what’s the technical name for the overflow part of a sink? i guess a lot of plumbing books and etc. simply call it ‘overflow’ whatever, but there is a technical name that was used when they first began making porcelain sinks.
“human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust; we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper.” - albert einstein
Roo, I looked through some of my books but nothing. I have never heard of another name,and i have looked at a lot of sinks from the underside.That overflow also acts as a vent so the water drains easier. There is a term for the part of the mold that makes that chase when casting but i can’t get it out of the dark crannies of my brain. My brain has a stoppe up drain. I do a lot of metal casting and it is the term for just such a shaped addition to the main mold. I found an “ask a plumber” site and have posted the question there. While I was at it i asked why kitchen sinks don’t have overflows. I also asked him why they call it a STREET el. We’ll wait and see what comes up. Plumbers are used to stuff coming up.
“Pardon me while I have a strange interlude.”-Marx
Not street ells again! But ya gotta be able to tell a streetel, a conveyance that goes around the Loop in Chi-town, from a street ell, the right-angular hermaphroditic pipe connection Dopesters have so far never been able to sight.
Ray (the 'ell you say)
am i missing something here with all this capitalization and boldishness, or is this just plumber talk which is way beyond my comprehension?
Lots of bathroom sinks don’t have an overflow outlet. Kitchen sinks are really big and don’t need one.
handy, you’ve obviously never lived with a three-year-old who decided to “help” with the dishes or with a two-year-old who decided to climb the drapes just after you turned on the water to do dishes.
I would love to have had an overflow vent/drain on my kitchen sink.
Tom~
it doesn’t matter much to me if they all have them or not… i just want to know what they’re called.
“human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust; we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper.” - albert einstein
A quick tour of several plumbing suppliers’ sites seems to indicate overflow, overflow drain and overflow assembly are the terms used. The overflow assemblies are made up of all sorts of parts: drain heads, branching tailpieces, nipples, tubes, couplings, etc.
from what i know they simply call them an ‘overflow vent’ but that’s now… there was a different name for them when they first started making porceline sinks.
so i guess i’m not looking for another name, but the old, orignal name.
“human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust; we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper.” - albert einstein
The reason they don’t have overflows is that in the rare times that kitchen sinks overflow, food could get lodged inside and clog and ferment with little hope of cleaning it out. I read this in a proto-SDope publication, but I can’t recall what it was. Seems to me that it would not be hard to engineer a cleanable trap in the overflow to prevent that from occuring, but then it would hardly be the simple ‘unamed overflow device’ that we see in lavatories.
i’m not sure about the spelling, but…
IT’S A PORCILATOR!!
(the answer was on the radio, this morning.)
“human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust; we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper.” - albert einstein
What radio station do you listen to?
“If ignorance were corn flakes, you’d be General Mills.”
Cecil Adams
The Straight Dope
it was a trivia question they had on friday, and nobody that called in could figure it out.
so i figured i’d come to you guys, but then this morning they just gave the answer and dropped the question because nobody could get it.
but i appreciate all your guys’ help.
“human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust; we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper.” - albert einstein
Nano, what with the upcoming Milenial Apocalypse and al I am hoarding leters. Tomrdeb,had your toothbrushes washed in the toilet yet? No street elLs ,beatle? Good point, Oblio,makes sense to me,which makes me highly suspicious.
PORCILATOR!?! What the el is that? A made in China Schwartzenegger movie? A pot for brewing hot bacon beverages? Call those guys up ,Roo, get a source,or the spelling. One Look hasn’t heard of it,neither has any search site I know of. Radio WASH “ALL plumbing ALL the time” Be sure to tune in to our Golden Oldies Show "In the Outhouse " with your host mr "Hand me that catalog"john
“Pardon me while I have a strange interlude.”-Marx
that’s why it was a trivia question. because nobody knows what it is.
i guess the radio went to central plumbing and heating over here and they didn’t know what it was either.
but supposedly, a porcilater, or porcilator or however it’s spelt, was the original name when they first made porceline sinks.
but who knows for sure…
“human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust; we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper.” - albert einstein
PoceLAIN i had to do a google search for “fine china” to get it myself. No aters or ators or aiters or ainators any where. I sent off some emails to some casters and manufactorers. This thing is buggin me.Oh and about that bacon thing,
por·ce·lain Pronunciation: 'pOr-s(&-)l&n, 'por-Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French porcelaine cowrie shell, porcelain, from Italian porcellana, from porcello vulva, literally, little pig, from Latin porcellus, diminutive of porcus pig, vulva; from the shape of the shell Think about that next time you are dining off fine China.
“Pardon me while I have a strange interlude.”-Marx
oh, shoot me… so i spelt it wrong the second time.
“human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust; we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper.” - albert einstein