Glossary of Plumbing Terms - O - Keidel Bath, Kitchen, Plumbing, Cabinetry, Appliances

Welcome to Keidel's Plumbing Glossary. Every industry and trade has its own standards and terminologies. This glossary is our attempt to help the general public understand some of the terms unique to our industry.

Our database contains over 1000 unique terms, compiled from a variety of public and private sources. To use the glossary efficiently you can click on the letter of the desired term that you would like to find. For example: click on "C" to find out about "Closet Augers" or "P" for "Petcock." Definitions listed here are provided without warranty.

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O-Ring	Round rubber washer used to create a watertight seal, chiefly around valve stems
OD	Outside diameter
OEM	Original Equipment Manufacturer
OHM	A unit of electrical resistance
Oakum	Loosely woven hemp rope that has been treated with oil or other waterproofing agent; it is used to caulk joints in a bell and spigot pipe and fittings.
Obscure glass	A glass that lets light through but is not totally transparent.
Oil Powered	A water heater that uses oil as its fuel source
One-piece Toilet	A toilet in which the tank and bowl are manufactured as a single vitreous china fixture. One-piece toilets usually have a lower profile than two-piece toilets.
Operating Cost	The cost of running a water heater for a given time period
Orbital Weld	A circumferential, full fusion weld used to join together two lengths of tubing. It is a GTAW welding process. Usually to join coiled lengths
Organic Matter	plant and animal residues, or substances made by living organisms
Orifice	An opening through which gas is discharged and whereby the flow of gas is limited and/or controlled.
Outlet/Discharge	The opening through which the water exits the pump
Outlet Sewer	Pipe section in a septic system which runs between the septic tank and the drainage field
Outside Diameter	The diameter of a pipe measured from the outside edge
Overflow hood	On a bath drain, the decorative hood concealing the overflow
Overflow Tube	The vertical tube inside a toilet tank that directs water into the bowl in case the ballcock malfunctions. It is usually part of the flush valve. It prevents potential water damage caused by a tank overflow. A "constant-running" condition alerts the user to a problem. On most toilets, the overflow tube also has a refill tube flowing into it, which directs water from the ballcock through the overflow tube to the bowl, after a siphon break.
Ozone	An unstable form of oxygen (O₃ ), which can be generated by an electrical discharge through air or regular oxygen. It is a strong oxidizing agent and has been used in water conditioning as a disinfectant.

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Not finding the term you seek? Let us know what we should add to the Glossary