A typical swimming pool has a number of major components including a basin, a motorized pump, a water filter, drains, return lines, and plumbing piping connecting these components. Chlorine is often the sanitizing agent used in swimming pools, and given the corrosive nature of chlorine, PVC plastic is usually the material of choice for swimming pool plumbing and piping. The water in a pool must be sanitized and have debris strained out of it.

Emergency plumbing fixtures consist mainly of two fixtures: an emergency eye wash and an emergency shower or deluge shower. The purpose for both of these fixtures is to rapidly wash anyone who has come in contact with an acid or poison which could be absorbed through the epidermis. The eye has the thinnest epidermis at .05 mm, and the palm of the hand has the thickest at 1.5 mm.

Each residential plumbing fixture has associated with it necessary items that are often not included with the fixture. Some of these extra parts are the faucets, supplies, and trim.

Residential plumbing fixtures differ from commercial plumbing fixtures in that they are not usually constructed to be as durable. All faucets, spouts, strainers, traps, waste piping, stoppers, stops, and escutcheon plates are considered trim and are included in Residential Faucets, Supplies, and Trim.

A water heater adds heat to water, raising its temperature. A commercial gas water heater consists of a gas fired burner to heat the water, and a separate hot water storage tank. In most residential water heaters, the heater is combined with the storage tank. A commercial gas water heater also differs from a residential water heater in capacity and durability or life expectancy, and in the fact that there can be multiple heaters and multiple tanks.

A sump pump is an automatic water pump powered by an electric motor which removes drainage, excluding raw sewage, from a sump or low point. There are two basic kinds of sump pumps: pedestal and submersible. Either will work well with proper maintenance. Pedestal sump pumps are powered by an electric motor which sits on top of a pedestal. The pump itself sits down in the sump, but the motor sits on top, out of the pit. A pedestal pump motor is not designed to get wet. The pump is turned on and off by a ball float. One advantage of this type of pump is that the on/off switch is visible, so the action of the ball float can be easily seen.

A storm drain is a network of underground pipes designed to control flooding by transporting stormwater from urban areas to a body of water. A storm drain may also be known as a curb, gutter, channel, ditch, pipe, or culvert. Facility storm drainage is therefore a network of pipes inside the envelope of a building which may include underground piping designed to control flooding by delivering stormwater from the roof to the network of pipes outside the building. Facility storm drainage is therefore restricted to that which is installed within the envelope of the structure to drain storm water from the roof of the structure.

Backwater valves are installed in the main sanitary waste piping line from the building to the sanitary waste line on the property, hence they are called in-line backwater valves. They are valves that are installed in your sewer line for the purpose of closing off the pipe when water tries to back up through it; they permit sewage to pass through in only one direction.

This topic includes information related to gas and vacuum systems that are installed in laboratory and healthcare facilities during construction. Gas and vacuum systems deliver compressed air, gas and processed water to point of use locations within a facility. They also serve to remove or dispose of general wastewater, chemical waste and vapors.

This topic includes information related to swimming pool water treatment equipment that is installed during the construction of a swimming pool. Water treatment equipment filters water to remove pollutants and ensure healthy water for recreational use.

This topic includes information related to drinking fountains that are installed during construction. Drinking fountains provide filtered and cooled drinking water for public consumption.