Piping and plumbing fitting
piece that fits or connects pipes and tubes; used in pipe systems to connect straight pipe or tubing sections, adapt to different sizes or shapes and for other purposes
A fitting or adapter is used in pipe systems to connect sections of pipe (designated by nominal size, with greater tolerances of variance) or tube (designated by actual size, with lower tolerance for variance), adapt to different sizes or shapes, and for other purposes such as regulating (or measuring) fluid flow. These fittings can manipulate the conveyance of fluids such as water for potatory, irrigational, sanitary, and refrigerative purposes, or other liquids like gas, petroleum, and liquid waste.
Fittings allow multiple pipes to be connected to cover longer distances, increase or decrease the size of the pipe or tube, or extend a network by branching, and make possible more complex systems than could be achieved with only individual pipes. Valves are specialized fittings that permit regulating the flow of fluid within a plumbing system.
Standards
Standard codes are followed when designing (or manufacturing) a piping system. Organizations which promulgate piping standards include:
ASME: American Society of Mechanical Engineers
A112.19.1 Enameled cast-iron and steel plumbing fixtures standards
A112.19.2 Ceramic plumbing fixtures standard
ASTM International: American Society for Testing and Materials
API: American Petroleum Institute
AWS: American Welding Society
AWWA: American Water Works Association
MSS: Manufacturers Standardization Society
ANSI: American National Standards Institute
NFPA: National Fire Protection Association
EJMA: Expansion Joint Manufacturers Association
CGA: Compressed Gas Association
PCA: Plumbing Code of Australia
Pipes must conform to the dimensional requirements of:
ASME B36.10M: Welded and seamless wrought-steel pipe
ASME B36.19M: Stainless-steel pipe
ASME B31.3 2008: Process piping
ASME B31.4 XXXX: Power piping
Materials
The material with which a pipe is manufactured is often the basis for choosing a pipe. Materials used for manufacturing pipes include:
Carbon (CS) and galvanized steel
Impact-tested carbon steel (ITCS)
Low-temperature carbon steel (LTCS)
Stainless steel (SS)
Malleable iron
Chrome-molybdenum (alloy) steel (generally used for high-temperature service)
Non-ferrous metals (includes copper, inconel, incoloy, and cupronickel)
Non-metallic (includes acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), Cross-linked polyethylene (PEX), and toughened glass; polybutylene has also been used, but is now banned in North America because of poor reliability)
The bodies of fittings for pipe and tubing are often the same base material as the pipe or tubing connected: copper, steel, PVC, CPVC, or ABS. Any material permitted by the plumbing, health, or building code (as applicable) may be used, but it must be compatible with the other materials in the system, the fluids being transported, and the temperature and pressure inside (and outside) the system. Brass or bronze fittings are common in copper piping and plumbing systems. Fire resistance, earthquake resistance, mechanical ruggedness, theft resistance, and other factors also influence the choice of pipe and fitting materials.
Gaskets
Gaskets are mechanical seals, usually ring-shaped, which seal flange joints.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Piping and plumbing fitting” is piece that fits or connects pipes and tubes; used in pipe systems to connect straight pipe or tubing sections, adapt to different sizes or shapes and for other purposes. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Piping, plumbing and fitting, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “piece that fits or connects pipes and tubes; used in pipe systems to connect straight pipe or tubing sections, adapt to different sizes or shapes and for other purposes” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 31, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q26820931. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2008.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Piping and plumbing fitting”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Piping and plumbing fitting primary sources, Piping and plumbing fitting archive and Piping research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Piping and plumbing fitting”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Piping and plumbing fitting” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.