PIPING INSTRUMENT ABBRVIATIONS

Introduction
Instruments are devices attached to equipment and pipes for indicating, reading, recording and controlling
the operating conditions in the piping systems. In instrumentation diagrams standard symbols are used.
Complete industry standard for instruments symbols and lettering abbreviations are in the controlled
document ANSI/ISA-5.1.
Instruments are critical components in piping systems because they are needed to ensure smooth flow of
fluid and maintain desired production levels. They are used to monitor and control parameters like flow rate,
pressure and temperature. Instruments sense, transmit, indicate, record or control process parameters such as
temperature, pressure, flow, and level. An instrument must detect a change in a parameter like temperature,
pressure or flow to be useful. This change is converted into a signal like current or voltage that is calibrated
for interpretation. Often there is the need to change a signal from one energy form to another. For example, a
current signal may have to be converted to a pressure signal or verse versa. A transducer is used for this
application.
Process Variables
Industrial processes are characterized by variables which describe the relevant attributes of the processes. For
example, physical objects have mass and weight. In SI units, mass is measured in kilograms (kg) and weight
is measured in newton (N). Mass is independent of the acceleration due to gravity, but weight is not. Mass or
weight can be related to the volume of an object giving rise to a quantity described as density. Mass density
is defined as mass per unit volume while weight density is weight per unit volume. The mass or weight of an
object can be estimated from the product of the volume and mass or weight density, respectively. Thus mass
or weight and density can be important attributes of a process and hence considered to be process variables.
Temperature, pressure, flow velocity, flow rate, liquid level, and analysis are common variables in process
systems that are measured for process control and product quality. Temperature is an indicator of the heat or
thermal energy level in a system or of a substance. Intuitively, it gives the sense of hotness and coldness.
Heat or thermal energy is due to molecular motion or kinetic activity in a substance or system. Pressure is the
intensity of force over a surface. Pressure is described as a scalar quantity because it is defined by its size
only; the direction of pressure at a point is not relevant.
Fluid flow is the passage of fluid through a container. It is influenced by several factors such as flow
velocity, fluid density, fluid viscosity, and pipe size. Viscosity is the internal resistance fluids experience
when flowing. It is very sensitive to temperature; therefore viscosity is often stated at the relevant
temperature. Level refers to the height or depth of substances in a container. This could be measured in units
of length; meter in Metric units, and feet in English units, or as percentage. Level is an indirect measure of
the volume or amount of a substance in a container. Analysis is the process of determining the types of
substances and their proportion in a sample. There are two types of analysis, namely qualitative and
quantitative analysis. Qualitative analysis determines the types of substances in a sample. Quantitative
analysis determines the amount of each substance in a sample. Analyzer is the instrument used to carry out
analysis on samples of substances. Sample analysis is used for monitoring various physical and chemical
properties of process streams.
Process Variables are represented with acronyms and abbreviations in piping schematics, diagrams and
drawings. The common abbreviations are A for analysis or analyzer function, F for flow measure, L
for level (L) or Capacity measure, P: for pressure, and T for temperature. Instruments abbreviations
include G for gauges, A for alarm, I for indicator, R for recorder and C for controller.The sensing
instruments or sensors are called primary elements such as flow element (FE), pressure element (PE),
temperature element (TE), level element (LE), and analyzer or analysis element (AE). Gauges measure the
pressure, temperature or liquid level in equipment. Indicators display the level of process parameters.
Recorders record the level of process parameters while controllers are used to activate other devices so as to

maintain a specific level of a process parameter. Alarms produce light or sound signals when operating
levels of process parameters are too high or too low. They are also activated when there is no flow or a back
flow occurs. Also instrument indicators, such as pressure (PI), temperature (TI), volume flow (FI), and
volume level (LI) are very vital for operating piping systems. They may be mounted directly on the pipe
branch or on a central panel.

Fig. 1: Instrument symbols

Fig. 2: Instrument symbols

Fig. 3: Instrument symbols

Process flow diagrams and piping drawings show instruments using symbols. Instrument symbols are
combinations of balloons, lines, letters, and numbers. Balloons are basic shapes such as circles, pentagons,
etc. used to enclose the letters and numbers of instrument symbols. The circle is the most popular balloon. A
single circle indicates a stand-alone instrument. Touching balloons mean the instruments share a common
housing. Other shapes often modify the circle. Balloons indicate a) location, b) accessibility, c) general
characteristics such as shared or discrete mounting, or computerized. The American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) and The Instrument Society of America publish the complete industry standard for
instrument symbols and lettering abbreviations in the controlled document ANSI/ISA-S5.1 and ISO 14617-6.
Table 1 shows common balloons associated with instrument symbols.

