W:  Watt, the SI unit of power. In electricity it is Volts x Amps.

WB:  Wet Bulb.

WC (Water Column):  Common measure of air pressure used in HVAC systems.

W Surg:  Wing Surgeon.
Walk-Through: A final inspection of a home before “closing” to look for and document problems that need to be corrected.
Walkways: Designated areas for foot traffic.
Wall Out: When a painter spray paints the interior of a home.
Wane: Bark, or lack of wood from any cause, on edge or corner of a piece of wood.
Warm Interstate Waters:  Interstate streams and lakes having a range of temperature generally suitable for warm water fishes such as bass and catfish. 
Warmth Sensation: Subjective response to the thermal environment.
Warning Property:  Perceptible odour or irritation from a contaminant, which allows its presence to be detected.

Warp:  The yarns that run lengthwise or in the machine direction in woven goods.

Warp Count: Number of warp threads per inch width.

Warp Sateen: The face of the cloth having the warp yarns floating over the filling yarns, and being greater in number than the filling yarns.

Warp Thread: Yarn or threads in a fabric running lengthwise.

Warp Yarns: Yarn in a fabric running lengthwise.

Warping: Any distortion in a material.
Warrantee: In construction there are two general types of warrantees. One is provided by the manufacturer of a product such as roofing material or an appliance. The second is a warrantee for the labor. For example, a roofing contract may include a 30 year material warrantee and a 5 year labor warrantee. Many (but not all ) new homes come with a one year warrantee. Any major issues found during the first year should be communicated the builder at once. Small items can be saved up and presented to the builder in a letter on the 11 month anniversary of the closing. This gives the builder one month to make the necessary corrections.
Waste:  (a) Includes sewage and any and all other waste substances, liquid, solid, gaseous, or radioactive, associated with human habitation, or of human or animal origin, or from any producing, manufacturing, or processing operation, including waste placed within containers of whatever nature prior to, and for purposes of, disposal.  (b) Waste includes a discharger’s total discharge, of whatever origin, i.e., gross, not net, discharge.

Waste Accumulation Area (WAA):  Officially designated area that meets current environmental standards and guidelines for temporary (less than 90 days) storage of hazardous waste before pickup by the Radioactive and Hazardous Waste Management Division for off-site disposal.

Waste Discharge Requirement (WDR):  Orders adopted by Regional Boards regulating discharges of waste.

Waste Load Allocation:  The maximum load of pollutants each discharger of waste is allowed to release into a particular water body.

Waste Management Facility:  The entire parcel of property where waste discharge operations are conducted. Such a facility may include one or more waste management units.

Waste Management Unit (WMU):  An area of land or a portion of a waste management facility where waste is discharged.

Waste Pile:  A waste management unit where only non-containerized, bulk, dry solid waste is discharged and piled for treatment or storage on an engineered liner system that prevents waste from contacting the underlying land surface.

Wastewater Treatment System:  Collection of treatment processes and facilities designed and built to reduce the amount of suspended solids, bacteria, oxygen-demanding materials, and chemical constituents in wastewater.

Water Base: Water used as the solvent for coatings such as paint.
Water Board: Water resistant drywall to be used in tub and shower locations. Normally green or blue colored.
Water Breakthrough Test:  An integrity test for hydrophobic filters in which the resistance to water flow is overcome by a specific pressure such that water will flow through a correspondingly specific pore size of the filter. Also called a water intrusion test. Useful test to determine gross loss of integrity (e.g., installation integrity) and filter hydrophobicity.

Water Closet: Toilet.
Water Column:  The “column” of water between the water surface and the water body floor.

Water Cooled Compressors:  Machines cooled by water circulated through jackets surrounding the cylinders or casings.
Water Cooling:  Water used for condensation of refrigerant; condenser water.
Water Flow/Flux:  Measure of the amount of water that flows through a filter, a variable of time, the degree of contamination, differential pressure, total porosity and filter area.

Water Gauge (w.g.):  A means of designating pressure or differential pressure in terms of the height of an equivalent column of water, commonly expressed as inches w.g. in the English system (1 inch = 0.036psi).

Water Intrusion Test:  See Water Breakthrough Test.

Water Leg:  Area of housing for collection of water.
Water Lift:  Vacuum motor performance can be measured in “inches of water lift” as well as “inches of mercury.” These measurements are taken when the motor is sealed and are based on how many inches water or mercury will rise in a testing device. Since soils are removed from carpet, flooring and other surfaces by airflow (See “Airflow”) water lift is not a useful measurement in terms of evaluation vacuum cleaner performance.
Water Meter Pit (or Vault): The box, cast iron bonnet and concrete rings that contain the water meter.
Water Quality:  Refers to chemical, physical, biological, radiological, and other properties and characteristics of the water.

