Aerator
Device for oxygenating water, filling the water flow with air bubbles. On kitchen faucets, it enables a faucet to provide different flows of water, from stream to spray.

Back to wall Water Closet
Water Closet with integral sides to conceal the trap.

Ball Passage
Refers to the size of a ball which can pass through the trapway of a toilet. Standards are established based on minimum size ball passage. Ball passage also relates to trapway size. Generally speaking, the size of the trap will be 1/8" larger than the maximum size ball which can pass through it.

Ballcock
The mechanism that controls the flow of water into a gravity-operated toilet tank.  The ballcock is controlled by the float mechanism floating in the water in the tank. When the toilet is flushed, the float drops and opens the ballcock, allowing water to enter the tank and/or bowl. The float rises as the water level in the tank is restored, and shuts off the ballcock when the tank is completely filled. Also referred to as a float valve.

Bidet
A personal hygiene fixture with hot and cold water supply for genital and perinea cleanliness.

Bisque
Unglazed areas of vitreous china fixtures, such as inside the tank or on the bottom of the bowl foot, have a bisque finish.

Blow-out Water Closet
A water closet bowl having a non-siphonic trapway at the rear of the bowl, and integral flushing rim and jet.

Bowl
Water-containing receptor which receives liquid and solid body waste; two general bowl classifications are round front and elongated.

Built-in (shower valve)
The supply pipes are concealed behind the wall, with only the valve control visible.

Cast Iron
KOHLER Cast Iron sinks provide uncompromising strength with an ultra-thick layer of enamel, that helps resist staining, scratching and chipping. The sink's glossy enamel finish is available in the widest selection of KOHLER colors.

Centre tap deck bath
The bath has a ledge on one side for the taps, making it more comfortable for two people to bathe.

Ceramic discs / cartridges
Taps which can be turned on or off with just a quarter turn. Ceramic discs inside the tap allow extreme controllability of water flow rate.

Close-Coupled
Describes a toilet with a separate tank and bowl, secured to each other, and with a separate tank cover. Also referred to as a two-piece toilet.

Concealed Tank
A tank which is fitted behind a (false) wall so that only the operating mechanism can be seen.

Cycle Time
The time beginning at the instant a toilet flush lever is actuated, until the instant the water supply shuts off, completing the flush cycle.

Dam
The barrier built into the trapway of a toilet that controls the water level in the toilet bowl.

Deck-Mount Faucet
Sit on the rim of a washbasin or bath (as opposed to being wall mounted).

Dual flush
A flushing tank that provides discharges of two different volumes of water, the selection being made by the user.

Elongated Bowl
Toilet bowl having dimensions of 14" wide by 18 1/2" long (from center of seat hinge holes to front outside rim edge).

Enamel
Powder coating, usually a combination of clay, quartz, feldspar, silica and color pigments, applied to an iron casting. When fired at high temperatures the coating melts and fuses to the casting, creating a glass-like surface. The unequaled thickness of KOHLER enamel provides outstanding protection against chipping and scratching while offering deep color.

Flapper
Also known as flush ball, the flapper is the moving part of the flush valve that seals the water into the tank or allows water to exit the tank for the flush cycle. This is the predominant replacement part used on conventional toilets.

Float Ball
The floating ball connected to the ballcock inside the tank, which rises or falls with changing water levels in the tank, and actuates or shuts off the ballcock as needed.

Flush Valve
The valve located at the bottom of a gravity-operated toilet flush tank, which opens when the trip lever is actuated, and closes when the tank has drained to the desired level. Usually contains an overflow tube as well.

Flushing Surface
The interior surface of the bowl and all other surfaces which may come into contact with water during flushing.

Flushometer Tank System
Toilet flushing system which utilizes supply water pressure to compress water to provide a pressurized flush (versus a gravity flush).

Freestanding / island
The bath is fitted away from the wall, or even in the middle of the room. The water supply and waste may need to run through the floor.

Glaze
Glossy, water-resistant, colored finish surface on vitreous china plumbing fixtures.

GPF
Abbreviation for "gallons per flush", used in discussing water consumption for toilets.

Gravity Operated Toilet
A toilet which relies on the natural downward pressure (or "head") of water in a toilet tank to flush the toilet effectively.

Jet
An orifice or other feature of a toilet that is designed to direct water into the trapway quickly, to start the siphon action.

Laminar
Wall or ceiling mounted water flow, controlled by remote tap handles.

LPF
Abbreviation for "liters per flush", used in discussing water consumption for toilets.

Monobloc mixer
A one-piece fitting with two handles. Hot and cold water are mixed and delivered through a single spout.

One-handle
One-handle faucets provide on/off activation and temperature setting with a single operation.  Also referred to as a single-handle faucet.

One-Piece Toilet
A toilet in which the tank and bowl are manufactured as a single vitreous china fixture. Typically, one-piece toilets have a lower profile than two-piece toilets.

Overflow Tube
The vertical tube inside a toilet tank (usually part of the flush valve), which directs water into the bowl in case the ballcock malfunctions. If the ballcock does not shut off properly, water will drain through the overflow tube into the bowl, and flow harmlessly over the dam and out the drain. This prevents potential water damage caused by the tank overflowing, and indicates to the user that there is a problem by a "constant running" condition.

On most toilets, the overflow tube also has a refill tube flowing into it. The refill line directs water from the ballcock through the overflow tube, to the bowl, after the siphon break.