Table 1: Instrument and mounting

Referring to Table 1, a symbol of a circle inside a square describes an instrument that performs more than
one function such as shared display or shared control. A computer function is represented by a hexagon and a
programmable logic controller is represented by a diamond inside a square. Instruments may be mounted
locally on the pipes and equipments in the field or on panels in control rooms. Locally mounted instruments
are connected most often with small-diameter fittings on instrument lines. They must be placed where they
can be seen and read easily. In the control rooms, panels, dashboards and consoles provide locations for
access to the instruments. The console, panel, or board mounted instruments receive signals from the field
instruments comprising mainly of sensors and transmitters. Panel or board mounted instruments have a
horizontal line at the middle of the balloon symbol. If the horizontal line is of the broken or dashed type, the
instrument is mounted behind at the panel or board.
The letters in a symbol appear at the top of the balloon and identify the type and function(s) of the
instrument. The letters must be interpreted in order, beginning with the first. The first letter identifies the
process variable such as flow, pressure, analysis, etc. The second letter identifies the primary function of the
instrument while subsequent letters can indicate other functions or are primary function qualifiers. Table 2
below gives some instrument function abbreviations.
Letter
First Order Use
Succeeding Order Use
A
Analysis
Alarm
B
Burner, Flame
C
User choice
Controller
D
User choice
Differential
E
Voltage
Element
F
Flow
G
User Choice
Gauge
H
Hand
High
I
Current
Indicator
J
Power
K
Time
Control station
L
Level
Low
P
Pressure
Undefined
Q
Quantity
Totalize, Quality
R
Radiation
Recorder
S
Speed, Frequency
Safety, Switch
T
Temperature
Transmitter
U
Multivariable
Multifunction
V
Vibration
Valve, Viscosity
W
Weight
Well
Y
Event, State
Solenoid, Coil, Compute
Z
Position
Table 2: Instrument function abbreviation
The numbers inside a balloon are located at the bottom and identify the loop or tag number for the
instrument. A loop number groups all instruments monitoring and controlling a process variable into one
control unit. Equipment may have several loop numbers associated with it if more than one process variables
must be controlled for proper functioning. Loop numbers are normally assigned by designers or engineers.
Fig. 4 shows an example of an instrument symbol.

Fig. 4: Instrument symbol

Referring to Fig. 4; the letters are FE and the numbers are 150.
FE. Flow Element (Function abbreviation)
150 Loop reference number
The instrument symbol is linked to a device by a connection line of the appropriate signal type. The line
represents a physical signal link that could be air (pneumatic), liquid (hydraulic), current, or voltage.
Instrument pipes are normally smaller in size than the process lines. Instrument pipes may be connected with
a coupling to the process lines. Common instrument pipe sizes are 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 nominal diameters.
The control of process variable is done after a comparison is made between actual values and desired values.
A difference in these values necessitates the need to effect a change and a control signal is transmitted to a
final control device, usually a valve, in the control loop. The control signal is used to activate the final
control devices that effect changes in the process conditions. In manual control, the final control device is
physically adjusted by somebody. In automatic control, the final control device is activated by means of
electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, or some other mechanisms without human intervention.
The figures below show how instruments are represented in flow diagrams. Control loops have two or more
instruments connected to ensure the monitoring and control of a process variable. Control loops are
numbered for documentation and reference purposes.

