in addition to the flex point for your arm, elbows are industrial fittings that change the direction of piping. the connections allow you to reroute regularly threaded pipes to turn corners or fit in limited space without the expense of buying a pipe bender. standard elbows come in a few different angles - 45°, 90°, and, although they are less common, 22.5° angles - and can be made of the same materials as any other piping. we have a wide selection of elbows and other fittings in stainless steel 304 or 316.
Types of elbows although the names are mostly self-explanatory, there are a few variations in the elbows that are worth exploring. the 90° elbow is also called a "90° ell" (pronounced like the letter "l") or sometimes a "quarter bend" because the right angle at which flow is redirected is one quarter of 360°. the 90° elbow is used in spaces that require a major turn. although this may be a necessity, the flow rate and pressure within the pipe is affected. just as with any piping system, the material under pressure hits the elbow and would like to continue in the same direction. when it meets the resistance of the elbow wall, it is forced to change direction (deflected) at a cost to the pressure. the internal length of the elbow plays a part in that resistance. a quarter bend elbow made to fit in a tight space will create more pressure loss because the material being transported has to make the change more rapidly.