Different Types Of Stainless Steel Fittings

By Author: Vikram Kumar
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Fittings are of various kinds and available in different materials. Brass fittings and stainless steel fittings are popularly used in many plumbing projects. Brass has anti-corrosive properties. It offers resistance from heat and water and also repels acid and salt water. Peaty soils are found in water in some areas and brass fittings are excellent for use in these regions as well. It is a relatively soft material and provides a very tight seal. It is easy to install and is very similar to copper in terms of the advantages it offers. The one-up that brass has over copper is that it affords a heavier wall.

Brass fittings are generally used in commercial plumbing as well as in OEM operations. However, the gas and oil industries also use these for various applications. Prior to the advent of copper, commercial codes used to have brass fittings mentioned in them. Many municipalities have switched from galvanized and iron applications to brass ones. Steel is preferred over traditional materials. Stainless steel fittings are used in places where the fluids that are used need sanitary protection. The beverage and food industry, ...
... the pharmaceutical one and bioengineering systems use these fittings. These industries have to maintain strict hygiene standards as they deal with food.

Stainless steel fittings are excellent for any application where a chemical reaction can have a negative impact on the plumbing. In particular 316 SS stainless steel. Fertilizer, petroleum and chemical products manufacturing units always use steel. They are anti-corrosive and are best suited in high-pressure hydraulic applications. There are several reasons why steel is a good alternative to iron. Cleanliness can be maintained, products do not get contaminated with rust or other small particles that tend to scale-off other pipes. Steel also resists attack from literally hundreds of chemical and industrial mixtures and solutions and it offers greater strength at higher temperatures. Having threaded pipe fittings also makes it very easy to plumb components together.

It also has superior mechanical properties at very cold temperatures and retains its sheen almost indefinitely. These fittings are pre-threaded for easy fitting. There are elbows and joints. The couplings are also designed and fabricated to perfection. For applications where the length of the pipe is not per-determined, thread-less pipes can be acquired. These steel pipes can be cut to the necessary length and threaded as per the requirement. Fittings can be used to attach various pipe sections, angles can be created and three or more pipes can be attached to reduce the diameter of the line.

Two pipe lengths can be fitted with the use of straight fittings which have a wider diameter than that of the pipe. The angled fittings are available in various degree increments. Two different angled fittings can be coupled to create an angle if necessary. These are also manufactured to have the same temperature tolerance levels as the pipe fittings. A juncture fitting is used in applications where two or more pipes need to be placed at an angle from one another. These are placed in a “cross’ position and the same joint can have three or four pipelines emerging from it.

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You can buy a variety of Stainless Steel Fittings at King Fittings. Very high-grade Brass Fittings are available online.