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan):  The Basin Plan defines and designates beneficial uses of waters, establishes water quality objectives to protect those uses, identifies water quality threats and outlines corrective measures to be implemented. It is used to develop discharge limits and guide Regional Board decisions on specific cases.
 
Water Quality Control:  The regulation of any activity or factor that may affect the quality of the waters of the state and includes the prevention and correction of water pollution and nuisance.

Water Quality Criteria:  See water quality standard.

Water Quality Objectives:  The limits or levels of water quality constituents or characteristics which are established for the reasonable protection of beneficial uses of water or the prevention of nuisance within a specific area.

Water Quality Standard:  (a) A state adopted ambient standard for a surface or ground water body.  The standard covers the beneficial use of the water and the water quality criteria, which must be met to protect the designated use or uses. (b) Pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act, a combination of the designated beneficial uses of water and criteria or water quality objectives to protect those uses.

Water Reclamation:  The treatment of waste water to render it suitable for recycle or reuse, the transportation of treated wastewater to the place of use and the actual use of treated wastewater for a direct beneficial use or controlled use that would not otherwise occur.

Water Repellant Coating: Transparent coating or sealer applied to the surface of concrete and masonry surfaces to repel water.
Water Resistant Barrier:  A water resistant barrier (WRB) is also referred to as a drainage plane.
Water Repellent Preservative: A liquid designed to penetrate into wood and impart water repellency and a moderate preservative protection. It is used for millwork, such as sashes and frames, and is usually applied by dipping.
Water Solubility: The solubility of a substance in water provides information on the fate and transport in the environment. The higher the water solubility, the greater the tendency to remain dissolved and the less likely to volatilize from the water. Low water soluble substances will volatilize more readily in water and will partition to soil or bioconcentrate in aquatic organisms.

Water Table:  The surface between the zone of saturation [saturated zone] and zone of aeration [unsaturated zone]; that surface of a body of unconfined groundwater at which the pressure is equal to that of the atmosphere.
Water Tap: The connection point where the home water line connects to the main municipal water system.
Water Vapor:  Water substance in vapor (gaseous) form; one of the most important of all constituents of the atmosphere.
Water Vapor Pressure: The partial pressure of the water vapor in a sample of air.
Water Wall: A thermal storage wall of water in containers placed between the solar aperture and the heated space.  Heat is transferred into the space by conduction and convection through the water.
Water-Cement Ratio: The strength of a concrete mixture depends on the water cement ratio. The water and cement form a paste. If the paste is made with more water, the concrete becomes weaker. Traditionally, concrete mixes have been identified in terms of the ratio of cement to fine aggregate to coarse aggregate. For example, the ratio 1:2:4 refers to a mix which consists of 1 cu. ft. of cement, 2 cu. ft. of sand and 4 cu. ft. of gravel. Cement and water are the two chemically active elements in concrete and when combined, form a paste or glue which coats and surrounds the particles of aggregate and upon hardening binds the entire mass together.
Water-Reactive: A substance that reacts with water to release a gas that is either flammable or presents a health hazard.

Water-Table:  Aquifer is a synonym. <

Waterhead:  The height of water in a column. Provides a defined amount of pressure on a surface.

Waterproofing: The process where a building component is made totally resistant to the

Waters of the State:  Any surface water or groundwater, including saline waters, within the boundaries of the state.

Watershed:  The total land area that contributes water to a river, stream, lake or other body of water. Synonymous with drainage area, drainage basin, and catchment.
Watt: The electrical unit of power. The rate of energy transfer equivalent to 1 ampere flowing under a pressure of 1 volt at unity power factor.
Watt-hour (Wh): An electrical energy unit of measure equal to 1watt of power supplied to, or taken from, an electric circuit steadily for 1 hour.
Wattage: The electrical unit of power. A kilowatt is 1000 watts and electric customers are billed on how many kilowatts of power they have used.
WCEO:  Wing Construction Engineering Officer.
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP): E's Weatherization Assistance (Wx) Program is the nation's largest residential energy efficiency program. Its mission is to increase the energy efficiency of dwellings occupied by low-income Americans, thereby reducing their energy costs, while safeguarding their health and safety. DOE works directly with the states, the District of Columbia, and Native American Tribal Governments to carry out these goals. These agencies, in turn, contract with approximately 1,000 local governmental or non-profit agencies to deliver weatherization services to our low-income clients.
Weatherstripping: Flexible gaskets, often mounted in rigid metal strips, for limiting air leak age at opening in the shell like doors and windows.
Webbing:  Reinforcing fabric used with mastics and coatings to prevent patches from cracking.
Weep Holes:  Holes drilled for the purpose of allowing water to drain out of an area in a building where it has accumulated.
Weep Screed: Tool used to drain moisture from concrete.
Weight of Evidence: The extent to which the available information supports the hypothesis that a substance causes an effect in humans. For example, factors which determine the weight-of-evidence that a chemical poses a hazard to humans include the number of tissue sites affected by the agent; the number of animal species, strains, sexes, relationship, statistical significance in the occurrence of the adverse effect in treated subjects compared to untreated controls; and the timing of the occurrence of adverse effect.

