How to find the right type of plumbing fittings and fixtures?

Plumbing Parts and Accessories

When you are running a restaurant or if you are a homemaker, you can often find issues with taps. A minimal plumbing knowledge is always good to know. I shall make it much simpler for you. There are many different sizes, materials, and different types that should be considered. 

  • Union
  • Adapter
  • Nipple
  • Barb
  • Cross
  • Coupling
  • Tees

The above are the major plumbing fitting to know about:-

Union fittings are generally of three and have three parts. A nut, female end, and male end. These union fittings are made for connecting two pipes which can be easily detached without any kind of damage. They are generally used for the replacement of the pipe so that they can connect two pipes. The major advantage of using a union fitting is, it is very easy to install. Used in municipal piping and water systems, they are generally made up of nickel, brass, plastic, rubber, bronze, iron. 

The adapter has two ends a female and a male ends. There are three types of adapters,  male, female end, and straight-headed. The male end will have threads towards the outside and the female threads will have it on the outside. They are used to connect two different size pipes. They can connect male to female ends or female to male ends. This is assured for leakage-free adapters so that they can even resist high pressures. They are used in gas and water pipes. They are made up of different kinds of materials like steel, aluminum, polymers, cast iron, rubber, and copper. 

The nipple is used widely for fittings. It is also very important for common use. The nipple is used to connect pipes. For example in appliances like water heaters, geysers, etc. It has two male ends. The finishing for nipples comes in different types. They can resist high pressures, any kind of changes, can resist high temperatures. The nipple fittings are generally made up of brass, aluminum, copper, carbon steel, and stainless steel. Nipples are classified again into a few types: Weld nipples, Hexagon nipples,  Swage nipples, Barrel nipples, and Close nipples. 

Barb fixtures have one male end and on the other end, they are cone-shaped. They are made to hold the grip of the tube and also seal their connection. Once this barb fixture is inserted inside the tube initially the tube will expand and relax for itself. Then it becomes a sealed way. This Barb fitting has high material compatibility. The barb fitting is very hard and doesn’t rupture easily. 

Cross fittings, the name itself is derived by the fact that there are four ways to attach the pipe. This cross fitting has four sides, which looks like a criss-cross. One side will be the inlet one side will be the outlet. They are not as popular as other fittings. They are mostly used in thermal expansion like fire sprinkler systems.  They are generally made up of Brass, Steel, Stainless steel, and PVC.

Couples are used to connecting two pipes of the same size and diameter. They are used for changing the pipe sizes. There are two types of coupling fixtures in this: Compression and Slip. These coupling fittings generally come in materials like ABS, Brass, Steel, brass, and PVC. 

Tees are the most familiar fitting which has three sides of fittings. They are generally short in size and have a 90’ degrees type. Straight tee and Reducing tee are two types which come in this model. They are made up of materials like brass, PVS, stainless steel, copper, etc. 

These are the major fittings and fixtures that one should know about. Hope you find our article useful. Check out more articles for more interesting information. PartsFe is Best Supplier of Plumbing Parts and Acessories

 

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