's duly authorized representative.
, BACKFLOW - Answer The flow of water or other liquids, mixtures, or substances into the
distributing pipes of a potable supply of water from sources other than its intended source. See
Back- siphonage, Backpressure Backflow.
BACKPRESSURE BACKFLOW - Answer Backflow due to an increased pressure above the
supply pressure, which may be due to pumps, boilers, gravity, or other sources of pressure.
BACKSIPHONAGE - Answer The flowing back of used, contaminated, or polluted water from a
plumbing fixture or vessel into a water supply pipe due to a pressure less than atmospheric in
such pipe. See Backflow.
BACKFLOW PREVENTER - Answer A backflow prevention device, an assembly, or other
method to prevent backflow into the potable water system.
BOARD MEMBERS - Answer An individual appointed by the governor and confirmed by the
senate to serve on the Board.
BOARD STAFF - Answer Employees of the Board rather than Members of the Board.
BRANCH - Answer A part of the piping system other than a main, riser, or stack.
BUILDING DRAIN (Sanitary) - Answer That part of the lowest piping of a sanitary drainage
system that receives the discharge (sewage) from soil, waste, and other drainage pipes inside
the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer outside the building wall.
BUILDING SEWER - Answer That part of the horizontal piping of the sanitary drainage system
that extends from the end of the building drain and that receives the discharge of the building
drain and conveys it to a public sewer, private sewer, private sewage disposal system, or other
point of disposal.
BUILDING SUPPLY / BUILDING SERVICE - Answer The pipe carrying potable water from the
water meter or other source of water supply to a building or other point of use or distribution
on the lot.
CLEANOUT (TX) - Answer A fitting, other than a p-trap, approved by the adopted plumbing
code and designed to be installed in a sanitary drainage system to allow easy access for cleaning
the sanitary drainage system.
CODE APPROVED EXISTING OPENING - Answer For the purposes of drain cleaning activities
described in §1301.002(3) of the Plumbing License Law, a code approved existing opening is any