Weight of Solids:  Measure of solid particulate matter contained in a fluid sample.

Weir: (1) A diversion dam (2) A device that has a crest and some side containment of know geometric shape, such as a V, trapezoid or rectangle and is used to measure flow of a liquid.

Welfare-Based Standard (Secondary Standard): An air quality standard that prevents, reduces, or minimizes injury to agricultural crops and livestock, damage to and the deterioration of property, and hazards to air and ground transportation.
Well Casing: A steel or plastc pipe which serves as the lining of a well, preventing it from caving in and protecting ground water from contamination by surface water.
Well Casing Head: A heavy, flanged steel fitting connected to the first string of casing.
Well House: A structure that encloses a well Commonly found in the Midwest and Western States.
Wet-bulb Temperature: Thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature is the temperature at which liquid or solid water, by evaporating into air, can bring the air to saturation adiabatically at the same temperature. Wet-bulb temperature (without qualification) is the temperature indicated by a wet-bulb psychrometer constructed and used according to specification. See also evaporative equilibrium
Wet Bulb Thermometer:  A thermometer whose bulb is covered with a piece of water-soaked cloth. The lowering of temperature that results from the evaporation of water around the bulb indicates the air’s relative humidity.

Wet Cast Membrane: A process to manufacture microporous membranes, typically from thermoplastic materials, solvents and non-solvents in the formation of a microporous membrane. 75 to 80% of all microporous membranes manufactured use this process.

Wet Gas:  Is any gas or gas mixture in which one or more of the constituents is at its saturated vapor pressure. The constituent at saturation pressure may or may not be water vapor.

Wet Helical Lobe Unit:  Is one which (1.) handles a small constant flow of liquid with the gas; (2.) utilizes evaporative (injection) cooling; or (3.) circulates a liquid for sealing and/or cooling. The last may or may not be evaporative cooling.

Wet or Dry Surface Plastic Roof Cement: Superior performance in cold and wet applications. Performs as a general-purpose exterior repair and maintenance material on damp or dry surfaces. Stops roof and other leaks fast.
Wet Seal: Application of an elastomeric sealant between the glass and sash to form a weather tight seal.
Wet Strength:  Strength of a medium when saturated with water.

Wetlands:  Marshes or swamps that are saturated with surface or ground water; they often serve as wildlife refuges.
WETT Program: Wood Energy Technology Transfer training program.
Wetting Agent:  A surfactant added to a filter medium to insure complete intrusion (wetting) by a high surface tension fluid such as water.

WFC:  Wing Fire Chief.

Wheeze: A breathing sound that may be squeaky, whistling, or musical. Wheezes are often (but not always) a symptom of asthma (Some people have asthma but never wheeze, and some people wheeze for reasons other than asthma.). Wheezes are due to air passing through a narrowed opening and are therefore usually accompanied by difficulty breathing.

WHMIS:  The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is Canada’s hazard communication system. The system includes labelling of containers of “controlled products,” provision of material safety data sheets (MSDS) and worker education programs. The system is implemented through legislation, and administered by Health Canada. Employers are required to ensure that controlled products used, stored, handled or disposed of in the workplace are properly labelled, MSDSs are made available to workers, and workers receive education and training to ensure the safe storage, handling and use of controlled products.

Whole Body:  For the purposes of external exposure includes the head, trunk, the arms above and including the elbow, and legs above and including the knee.
Whole House Fan: A fan designed to move air through and out of a home and normally installed in the ceiling.
Wicking:  The vertical absorption of a liquid into a porous material by capillary forces.

