Drainage Terminology and Maintenance

Drainage and vent pipes have specific names. Knowing them will make it easier for you to discuss your discharge program.

Black vent.
A vent pipe that connects the venting program to the discharge program. These are found near the grease trap, allowing air to enter the trap and preventing contaminated water from flowing out of the trap.

Constructing drain.
This is the "main" drain, which receives drainage from all pipes and carries it to the sewer for that particular building.

Constructing sewer.
This pipe carries the drainage beyond the constructing and to the public sewer.

Drain pipe.
Any pipe that carries away discharge from plumbing fixtures. Generally drain pipes are horizontal; if they're vertical, they are called stacks. Sometimes drain pipes are referred to as soil pipes.

Vent.
A pipe that allows air flow to and from the drainage pipes. The Uniform Plumbing Code contains specifics about choosing sizes of pipes and vents. The general rule is that smaller-size pipes flow into larger pipes-never the reverse. The flooded kitchen floor is every restaurant manager's nightmare.

Typically, the floor floods because the drains are clogged; and they're clogged because everybody thought it was somebody else's job to take care of. Drainage systems require periodic maintenance to keep them open and working efficiently.

Simply simply because they depend on gravity to work, they occasionally become clogged when debris blocks the natural flow of the program. You can use flexible metal rods, called augurs or snakes, inserted into pipes to break up the debris; or you can pour in chemicals, which are formulated to dissolve grease and soap buildup.

Either way, the clogged material should be removed and not flushed back into the program. There are all kinds of augurs, including heavy-duty ones with gas-operated motors and 300 feet of line.