# Air Gap vs Air Break



## dRyken

School hired on a new Teacher for Advanced Level, and they are very set on there is absolutely no difference between the two. What I've learned and seen is an Air Break is the drainage term and Air Gap is used in Water supply.

Simple Examples:
Air Break : Installing a Floor drain in a freezer or cold room you'd add an air break outside allowing the FD to dump into a Hub drain so if a back up were to occurs it wont back up into the freezer. 

Air Gap : When a Relief value or pressured drain valve on a plumbing fixture or appliance is dumping into a fixture or drainage system you need an air gap to remove any chance of cross over.

Is there actual difference? or am I just over thinking it and they really can be mismatched in terms.


----------



## chonkie

http://www.plumbingzone.com/showthread.php?t=33586


----------



## chonkie

plbgbiz said:


> AirGap: Where Michael Jordan is selling clothes these days.
> 
> AirBreak: What you take when you have had too much air.


Of course, this is the best definition.


----------



## dRyken

chonkie said:


> http://www.plumbingzone.com/showthread.php?t=33586


Right after I posted I found that thread, I have just been laughing about all the posts.. Alright so in the Canadian Code I have the right understanding.


----------



## Johnny Canuck

Gap the tap. Break the trap.


----------



## Gargalaxy

chonkie said:


> http://www.plumbingzone.com/showthread.php?t=33586


Rj.... I miss his folding rulers.


----------



## Rexticle

Tell him to look in the definition section of the code book. They're both there and they ain't the same thing.


----------



## plumbdrum

Tell the teacher to go back to school


----------



## Plumber patt

Oh man. That thread had me smashing my head against the wall. In Ontario, they are different things, in crazy back assward lower Canada, they are the same.


----------



## dRyken

Plumber patt said:


> Oh man. That thread had me smashing my head against the wall. In Ontario, they are different things, in crazy back assward lower Canada, they are the same.


Everything you said in that Thread was 100% correct, Not sure what's hard to understand. Reason why they add a Definition section to the Code books


----------



## Redwood

plumbdrum said:


> Tell the teacher to go back to school


Or... School the teacher...


----------



## Plumber patt

dRyken said:


> Everything you said in that Thread was 100% correct, Not sure what's hard to understand. Reason why they add a Definition section to the Code books


I posted the code reference that I was stating. I got a little heated when the personal attacks came out. We all work outta different codes with different rules and different terminology.


----------



## Cajunhiker

I feel like we haven't discussed this enough ... NOT! 
Someone close this thread quickly before a torturous debate begins - again.


----------



## dRyken

Redwood said:


> Or... School the teacher...


Last teacher told me that Semi-Combine and Combined system are the same thing. That was the only mark I lost on my final as I know they are different. Local code only stats Combined system can't be installed nothing about Semi-Combined. But... teacher is "always" right.


----------



## rwh

On one episode of Key and Peele, Key says: "why do they call it a fart? Why don't they call it a butt queef?".


----------



## JayAre

We were always taught "gap for tap" in school. Im in Calgary and on our forms from the city for testing cross connection devices theres actually a section for air gaps.


----------

