Different types of plumbing pipe fittings./ 17 types of plumbing pipe fittings.

 Now, let us go through the different types of plumbing pipe fittings. 

1. Adapter:

a) Male adapter:

They contain male threaded ends. PVC adapters are used to make plain-ended pipe into the threaded type by gluing them. We can also use these adapters to convert the female threaded pipes into male type.

b) Female adapter:

They contain female threads.  This helps to change the male threaded pipe into the female type at one end. PVC adapter when glued with the pipe provides the female end for further connection.

2. Union:

The union consists of male & female threaded parts joined by an adjustable nut. We can join the two pipes by using the unions. The unions have female threads on either side for the joining purpose.

 The main advantage of the union is, we can remove them whenever necessary to maintain & repair the pipes. 

3. Elbow: 

We call them elbows as they resemble the arm joint in their shape. They are the pipe bends used to change the direction of flows. Usually, they have female threads to join the pipes on either side. The elbows are manufactured using different types of materials used in plumbing. 

They are available having different angular bends as shown below.

a). 90° elbow:

The elbow has a bend of 90° angle. We call them normal or standard elbows as the joining pipes are made of the same diameters.

b). 45° elbow:

The angle formed at the bend is 45°.  

c). 22.5° elbow:

Here, the elbow changes the pipe direction by a 22.5° angle.

d). Reducer elbow:

A reducer elbow is used when the connecting pipes are made of different diameters.

4. Coupling:

The coupling is a short length of pipe having sockets at both or one end to connect the pipes. The PVC coupling slips over the outside surface of two pipes & is glued together.

 They are used to change the size by joining the pipes having different diameters. It is also used to fix leaking or broken pipes. 

 

5. Nipple:

The nipple is a piece of pipe having male threaded ends on both sides. This helps to join two pipes having female threads together. They are available in various sizes & are made of different materials.

The hex nipple has a hexagonal nut-like section at the center for wrenching purposes. 

6. Reducer:

A reducer is a component in the plumbing system to change the size of the pipe from a larger to a smaller diameter.

 This is used to meet the flow requirements or to distribute the flow from the primary pipeline to the secondary branches. Reducers are an important part of a piping system to regulate the flow of fluid & maintain the required pressure.

Reducers are available in two different shapes as given below.

a). Concentric reducer:

This is a cone-shaped component that gradually decreases its shape from all around its circumference. A concentric reducer is the most commonly used type in piping works.

In concentric reducers, the connected pipes are kept aligned in their centerline.

b). Eccentric reducer:

In eccentric reducers, one edge runs parallel to the joining pipes. Eccentric reducers are used when the pipe needs to maintain the same level at a particular surface.

This reducer is best suited when both air & liquid is flowing together.

7. Tee:

They are short pieces of pipe components with two or more outlets. They resemble the English alphabet T having a lateral outlet at 90 degrees to the main pipeline. It can also be used to combine the flow of two or more inlets into a single outlet.

They are recognized with different names depending upon the number of lateral outlets as below.

a). Regular tee:

They are the most common type of tee, which have three openings for the flow of fluids.

b). Cross tee:

They look like plus signs in their shape. Cross tee has 4 openings in a single plane.

c). 4-way tee:

They have 5 or more openings in multiple axes to regulate the flow in all directions.

8. Barb:

They contain barbs at one side for the grip to hold the pipes. This is typically used to hold tubes or soft pipes. Sometimes we need to use clamps to tighten the pipe end that is fitted over the barbs. 

The hose barb connection is not suitable for high-pressure applications, where the exerted pressure may overcome the holding capability of barbs.

9. Reducer bush:

Reducer bush is used to reduce the internal diameter of pipe fittings. Usually, they are threaded from inside & outside. 

When compared to union or coupling, they take up very little space in connecting pipes of different diameters.

10. Wye:

It resembles the letter Y in its shape. They contain three openings to connect the pipes at a certain degree or angle. Wye is mostly used in vertical pipe connections. It diverts or connects two different plumbing lines into one.

11. End cap:

They are used at the end of the pipe to stop the flow. The metal cap contains female threads to close the end of pipes having male threads.

End caps are also available with hex or square nut heads for wrenching purposes, while doing installation & disassembly.

12. Plug:

Similar to the end cap, a plug is used in sealing or stopping the fluid flow in a pipeline. They are essential items while doing leak testing or repairing pipelines.

Generally, plugs contain male threads.

13. Valve:

Valves are used to regulate, control & change the direction of fluids in the piping system. They are very essential parts of plumbing units to shut off access to fluid whenever necessary.

Some types of valves are fitted to prevent backflow, & some are useful to control liquid pressures.

They come in a wide range of designs to target specific plumbing needs.

To know the different types of valves, 

Go through the article 👇

👀.  19 types of valves used in piping.

14. Bend:

Bend is a piece of pipe having curvature to change the direction of flow in a piping system. Bend is a generic term for the pipe curved by a bending machine for the required direction of flow.

All types of elbows also come under the bend category. But the word elbow is used for those bends that have a specific angle or degree to change the flow direction.

15. Connector:

Connectors are used to connect the pipes with valves or with another pipe. They are primarily used for general purposes such as gardening, curing, watering, etc. 

They contain clips or tighteners to provide a good connection grip.

16. Clip:

Clips are used to anchor the pipes vertically to the wall surface. They are available in different sizes to properly match the pipes having various diameters.

17. Olet:

Olets are small pieces of pipe fittings that are used when standard-size items are not suitable for our specific needs.

Various types of olets are available to fit into all types of plumbing items. Some of them are

 ● Threaded olet.

 ●  Elbow olet.

 ● Butt weld olet.

 ● Socket weld olet.

 ● nipple olet. 

 ● Lateral olet.

 ● Sweep olet. 

 ● Flange olet.

To go through the articles on building materials used in construction, click here.

Thank you for going through this article❤. Have a good day 😄.

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