Being a plumber or fitter in the modern world means being expected to solve issues in whatever field you are working in, through a combination of expertise and access to every conceivable part that you may need. Different types of pipe fittings are available to fit the bill if you know where to find them, so let’s look at some of the items that can save your professional bacon.
Brass
One of the kings of the plumbing world, brass is as good a place to start as any. Helping to make things work across the full range of applications from residential to commercial and industrial, brass pipe fittings come in all sorts of forms. From the humble brass hexagonal locknut to the iTap brass irrigation pressure reducing valve and the brass floating foot valve, this classic material is a joy to work with and its sheer versatility makes it the perfect choice for countless types of pipe fittings that do the simple things well, like keeping what is supposed to be in the pipe where it belongs and allowing it to travel only where and when the user or the system wants it to.
Stainless Steel
It is tempting to refer to many items in the plumber’s and fitter’s armoury as “humble”, but none of them are insignificant because they do a specific job and if they’re good quality they do it well. Take the stainless steel 316 elbow 90 degree male x female BSP thread pipe fitting. What does it do? It allows liquids etc. to go round corners and make detours. Without something like this it’s just not going to happen.
Elsewhere in your system there might be a need for a stainless steel 316 non-return check valve 3-piece spring female BSP thread. What does it do? It gives you superb control of fluids with versatility and high-pressure endurance. You know the expression, “if this didn’t exist, they’d have to invent it”? Well, it didn’t, so they did.
Plastic
Here’s a material that acquired a downmarket reputation years ago that it is still trying to shrug off, but where would we be without it? All plastic means is synthetic, and it acquires more respectability if you call each variety by its real name, which can be anything from nylon to uPVC. It can be tough, it’s always waterproof and it is endlessly adaptable, so if you need a ball float to control a water level, plastic is your guy. If you’re in agricultural mode, you may need a digital tap timer to enable a 7-day watering schedule with 4 start times per day, suitable for watering lawns, garden beds and micro-irrigation system. What’s it going to be housed in? Plastic.
Rubber
Before plastic came along rubber was the odd man out in the world of pipe fittings because it’s not metal. But for seals and gaskets it was – and still is – indispensable. Need a nut and tail washer hose barb? That’ll be rubber. A vibration eliminator bellow flexible joint coupling? Metal can’t do that. Nor can wood. Plastic? No. Rubber can.
The sheer variety of different types of pipe fittings would be bewildering to the layperson. It’s not to you, as a professional, but there are still bound to be items you’ve never used before and which you need to talk about with someone who knows, rather than just buying and trying.
That makes it essential to have a relationship with a specialist company that stocks all these products and thousands more. Valve Warehouse Australia is your solution. Browse our website for what you need and contact our team if you want to discuss something. We have all types of pipe fittings available to buy online and we ship Australia-wide.