In plumbing and piping, a nipple consists of a short piece of pipe, usually provided with a male pipe thread at each end, for connecting two other fittings or valves.
The overall length of threads usually specifies the length of the nipple. A "close nipple" has virtually no unthreaded area; when screwed tightly between two female fittings, very little of the nipple remains exposed. A close nipple can only be unscrewed by gripping one threaded end with a strap wrench or using a specialty tool known as a nipple wrench (or an internal pipe wrench) which grips the inside of the pipe, leaving the threads undamaged. When the ends are of two different sizes, it is called a reducer (or reducing nipple).
Title: What is a close nipple?
Description: A definition and explanation of what a close nipple is.
Published: 4/25/2007
Last Edited: 1/3/2023
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