# Air gap or Air break fitting?



## hayware (Sep 30, 2012)

I've been taught and have taught that drainage is air break; potable water is air gap. We were discussing this at work and one of my co-workers thought he knew what I was talking about, but another said what about air gap fittings on dishwashers. Should they be called air break.... Thoughts. PS there's a rhyme" gap a tap , break a trap". Attached are from NPC. 2010.


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

You in Canada? Those pics look familiar


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## Hillside (Jan 22, 2010)

U on the crapper?


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## hayware (Sep 30, 2012)

U666A said:


> You in Canada? Those pics look familiar


Yes work that's the NPC 2010, I work in NS.


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## hayware (Sep 30, 2012)

Hillside said:


> U on the crapper?


Desk lol


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## hayware (Sep 30, 2012)

Hillside said:


> U on the crapper?


And that's my knee lol


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## hayware (Sep 30, 2012)

hayware said:


> Yes, that's the NPC 2010, I work in NS.


....


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Says it write ther. Gap is for potable water like on a sink. Or lav. Break is on a indirect drain for food prep sink in to a floor sink. We only use air gap as the term for both. Slang I guess. Maybe il start useing both


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## hayware (Sep 30, 2012)

I was just wondering If the same terms are used all over. I worked out west for years my coworkers include two from the east coast and one from Florida. None ever heard of air break( except on trucks lol)


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

hayware said:


> And that's my knee lol


Good to here.
I was thinking it was a balding dog. :laughing:


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

hayware said:


> None ever heard of air break( except on trucks lol)


:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Sent from my iPhone 10.5


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

This is also a real air gap fitting. Not a air break because it's goes on a rpz and we all know the provides potable water !!!


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

The difference with air gap and air break has to do with the flood rim. You can have a condensate drain piped to a floor sink below the flood rim, that is a air break. If it drained above the flood rim it would be a air gap.


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## theplumbinator (Sep 6, 2012)

A tub spout is piped to have an air gap, laundry discharge hose is an air brake. The air gap is above flood rim, air brake can be in a stand pipe or below flood rim of fixture it discharges into. Dishwashers have built in backflow preventor on pump discharge thats why they do not need an air gap same for washing machines, water softners on the other hand do not for the most part so they must have air gap, same way we pipe in an indirect drain on a 3 bay sink sanitation bay that way if drain backs up it spills on floor instead of contamination happening to pots and pans inside sink.


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## drain surgeon (Jun 17, 2010)

The difference with air gap and air break has to do with the flood rim. You can have a condensate drain piped to a floor sink below the flood rim, that is a air break. If it drained above the flood rim it would be a air gap.
__________________
Will Rogers Plumbing (405) 323-2852
Moore, Oklahoma
"We Unclog Drains That Others Can't!"




What he said


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> This is also a real air gap fitting. Not a air break because it's goes on a rpz and we all know the provides potable water !!!


Air gap


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

The Air Gap is not the fitting, it's the free space cut out off the middle of the fitting.


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## AWWGH (May 2, 2011)

I've never really used the term "air break" and always used "air gap" for both scenarios. But yes as stated potable= above flood rim and indirect= break in piping.

Difference being with the "gap" there is no possible backflow into a potable water system. With a "break" a vacuum could be created and cause back siphonage in the right scenario.


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## PunkRockPlumber (Mar 26, 2012)

Same in NJ. Air gap is for potable, air break is drainage.


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Here you can't pipe condensate in to a fd or fs with out an air gap. Must be above flood rim


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## Michaelcookplum (May 1, 2011)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> Air gap


Who makes that ftg?


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Michaelcookplum said:


> Who makes that ftg?


Watts. It's for ther rpz and it's name is an air gap. All backflow prevention manufactures make them for ther rpz.


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