Tubing and Pipe Sizes

● Historically, pipe size was based on the inside diameter of the pipe that was
characteristic of the period, which was cast iron.
● For example, a half-inch cast iron pipe had an inside diameter (ID) that was exactly
one-half inch. The thickness of its wall determined the outside diameter.
● Later, the standard was changed so that pipe size related to a specific outside
diameter to ensure that all pipes and fittings would fit together for a specific size.
Tubing and Pipe Sizes
● Pipe is thick walled and available in standard iron pipe size (IPS). IPS remains the
standard by which pipe size is measured.
● With materials other than iron, the wall thickness of pipe is different. Consequently,
inside diameters of pipes of different materials vary for a specific pipe size.
● Thus, a half-inch pipe is neither a half-inch on the inside nor the outside, but it is still
called a half-inch pipe based on the nominal diameter.
● Under the IPS designation, female fittings are identified by FIP (Female iron pipe)
and male fittings are MIP (Male iron pipe).
FIP (Female iron pipe) MIP (Male iron pipe)
Tubing and Pipe Sizes
● Pipe is distinguished from tubing by the standard by which it is measured.
● When copper tubing was developed, the walls were much thinner than cast iron or steel.
Because of copper’s unique characteristics, it was not necessary that it be made in IPS
sizes.
● A new standard called copper tube size (CTS) was developed. The actual size of CTS is
much closer to its nominal size than that of pipe.
● The standard has evolved so that any product made in IPS size is called pipe and any
product made in CTS size is called tubing, without regard to any differences in material or
manufacturing process.
● CPVC (Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) is an exception, being called pipe but sold in CTS.
Pipe Pressure Rating
● With the exception of sewer and drainage pipe, all pipe is pressure rated.
● The schedule number is obtained from the expression 1000 P/S, where P is the
service pressure and S is the allowable stress, both being expressed in the same units.
● For example, on types of steel pipe with IPS sizes thru 12 in, wall thickness is
assigned schedule numbers from Schedule 10 (S.10) thru Schedule 160 (S.160),
which represent approximate values for 1000 times the pressure–stress ratios.
● The SDR (standard dimension ratio) is calculated by dividing the outside diameter of
the pipe by its wall thickness. Pipe with an SDR of 13.5 has an outside diameter that
is 13.5 times thicker than the wall thickness.
Pipe Pressure Rating
● The pressure-level rating provides the pressure rating of the pipe at a given
temperature.
● Pipes are available commercially at many pressure ratings, and the most popular of
these are 50, 100, and 125 psi (340, 690, and 860 kPa); 160, 200, 250, and 315 psi
(1.1, 1.4, 1.7, and 2.2 MPa).
● Weights designations are used for steel and iron pipe: standard wall (Std), extra
strong wall (XS), and double extra strong wall (XXS). These last two designations
are sometimes referred to as extra heavy wall (XH) and double extra heavy wall
(XXH), respectively. Wrought-iron pipe is referred to as Std, XS, and XXS and not
by schedule numbers.