Fig. 5: Temperature indicator

Fig. 6: Flow indicator (Orifice meter)

Fig. 7: Pressure indicator

Fig. 8: Pressure recorder

Fig. 9: Instrument mounting symbols

Piping Abreviations
The labeling requirements for all of the above are specified in ANSI A13.1-2007 and ASME A13.1-2007.
The above pipe marking guide provides this ANSI and ASME pipe labeling information. Abbreviation and
letter - label coloring based on ASME A13.1 - 2007 Scheme for the Identification of Piping Systems:
Label Colors
Label Abbreviation
System, Pipe Contents
(Background - Text)
CHWR
Chilled Water Return
Green - White
CHWS
Chilled Water Supply
Green - White
CWR
Condenser Water Return
Green - White
CWS
Condenser Water Supply
Green - White
FOR
Fuel Oil Return
Yellow - Black
FOS
Fuel Oil Supply
Yellow - Black
HPC
High Pressure Condensate
Blue - White
High Pressure Steam (above
HPS
Blue - White
125#)
HWR
Hot Water Heating Return
Green - White
HWS
Hot Water Heating Supply
Green - White
LPC
Low Pressure Condensate
Blue - White
LPS
Low Pressure Steam (below 25#)
Blue - White
MPC
Medium Pressure Condensate
Blue - White
Medium Pressure Steam
MPS
Blue - White
(above 25# - below 125#)
PCR
Pumped Condensate Return
Blue - White
ACID
Acid Waste
Orange - Black
BR
Brine Water
Orange - Black
FIRE
Fire Suppression Water
Red - White
HAZ
Hazardous Waste
Orange - Black
DI or RO
High Purity Water
Green - White
DCW
Potable Cold Water
Green - White
DHW
Potable Hot Water Supply
Green - White
DHWR
Potable Hot Water Return
Green - White
NG
Natural Gas
Yellow - Black
LN2
Nitrogen (liquid)
Black - White
Med Air
Medical air
Yellow - Black
CO2
Carbon dioxide
Gray - White
He
Helium
Brown - White
N2
Nitrogen
Black - White
N2O
Nitrous oxide
Blue - White
O2
Oxygen
Green - White
Med Vac
Medical?surgical vacuum
White - Black
WAGD
Waste anesthetic gas disposal
Violet - White
Yellow and White
Lab Air
Laboratory air
checkerboard - Black

Label Abbreviation

System, Pipe Contents

Lab Vac

Laboratory vacuum

IA
CFHE
BCE
RE
ETOE

Instrument air
Chemical Fume Hood Exhaust
Biosafety Cabinet Exhaust
Radioisotope Exhaust
ETO Exhaust

Label Colors
(Background - Text)
White and Black
checkerboard - Black
boxed
Red - White
Purple - White
Purple - White
Yellow - magenta
Purple - white

ASME A13.1 - 2007 Scheme for the Identification of Piping Systems - is intended to establish a common
system to assist in identification of hazardous materials conveyed in piping systems and their hazards when
released in the environment -concerns identification of contents of piping systems in industrial and power
plants - recommended for the identification of piping systems used in commercial and institutional
installations and in buildings used for public assembly.
Summary
Instruments are devices attached to equipment and pipes for indicating, reading, recording and controlling
the operating conditions in the piping systems. In instrumentation diagrams standard symbols are used.
Complete industry standard for instruments symbols and lettering abbreviations are in the controlled
document ANSI/ISA-5.1. The common process variables are: analysis (A), Analyzer function; flow (F), flow
rate measure; level (L), capacity measure; pressure (P), operating pressure; and temperature (T), operating
temperature. The common types of instruments in piping processes are: gauges (G), measures level or value
of a variable; alarm (A), signals (light or sound) when variable value is out of range; indicators (I), indicate
level or value of a variable; recorder (R), records level or value of a variable; and controllers (C), use
variable signal level to control instrument.
The sensing instruments or sensors are called primary elements such as flow element (FE), pressure element
(PE), temperature element (TE), level element (LE), and analyzer or analysis element (AE). Gauges measure
the pressure, temperature or liquid level in equipment. Indicators display the level of process parameters.
Recorders record the level of process parameters while controllers are used to activate other devices so as to
maintain a specific level of a process parameter. Alarms produce light or sound signals when operating levels
of process parameters are too high or too low. They are also activated when there is no flow or a back flow
occurs. Also instrument indicators, such as pressure (PI), temperature (TI), volume flow (FI), and volume
level (LI) are very vital for operating piping systems. They may be mounted directly on the pipe branch or on
a central panel.
Standards of note in piping systems include:
ASME B31.2 - gives standards for pressurized piping
NFPA 54 - Is the National Fuel Gas Code
NFPA 58 - Is the Liquified Petroleum Code
These codes do not specify pipe labeling requirements. The labeling requirements for all of the above are
specified in ANSI A13.1-2007 and ASME A13.1-2007.