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Having the right plumbing parts is crucial when making repairs. Using the wrong fittings and couplings can result in injury, pipe corrosion, and plumbing inactivity. To help you find the best parts for the job, the professionals at Black’s Hardware in Rochester, NY, share a brief guide to tubing, fittings, and couplings. 

How to Understand Fittings & Couplings

What Are Tubing, Fittings, & Couplings?

fittings and couplingsTubing looks very similar to pipes, but it’s used more for structural purposes. Unlike piping, tubing isn't meant to transport gases or liquids. Fittings, however, are fixtures that connect pipes and tubes to each other. They come in various sizes and shapes to join or extend piping. To connect or disconnect two pipes for maintenance or repair, use a coupling fixture — which is a type of fitting. 

What Are Other Types of Fittings?

Fittings are made from materials like brass, copper, iron, and plastic. They also come in several styles including: 

  • Adapters for extending runs
  • Bushings for joining different sized pipes
  • Crosses for four-way pipe combinations
  • 45- and 90-degree elbows to change the direction of water flow
  • T-joints for combining multiple pipes

How Do You Determine the Right Size for Fittings & Tubings?

To ensure your fittings and tubings work well with your plumbing system, they must be the right sizes. You can determine fitting sizes by measuring its inside diameter and the outside diameter of what it’s connecting to. The measurements can be in millimeters or inches. Determining tubing sizing is similar to that of fittings, but they primarily focus on the outside diameter. 

For your next plumbing project, make sure you have the right fittings and couplings by heading over to Black’s Hardware. Since 1948, their highly experienced staff has shared their knowledge and advice with customers throughout the Rochester area. In addition to their staff’s expertise, this award-winning hardware store has everything from tools to electrical supplies. For more information, call (585) 544-9896 or visit their website to browse their impressive inventory.

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