90 Street Elbows

Every nipple you can delete from a manifold is one less joint that can leak. A 90 street elbow has a male end and a female end, so it threads straight into the next fitting and makes the turn in one piece. Sun Brite Supply carries brass and 4,000 PSI steel street elbows from 1/4" to 3/4" NPT. Not sure what threads you are looking at? Call 301-519-9274 and describe the part, we sort threads all day.

Street Elbow vs Standard 90 Elbow

A standard 90 elbow is female on both ends, so joining it to another female fitting takes a close nipple in between. That adds length, weight, and two more threaded joints. A street elbow replaces the nipple and one joint by putting the male thread right on the elbow body. On a pressure washer frame, where the unloader, gauge, and hose connection all crowd the pump head, that saved inch is often the difference between a clean manifold and a leaning tower of fittings.

The trade-off is flow. Every 90 degree turn costs some pressure, and a threaded elbow turns hard, not gradually. One or two elbows on a 4 GPM machine is nothing. Six of them stacked into a pretzel will show up as lost pressure at the nozzle. Plumb the shortest path first, then buy the fittings.

Brass or Steel

Brass is the default for water lines, injector plumbing, and anything that sees chemical. It will not rust, it seals easily, and it machines clean threads. Plated steel is the pick right off the pump head and anywhere the rating matters, since our steel street elbows carry a 4,000 PSI rating. Avoid mixing bare steel into a brass and stainless system on the wet side if you can. The steel becomes the sacrificial metal and rusts first.

Reading the Thread Callout

MPT means male pipe thread, FPT means female pipe thread, both cut to the NPT standard. A 3/8" MPT x 3/8" FPT street elbow screws into any 3/8" FPT port and accepts any 3/8" MPT fitting. Pipe thread sizes run smaller than the number suggests, so measure against a known fitting or bring the part to the counter rather than trusting a ruler across the threads.

Size and Material Lookup

The compact street ell earns its extra cost when a standard elbow body will not clear the pump rail or belt guard.

From the Field

Most leaking street elbows were never bad fittings. They were sealed wrong. NPT threads seal on the taper, so they need thread sealant, two to three wraps of tape or a paste rated for the line, applied clear of the first thread so shreds do not end up in your unloader. Hand tight plus one to two turns with a wrench is the target. Cranking a brass elbow until it stops stretching threads is how a $9 part cracks a $150 pump port. And when a steel elbow finally rusts through from the inside, replace it with brass unless it sits right at the pump outlet where the 4,000 PSI steel rating matters.

Related Fittings Collections

• Standard 90 elbows
• All elbows
• Close nipples
• Tee fittings
• Hex bushings
• Brass pipe fittings
• Steel pipe fittings
• Stainless steel pipe fittings
• Quick connects
• Thread sealant and locker

Need to match a mystery fitting in person? Bring it to our Gaithersburg store counter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a street elbow different from a regular 90 elbow?

A regular 90 is female on both ends. A street elbow is male on one end and female on the other, so it threads directly into another fitting without a nipple. Shorter stack, fewer joints, fewer leaks.

What do MPT and FPT mean on the label?

MPT is male pipe thread and FPT is female pipe thread, both cut to the American NPT standard. A 3/8" MPT x 3/8" FPT elbow goes into a 3/8" female port and accepts a 3/8" male fitting.

Should I use brass or steel on my pressure washer?

Brass for water and chemical lines because it never rusts. Plated steel where pressure is highest, right off the pump or unloader, since the steel elbows carry a 4,000 PSI rating. Do not scatter bare steel through an otherwise brass system.

Do 90 degree elbows cut my pressure?

Each sharp turn costs a little. One or two elbows will not show on a gauge. A stack of five or six can. Route hose and pipe the short way first and use elbows only where the turn is forced.

Tape or paste on the threads?

Either works on NPT if the product is rated for your line. Wrap tape two to three times in the direction of tightening and keep the first thread bare. Loose shreds of tape are a classic cause of a fouled unloader or injector.