Fittings are used in pipe and plumbing systems to connect straight pipe or tubing sections, to adapt to different sizes or shapes, and to regulate fluid flow, for example. Fittings, especially noncommon types, can be expensive, and require time, materials, and tools to install, so they are a non-trivial part of piping and plumbing systems. Valves are technically fittings, but are usually discussed separately.
Common fittings for both piping and plumbing
Elbow
A pipe fitting installed between two lengths of pipe or tube allowing a change of direction, usually 90° or 45°. The ends may be machined for butt welding, threaded (usually female), or socketed, etc. When the two ends differ in size, it is called a reducing or reducer elbow.
Most elbows are available in short radius or long radius of types. The short radius elbows have a center to end distance equal to the NPS in inches, while the long radius is 1.5 times the NPS in inches. Short elbows are universally available; long elbows are readily available in Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS, plastic), PVC for DWV, sewage and central vacuums, chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) and copper for 1950s to 1960s houses with copper drains.
Tee
A tee is used to either combine or split a fluid flow. Most common are tees with the same inlet and outlet sizes, but 'reducing' tees are available as well. Tee-fittings are also an integral part of the computer-enthusiast level watercooling solutions found in many modern enthusiast PCs. The fitting is one of the three main components of a T-Line, alongside an end-cap or fillport and a length of tubing. They are plumbed into the system, with the perpendicular barb (and its attached stretch of tubing leading to a fillport or a cap).
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