Frequently Asked Questions
Q. "What is ABS pipe?"
A. Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) pipe is mainly used for drain, waste, vent and sewage applications.
Q. "What do you mean by "street", "fitting" and "spigot" in the descriptions above?"
A. When used as part of a description of ABS fittings, all three terms have the same meaning: These 90's, tees and other adapters have one inlet/outlet that has the same diameter as the corresponding ABS
pipe, so that the "street"/"fitting"/"spigot" end can be glued into a hub (socket) end of another fitting.
Q. "You have a few different types of 1/4 bends (90° elbows) listed. What do the different terms mean (long-sweep, low-heel, etc.)?"
A. A "long-sweep" 1/4-bend has a much more gradual bend to it than a regular 1/4-bend, and that gradual sweep helps guide a snake or auger around the 90-degree turn. A "vent" 1/4-bend is a very tight bend, which can be used in vent stacks for maneuverability, without compromising the air ventilation. A "low-heel" 1/4-bend is a unique fitting; its inlet and outlet both fit 3" pipe,
but another 2" outlet protrudes from the bend to allow attachment of a 2" vent stack.
Q. "Beneath the 60-degree bends, you note that the fittings are uncommon. What makes them so unusual?"
A. 1/4 (90°) bends, 1/8 (45°) bends and 1/16 (22½°) bends are the usual elbows that are uniformly used in drainage plumbing. Because the terms "1/16 bend" and "1/6 bend"
look similar, we wanted to differentiate between them since 1/6 (60°) bends are generally only used when the other, more-common angles won't work.
Q. "You also have a number of different types of tees listed. What do the different terms mean (san-tee, combi, etc.)?"
A. The side-branch of a "san-tee" has a slight curve to it, and is used for drainage with ventilation. A "combi" (aka, "combination tee-wye") is used on drain lines;
the long sweep of its inlet branch allows for easier, safer augering. The "vent tees" can be used in a vent stack, and the "tapped cleanout/test tees" have threaded inlets that can be used as cleanouts
(with a plug) or for testing purposes. A "two-way cleanout tee" is installed along a horizontal line; the side-inlet has a slight sweep in both directions, to allow for easier augering.
Q. "You list tees with multiple pipe sizes. How do I figure out the tees I need?"
A. A tee is always sized along the "run" (the straight part) of the fitting first, and the "branch" (the part that comes into the "run" from the side) is listed last. The first
size in the description is always the largest, and is the end of the "run" that's at the bottom (drainage end) of the tee. A few examples: A 2" x 2" x 1-½" tee fits 2" pipe on both ends of the run,
with a branch that fits 1-½" pipe; a 2" x 1-½" x 2" tee fits 2" pipe at the bottom (drainage) run-end of the tee, 1-½" pipe at the top (vent) run-end of the tee, and 2" pipe at the
branch.