Self-Tightening Pipe Fittings: What You Need To Know

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There are as many different pipe fittings as there are sizes of pipe. There are even self-tightening pipe fittings. Rather than automatically screwing themselves together, however, these pipe fittings require just a little bit of manual assistance before they are completely snug and holding two ends of pipe together. Here are a few other things you need to know about these kinds of pipe fittings. 

Different Types of Self-Tightening

Along with being different from other types of fittings, these particular fittings all have different mechanical means of tightening "themselves." Depending on what features or tasks you are hoping to accomplish with your fittings, you can find one that is easily tightened and will tick off the boxes of what you are looking for. 

Some examples of self-tightening fittings and their uses include:

  • Rubber tubing: This fitting tightens up the minute you pull a rubber sleeve over it and the two pieces of connecting pipe. It works because of the vacuum and suction created from the tubing sleeve. It works well to stop water leaks on water pipes. 
  • Adjustable copper ring: You may have seen this type on pipes once or twice before. The ring is made of copper (or aluminum) and slips over both adjoining ends of the pipes. It has a tiny turning screw that makes the ring smaller and smaller the more you turn the screw. When you cannot get the ring any smaller or any tighter, you stop turning the screw. 
  • Ratcheting: This fitting connects two pipes and then requires a bit of pump action between the pipes to tighten the fitting through a sort of suction and torque. 

There are different sizes for each of these fittings as well. Depending on the materials used to make the fittings, you may also be able to select fittings that do conduct electricity, do not conduct electricity, do not rust, are not affected by corrosive materials, etc.

Not Made for Large Diameter Pipes

Self-tightening fittings are not made for large diameter pipes. Large diameter pipes include anything above three inches from one side to the other. It is just too difficult to get this type of fitting to firmly clamp down and hold the pipes together under pressure when the pipes are too large. If you have much larger pipes you want to connect, consider purchasing various types of flanges instead, which are better suited for large diameter pipes.

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