TheoryFree Journeyman Plumber 2 Practice Test
Take a free Journeyman Plumber 2 practice test for 2026 with questions, answers, explanations, PDF download and timed mock exam links.
Journeyman Plumber 2 Questions
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Q1What is the definition of 'backflow' in a plumbing system?
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✓ Correct answer: The reversal of normal flow direction in a piping system
Backflow is the undesirable reversal of flow in a piping system, which can allow contaminants to enter the potable water supply. Understanding this basic definition is foundational to cross-connection control.
Q2A cross-connection is best defined as which of the following?
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✓ Correct answer: Any physical link between a potable water system and any source of contamination
A cross-connection is any actual or potential link between the potable water supply and any source of pollution or contamination. Eliminating or protecting cross-connections is the goal of cross-connection control programs.
Q3Which term describes backflow caused by the downstream pressure exceeding the supply pressure?
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✓ Correct answer: Backpressure backflow
Backpressure backflow occurs when downstream pressure becomes greater than the supply (system) pressure, forcing contaminants backward into the potable supply. This can happen in boiler systems, pumped systems, or elevated piping.
Q4Back-siphonage is caused by which condition in the water supply system?
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✓ Correct answer: Negative pressure (vacuum) in the supply line
Back-siphonage is the backflow of potentially contaminated water caused by a negative pressure (partial vacuum) in the supply piping, similar to the siphon effect. It can occur during water main breaks or high-demand events.
Q5Which of the following correctly distinguishes a pollutant from a contaminant in cross-connection control?
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✓ Correct answer: A pollutant degrades water quality but may not pose an immediate health hazard, while a contaminant poses a direct health hazard
In cross-connection control, a pollutant creates an aesthetic nuisance or low-degree hazard (e.g., mineral deposits), whereas a contaminant creates an actual health hazard (e.g., pesticides, sewage). This distinction drives the level of backflow protection required.
Q6When classifying cross-connections, a 'high-hazard' connection involves which type of substance?
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✓ Correct answer: Substances that are toxic, pathogenic, or otherwise harmful to human health
A high-hazard cross-connection involves a substance that is toxic, pathogenic, or otherwise dangerous to health (e.g., chemicals, sewage). High-hazard connections require a higher degree of protection such as an air gap or reduced pressure principle (RP) assembly.
Q7A residential lawn irrigation system supplied by potable water and using chemical fertilizer injection would be classified as which hazard level?
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✓ Correct answer: High hazard — chemical injection creates a potential health hazard
The introduction of chemical fertilizers or pesticides through an injector connected to the potable supply creates a high-hazard cross-connection, regardless of the residential setting. This requires at minimum a reduced pressure principle backflow preventer.
Q8Which of the following connections would typically be classified as a LOW-hazard cross-connection?
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✓ Correct answer: A simple garden hose submerged in a bucket of clean, untreated water
A garden hose submerged in clean (non-chemical) water represents a low-hazard (pollution) cross-connection since the water itself poses minimal health risk, though back-siphonage protection is still required. The other options involve chemicals that elevate the hazard to high.
Q9An air gap is considered which type of backflow protection?
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✓ Correct answer: The highest degree of protection, providing a complete physical break in the pipeline
An air gap is an unobstructed vertical distance between the water outlet and the flood-level rim of a receiving vessel. It provides the highest degree of protection because it creates a complete physical separation — no mechanical failure can allow backflow.
Q10A Reduced Pressure Principle (RP) backflow preventer works by maintaining which condition?
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✓ Correct answer: A lower pressure in the relief zone than in both the supply and discharge zones
An RP assembly maintains a reduced-pressure zone between its two check valves. This zone is always at a lower pressure than the supply, ensuring that if either check fails, water flows out through the relief valve rather than backward into the supply.
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