Widespread: A style of lavatory faucet where the spout and handles are separate. Flex hoses are used between the spout and handles to allow adjustable centers, although this style of faucet is typically used on 8” or 12” centers.
Winch:  An air operated device for hoisting or pulling. Similar to a slusher or tugger.
Wind Bracing: Metal straps or wood blocks installed diagonally on the inside of a wall from bottom to top plate, to prevent the wall from twisting, racking, or falling over in a “domino” fashion.
Wind Rose:  Diagram that shows the frequency and intensity of wind from different directions at a specific location.
Wind Speed: The speed of the air measured in accordance with the recommendations of the World Meteorological Organization, normally measured ten meters above ground level (m/s).
Wind Uplift: The upward force exerted by wind traveling across a roof.
Wind-Washing:  The phenomenon of air movement that occurs due to wind entering building enclosures typically at the outside corners and roof eaves of buildings. Wind-washing can have significant impact on thermal and moisture movement and hence thermal and moisture performance of exterior wall assemblies.

Windup:  In some forms of ongoing pain, the spinal cord and brain receive pain signals over a considerable period of time. There can be adaptation by the spinal cord that results in the incoming pain signal becoming amplified in a phenomenon known as windup pain. This means the pain signal reaching the brain is stronger than before, and the ability of other pathways to modify (decrease) the sensation is diminished.
Window Buck: Square or rectangular box that is installed within a concrete foundation or block wall. A window will eventually be installed in this “buck” during the siding stage of construction.
Window Films: Plastic films, coated with a metallic reflective surface, which are adhered to window glass to reflect heat rays from the sun.
Window Frame: The sides, top, and sill of the window forming a box around window sashes and other components.
Window Sash: The operating or movable part of a window; the sash is made of window panes and their border.
Winter Smog: A high concentration of fine particles in the ambient air during the winter months. This particulate matter accumulates at the ground level under special temperature condition such as really cold temperature, low wind and temperature inversion which have for effect to retain pollutants at ground level for many hours.
Wire Cloth:  Woven fabric from metal wire used as a screen, surface filter or media support. Often used in sifting, belting, hydraulic filtration etc. Most common wire used is stainless steel.
Wire Nut: A plastic device used to connect bare wires together.
Wire Size: Conductors for building wiring are available in AWG (American Wire Gauge) sizes ranging from No. 14 to 4/0. The larger the number size, the smaller the diameter. For example, 10 is smaller than 8. The larger the diameter of a wire, the lesser the resistance.
WLogO:  Wing Logistics Officer.

WMW:  Welded Minimum Wall tubing.

WOG:  WOG – A pressure rating in psi for valves. W. Water, O. Oil, G. Gas.

Wonderboard™: A panel made out of concrete and fiberglass usually used as a ceramic tile backing material. Commonly used on bathtub decks.
Wood Filler: A heavily pigmented preparation used for fining and leveling off the pores in open-pored woods.
Wood Rays: Strips of cells extending radially within a tree and varying in height from a few cells in some species to 4 inches or more in oak. The rays serve primarily to store food and to transport it horizontally in the tree.
Wood-Fiber Plaster: Consists of calcified gypsum integrally mixed with selected coarse cellulose fibers which provide bulk and greater coverage. It is formulated to produce high-strength base coats for use in highly fire-resistant ceiling assemblies.
Woodburning Pollution: Air pollution caused by woodburning stoves and fireplaces that emit particulate matter, carbon monoxide and odorous and toxic substances.

Wood-Decay Fungi:  Fungi that are capable of decomposing various components of wood; categorized as either soft-rot fungi, brown-rot fungi, or white-rot fungi.

Work:  Is energy in transition and is defined in units of Force times Distance. Work cannot be done unless there is movement.
Work-Life: The time during which a curing sealant remains suitable for use after being mixed with a catalyst.
Work Plane: Reference surface defined as the plane at which work is usually done. (Note: in interior lighting and unless otherwise indicated, this plane assumed to be a horizontal plane 0.85 m above the floor and limited by the walls of the room. in the USA the work plane is usually assumed to be 0.76 m above the floor, in the USSR 0.8 m above the floor.)
Worst-Case Depressurization Test: A safety test, performed by specific procedures, designed to assess the probability of chimney back-drafting.
Work Zone:  The space or volume within the cleanroom that is designated for contamination-controlled operations, and for which cleanliness testing is required.

Working Pressure:  The normal working pressure for an air motor (6 bar).

Worst-Case Depressurization Test:  A safety test, performed by specific procedures, designed to assess the probability of chimney back-drafting.
Wound Tubes:  Also referred to as string wound filters.
Woven Valley: Method of valley construction in which shingles from both sides of the valley extend across the valley and are woven together by overlapping alternate courses as they are applied. The valley flashing is not exposed.
Wrapped Drywall: Areas that get complete drywall covering, as in the doorway openings of bifold and bipass closet doors.