What is a Pipe Fitting Elbow?

Standard elbows come in several different angles - 45°, 90° and, although they are less common, 22.5° - and can be made of the same material as any other pipe. We have a wide selection of elbows and other accessories in stainless steel 304 or 316.

Bend type

The 90° elbow is used for Spaces that require a large turn. While this may be necessary, the flow and pressure inside the pipe will be affected. As with any piping system, the material hits the elbow under pressure and wants to continue in the same direction. When it encounters the resistance of the elbow wall, it is forced to change direction (deflection) at the cost of pressure.

The internal length of the elbow plays a part in this resistance. A quarter bend bend that fits into a narrow space will generate more pressure loss because the material being transported must make changes faster.

The difference between long radius and short radius elbows with a center size of 1 times the size of the tube is called "short radius" bending and forcing fast turns.

They have greater pressure losses than "long radius" bends, where the center-face length is 1.5 times the size of the pipe. Moving farther within the fitted range creates a smoother transition for the material, which also means less turbulence in the system.

In piping system design, long radius bends can be used when flow is more important than space protection. Both 45° and 22.5° cells tend to have long radii, meaning that their pressure loss is less than that of 90° cells.

Elbows are available in a variety of connections, including threaded, weldable, nested and flanged. When it comes to threaded elbows, male male and female female connections are the most common. However, the "Street Elbow" has a male-x-female configuration.

Elbows usually have the same size connection at both ends. When one hour longer than the other, the accessory is called "reduced elbow". These should be used with caution, as a change in pipe diameter can lead to a change in pressure.