Copper Fittings

<p>Nominal is the term used to describe pipe and fitting measurements in plumbing. Nominal refers to the inside diameter of the pipe which varies by wall thickness of the pipe.</p>

Basically, the laws implemented Jan. 1st, 2014 require plumbing products that come in contact with drinking water to be "essentially lead free" (less than 0.25% weighted average). The law will affect everyone. It makes it illegal to sell or install pipes, fittings and fixtures in applications providing water for human consumption that do not comply with the new standard. For suppliers and plumbers, that means whether you sell or install these products, you will need to supply products compliant with the new law. For individuals it will mean that you cannot use non-Lead Free items in installations that will be used for human consumption.

Starting January 1st of 2010, California and Vermont enacted new low lead laws. Effective January 2014, our U.S. Congress also passed the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act (public law P.L. 111-380) which revised the Safe Drinking Water Act definition of "lead free" to mean 0.25% or less (weighted average) in pipes and fixture fittings used for potable water. Before then these top quality brass products were legal for potable water and used throughout the world and actually contain much less lead than products manufactured before the 1980's.

Yes. Many companies and individuals use the abbreviation IPS which normally refers to iron pipe size. When we use the term 'IPS-sized', or either Mips (male) or Fips (female), we are referring to pipes with NPT threads. NPT is the abbreviation for National Pipe Thread Tapered which is the thread standard used in the United States for galvanized, black, brass, stainless steel, PVC, ABS or other materials to connect pipes and fittings in plumbing.

Probably not. In the plumbing trade when we say 1/2" fittings we mean fittings that use 1/2" nominal pipe. To figure what size pipe to use with standard plumbing fittings, you must add 1/8" to your measurements to know the o.d. (outside diameter) of the pipe. 1/2" nominal fittings use 5/8" od pipe; 3/4" fittings uses 7/8" pipe and so on.

Refrigeration grade copper tubing is sized according to the outside diameter of the copper pipe. The plumbing industry uses the inside diameter (nominal) size of the pipe for their measurement of sweat fittings. To figure what size sweat fittings to use on refrigeration grade tubing you must subtract 1/8" from the outside diameter of the pipe measurements. If you have 1/4" outside diameter refrigeration grade tubing then you will need to order 1/8" (nominal) sweat fittings. Click here, to see our conversion table.

Copper pipe is 100% copper and does not contain lead.

CTS stands for "copper tube size" which is a nominal pipe size. This means that the outside diameter will be 1/8" bigger than the "size" of the pipe. For example, 1/2" CTS has an actual o.d. of 5/8", 3/4" CTS has an actual o.d. of 7/8", and 1" CTS has an actual o.d. of 1-1/8".