Home Plumbing Connector Types

Fitting Examples

7/8" Ballcock Toilet Connector

Also called: 7/8 in. Ballcock Nut. Screws on to bottom of toilet tank. Slightly smaller than standard 1/2" pipe thread. Typically on a braid water connector that is 3/8" compression on the opposite end. A Toilet Ballcock Assembly is the entire upright part inside the toilet tank with with valve plunger on top and screw connector that sticks out though the hole in the bottom of the tank.

Common fittings:

• 3/8 Compression X 7/8 Ballcock 9"
• Plastic Toilet Swivel Adapter, 1/2" PEX x 7/8" BallCock

1/2" Pipe Thread

Also called: 1/2" NTP. National Pipe Thread Tapered Thread. This type of pipe thread is tapered so that the fit tightens as the pipe is twisted in.

American Tapered Pipe Threads NTP

Two of the more popular thread forms used are the Dryseal American Standard Taper Pipe Thread (NPTF) and American Standard Straight Pipe Thread for Mechanical Joints (NPSM). Pipe thread sizes are described much as bolt sizes are. Pipe threads must make a mechanical joint and leakproof connection. To accomplish this, the threads become shallower the farther they are from the end of the pipe. The bottoms of the threads aren't on a cylinder, but a cone. The cone taper is 1/16" in 1", which is the same as 3/4" inch in 1'. American Standard Taper Pipe Threads (NPT) is defined by ANSI/ASME standard B1.20.1.