Pedestals and semi-pedestals
A pedestal stands on the floor and supports the weight of the washbasin. A washbasin with a semi-pedestal is wall mounted and the semi-pedestal conceals supply pipes and waste outlet.

Push Button
The visible flush mechanism fitted to a tank equipped with flushing valve.  A push button is activated manually.

Refill Tube
On most toilets, a refill tube directs water from the ballcock into the overflow tube to refill the bowl after the siphon break.

Round Front Bowl
Toilet bowl having dimensions of 14" wide by 16 1/2" long (from center of seat hinge holes to front outside rim edge).

Reverse-Trap Water Closet
A water closet having a siphonic trapway at the rear of the bowl, and integral flushing rim and jet. Minimum dimensions are 9" x 8" water spot, and 1 1/2" ball pass.

Rim Holes
A series of small holes, in the underside of a toilet rim, around the circumference of the bowl. Incoming water flows down into the bowl through these holes, creating a rinse effect, or "rim wash" over the entire inner surface of the bowl.

Rough-In Dimensions
The distance from a finished wall or floor to the center of the waste or supply opening or mounting holes on a plumbing fixture.

Self-rimming Lavatory
Self-rimming lavatory have rolled finished edges that can be placed directly over the countertop openings.

Semi-recessed lavatory
A fitted lavatory which is partly inset into a piece of bathroom furniture with the front of the basin protruding. May be more comfortable to use than a fully inset vanity basin.

Shut Off Valve
The valve providing on/off toilet water supply control.

Single-hole
One hole drilling positioned in the center of a sink or lavatory faucet ledge providing for installation of a single-control faucet.

Single lever
Monobloc mixer taps with an easy-to-use lever handle that controls both flow rate and temperature.

Siphon Break
The point in a toilet flush when air is re-introduced into the trapway, "breaking" the siphonic action. The siphon break is usually heard as a deep gurgling at the conclusion of a flush.

Siphon Wash Closet
A water closet having a trapway at the rear of the bowl and integral flushing rim. Minimum dimensions are 5" x 4" water spot, and 1 1/2" ball pass.

Siphoning
The suction or pulling effect that takes place in the trapway of a toilet as it is filled with outgoing water and waste. An effective siphon is critical to an effective flush for any toilet.

Siphon-Jet Water Closet
A water closet having a siphonic trapway at the rear of the bowl, and integral flushing rim and jet.

Siphon-Vortex Closet
A water closet having a trapway at the rear of the bowl, integral flushing rim and a water supply system with or without a jet, which does not feed directly into the trap.

Tank
The fixture reservoir for flush water. On a conventional toilet, the ballcock, flush valve and trip lever are installed in the tank. A tank lid closes the top tank opening.

Three-handle
Three-handle faucets also use separate handles for hot and cold water, but have an additional handle to divert the water from bath spout to showerhead.

Three hole mixer faucet
Separate hot and cold handles blend water through a central spout.

Thermostatic shower
Gives precise and regulated control of the water temperature as well as flow. Sudden temperature changes are prevented, making the showering experience consistent and enjoyable at all times.

Trap Seal
The height of water in a toilet bowl "at rest, it provides a water seal which prevents sewer gases from entering the home. Trap seal is measured from the top of the dam, down to the inlet of the trapway. Also referred to as deep seal.

Trapway
In a toilet, the channel that connects the bowl to the waste outlet. The trapway is where siphonic action takes place. The trapway is measured in terms of the largest diameter ball which can pass through it. Also referred to as passageway.

Trim
Any non-vitreous china toilet components, except the seat. Examples include ballcock, bolt caps, and trip lever.

Trip Lever
Handle which is rotated to initiate the toilet flush cycle. Kohler factory-installed trip levers have a polished chrome finish; optional trim kits offer trip levers in other finishes.

Two-handle
Two-handle faucets feature separate handles to control hot and cold water mix.

Two-Piece Toilet
A toilet with a separate tank and bowl. Also referred to as close-coupled.

Undercounter Lavatories
Undercounter lavatories are attached to the underside of countertops for use with solid surface, granite, stone or blended stone countertops. They may also be used with KOHLER vanities and console tables.

Urinal
A plumbing fixture which receives only liquid body waste and conveys the waste through a trap seal into a gravity drainage system.

Vanity top
A lavatory are designed to rest on top of the countertop.

Vessels
Vessel lavatory can be fitted to sit on a countertop or partly inset into it. They may also be wall mounted using a special bracket.

Vitreous China
As applied to plumbing fixtures, compounded of ceramic materials fired at high temperature to form a nonporous body with exposed surfaces coated with ceramic glaze fused to the body.

Wall-mount Lavatories
Wall-mounted lavatories feature a basin that is hung from the wall at a desired, functional height. Some lavatories feature a matching shroud that is placed beneath the basin, for support and to attractively conceal the piping.

Wall mount faucet
Used with lavatories or baths that have no faucet holes. Handles and spout protrude from the wall above the lavatory or bath and the pipework is hidden behind the wall. Be careful to select a spout that reaches over the lavatory or bath.

Washdown Flushing System
Water cascades into the sump of the bowl and forces waste material through the trap into the drainage system. 

Water Closet
A plumbing fixture having a water-containing receptor which receives liquid and solid body waste and, upon actuation (flushing), conveys the waste through a trapway into a gravity drainage system.

Water Spot
The water surface in the toilet bowl once the flush is completed. This is established by the height of the integral trapway dam. Usually expressed in inches of width by length. Also referred to as water surface.