How to Choose the Right British Threaded Adapter?
Image Text: British threaded adapters
If you have ever struggled to attach your tubes and pipes to water outlets, you know the importance of getting the right threaded fitting for your plumbing installations. A hose with an incorrect diameter can make it difficult for you to attach the pipe to the outlet because either it will be too small and will not fit on the outlet or will be too big and loose, leading to slippage and leakages.
In such cases, you need the correct threaded piping that will act as a low-cost fixture for your domestic water supply, fire hydrant, or industrial cooling systems. Generally, threaded fittings or adapters are made of carbon steel, cast gray, cast brass, cast bronze, malleable iron, or forged alloy to ensure durability and make them resistant to water damage and rust.
How to Identify and Choose the Right British Threaded Adapter
British Standard Pipe Parallel(BSPP) Threaded Adapters
The BSPP thread adapters usually have a 30-degree chamfer on the male thread and a 30-degree cone seat inside the female thread. The parallel threads can be sealed or connected using an O-ring, a bonded washer, or an elastomeric sealant so that it can be used for port application.
You can identify a BSPP thread adapter by going through the following steps:
- Look closely and check whether the threads are tapered or parallel
- Use a thread gauge or calipers to check the threads per inch count
- Use calipers to distinguish the male thread (O.D) from the female thread (I.D)
- Sum up your O.D and I.D measurements
- Use the sum of your O.D and I.D measurements and your thread per inch count to find the correct BSPP thread adapter by using the specification chart.
- Use the seal or the angled sealing surface to determine which British threaded adapter will be a perfect fit for you.
British Standard Pipe Tapered(BSPT) Threaded Adapters
The BSPT threaded adapters can be sealed through thread wedging, and additional support can be provided by a thread tape or dope. The male thread of a tapered fitting can be connected to a female thread of the parallel fitting as long as the female thread does not swivel and is fixed.
In North America, the most common BSPT fitting is the NPT fitting. The NPT fitting has a chamfered sealing surface. On the othered hand, the BSPT fitting has a flat sealing surface. To determine the correct BSPT threaded adapter, you must consider the following steps:
- Use a caliper to check for the number of threads per inch count
- Use a caliper to measure the male thread (O.D) starting from the 4th thread until the end of the fitting.
- Use the same method to measure the female thread (I.D)
- Use the BSPT thread specification chart to find the best BSPT threaded adapter.