Cross Fittings

A cross gives you four ports on a single fitting, which is why one sits at the center of most well-plumbed pump heads and manifolds. Sun Brite Supply carries cross fittings in brass, plated steel, and 304 stainless from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch FPT. If you are sketching out a manifold and want a second opinion on the plumbing, call 301-519-9274 before you buy parts twice.

Where a Four Way Cross Fitting Earns Its Place

The classic spot is the pump discharge. One port takes the flow in, and the other three carry a pressure gauge, a thermal relief valve, and the outlet line. Without a cross you end up stacking tees and bushings into a leaning tower of leak points. One cross replaces that stack with a single machined body and two fewer threaded joints, and every threaded joint you remove is a leak you never chase.

Crosses also anchor distribution manifolds. Multi-gun trailers, wash bays with several drops, and soft wash rigs that split chemical flow to different circuits all use a cross to branch one line three ways. On the suction side, a cross lets a buffer tank feed line, a bypass return, and a drain valve share one junction.

Brass, Steel, or Stainless

Match the body material to the pressure and the liquid. Barstock brass crosses are machined from solid stock rather than cast, so they take pressure washer discharge duty without the porosity problems cheap cast fittings hide. The plated steel high pressure cross is the budget pick for high PSI water lines where corrosion is manageable. The 304 stainless class 150 cross is a low-pressure fitting, and that matters: class 150 belongs on chemical plumbing, soft wash circuits, and supply lines, not downstream of a 4,000 PSI pump. Where bleach or acids flow, stainless is the only material of these three that will not pit and weep within a season.

All of these are FPT ports, female pipe thread. Seal every joint with thread sealant or tape rated for your chemicals, thread male fittings in straight, and stop cranking when snug. Overtightening a brass cross can split the body at the thread relief.

Cross Fitting Lineup

Verify current prices on each product page or call the counter.

From the Field

Most cross fitting problems walk in the door as something else. A customer brings in a pump head ringed with tees, street elbows, and bushings, complaining about a drip nobody can find. Count the threaded joints: six or seven where a single cross would leave three. Rebuilding that cluster around one cross usually kills the leak and frees up room to actually read the gauge. The other tip is to plan your port sizes before ordering. Buy the cross in your line size and let hex bushings step down for the gauge and relief valve, because bushing up from an undersized cross chokes your flow.

Related Collections

• Tee fittings when you only need three ports
• 90 degree elbows and street elbows
• Hex bushings and nipple fittings for port sizing
• Brass pipe fittings, steel pipe fittings, and stainless steel pipe fittings
• Thermal relief valves and gauges, the parts a cross usually carries
• Adapters and the full fittings collection
• Browse the wall of fittings in person at our Gaithersburg store

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a cross fitting used for on a pressure washer?

It joins four lines at one point. The most common job is holding a pressure gauge and thermal relief valve on the pump discharge while passing flow through, replacing a stack of tees with one fitting.

When should I use a cross instead of two tees?

Whenever all four connections can meet at one point. Two tees do the same job with an extra threaded joint, more length, and one more place to leak. Use tees only when the branch points need physical distance between them.

What pressure can a cross fitting handle?

It depends on the body. Barstock brass and high pressure steel crosses handle pressure washer discharge duty, while a class 150 stainless cross is rated for low-pressure service only. Check the rating on each product page against your machine's PSI.

Do I need thread tape on cross fitting ports?

Yes. FPT ports are pipe threads and they seal on the threads, so use PTFE tape or a liquid sealant compatible with whatever runs through the line. Two to three wraps of tape is plenty, more just shreds into the flow.

Which material should I pick for soft wash chemical lines?

304 stainless. Bleach mix pits brass and rusts plated steel, and a corroded fitting fails at the worst time. Stainless costs a few dollars more and outlives the rest of the plumbing.