Glossary of Pipe Fittings & Flanges

This section gives you some idea about some of the most common terms used in pipe fittings and flanges.

A	B	C	E	F	G	H	I	J	L
M	N	O	P	R	S	T	U	W

A

Adapter: A fitting needed for changing from one type of end condition to another. ANSI: American National Standards. A piping specification. ASME: American Society of Mechanical Engineers. A piping specification. ASTM: American Society for Testing Materials. A piping specification. Ambient Temperature: The average temperature of the atmosphere in the area of an appliance. Aqueous: Containing water

B

Ball valve: Opens by turning a handle attached to a ball inside the valve. BSP: British Standard Piping. A piping specification. Bushing: A pipe fitting, threaded on both the inside and outside, used for joining pipes with different diameters together. Bulkhead fitting: Used to attach flexible pipes with the help of male adapters.

C

Coupling:A fitting that joins two pieces of pipe. Cast Iron: Metal formed by casting in molds. Compression Fitting: A sealed pipe connection without soldering. Cross: Used for 4-way branch connections.

E

Elbows: Change direction of pipe.

F

Ferrule: Consists of a circular clamp which is used to hold together. Female thread: Threaded on the outside. Flange: A type of pipe fitting that connects via nuts and bolts.

G

Gate valve: It is a type of valve having a gate that moves perpendicular to flow of the service. Globe valve: Linear motion valves with spherical design.

H

Hollow plug: A hollow plug is a valve used to restrict or prevent the flow of a liquid or gas through a pipe. Hex plug: The hex pipe plug is threaded in the end and the top of the plug takes a hexagon shape.

I

I.D.: Inside diameter. All pipes are sized according to their inside diameter.

J

Joint thread: A connection in which the internal and external fittings are threaded and they are also screwed together.

L

Lap joint flange: Flanges are used on piping fitted with with lapped pipe or with lap joint stub ends.

M

Male thread: Threaded on the inside.

N

Nipple: A length of straight pipe with male threads on both ends.

O

O.D.: Outside diameter. All pipes are sized according to their outside diameter. Orifice flange: Flanges where orifice plate or flow nozzle is used.

P

Pipe fittings: Available in various shapes, sizes and materials, they are used to connect pipes. Plug: Cap end inserted into the end of tubing to dead-end the flow.

R

Reducer: A fitting that connects pipes of different sizes. Rigid coupling: Used to connect rotating members such as shafts.

S

Sanitary Fitting: Fittings used to join the assorted pipes in a drain, waste and vent system. Sleeve: A fitting with a base plate and attached to a sleeve portion. Stop Valve: A valve that controls the flow of water.

T

Tee: A T-shaped pipe fitting with three openings used to create branch lines.

U

Union: Three-piece fitting that joins two sections of pipe and they also can be disconnected without cutting the pipe.

W

Wye: A Y-shaped fitting with three openings used to create branch lines.