Brass Street Elbow 45 Degree 1/4 in. NPT PX17

Genuine OEM brass street elbow, 45° 1/4 in. NPT (part# PX17), for commercial carpet spotters and vapor misters — a shared part fitted across Tornado and Powr-Flite machines as well as the PS Spotter 98220 (see the list below). The dealer catalog lists it as “Elbow, Street .25 NPT 45 Degrees Brass”. The machine uses two.

Compatible Models for the Brass Street Elbow

• Tornado PS Spotter 98220 — PS Series professional spotter, 115V

The factory cross-reference returns eight machines for this elbow, across Tornado spotters and vapor misters and Powr-Flite equipment. We publish only the models we can confirm against the manufacturers’ current catalogs — call us at 763-535-0770 with your model and serial number if yours is not listed and we will confirm it before you order.

What makes it a “street” elbow

A standard elbow has a female thread at both ends, so joining it to another threaded fitting needs a nipple in between. A street elbow has one male end and one female end, so it threads directly into a female port and presents a female thread on the other side. That removes a fitting and a joint from the assembly — and inside a housing as tight as a spotter’s, both the space and the extra joint matter.

The 45-degree angle is the other half of the specification. A 90-degree elbow turns the flow abruptly; 45 degrees turns it gently, and two 45s can place a connection at an offset that a single 90 cannot reach. In practice an elbow like this exists because the pump’s port and the hose run do not line up, and the plumbing has to be dog-legged around something without kinking the hose or straining the joints.

Brass is specified because the fitting is permanently wetted by detergent solution and tap water. A plated steel elbow corrodes from the thread outwards once it has been made up, and the thread is precisely where the seal has to hold. Brass also stays serviceable: it comes apart again years later instead of seizing into the fitting it was screwed into.

When to replace it

Replace the elbow if either thread is stripped, galled or cross-threaded; if the hex or the male end has been rounded off by a slipping wrench; if the body is cracked, which on brass shows as a hairline split along a thread root and may only weep under pressure; or if the bore has silted up with scale that will not clear.

Replace it if a joint weeps and will not seal after being remade with fresh thread sealant. A tapered pipe thread seals on its thread flanks, so a thread that has been over-tightened or made up repeatedly is finished — tightening harder on brass splits the female part it is threaded into rather than curing the leak.

It is worth renewing both elbows while the circuit is open. They are inexpensive, they are the same age, and the labour to get back in to the second one is the part that costs.

Fitting notes

Note which way each elbow points before dismantling. A 45-degree elbow’s orientation is the whole reason it is there, and refitting one a flat or two round means the hose it feeds is either strained or kinked once the housing closes — a kink inside a sealed body reads to the operator as a dead pump.

Seal the male thread with fresh PTFE tape or a liquid thread sealant rated for the solution, wrapped in the direction of the thread so tightening does not unwind it, and keep sealant out of the bore: a loose tag of tape travels straight to the solution filter screen or the tool jet. Tighten to a firm seal and no further, supporting the mating fitting with a second wrench so the torque does not pass through the rest of the plumbing. Run the pump and check every joint under pressure before closing up.

Twin City Vacuum has been selling and servicing commercial floor-care equipment since 1956.

You can browse every assembly for this machine on our Tornado PS Spotter 98220 parts page, and the manufacturer’s specifications are published at tornadovac.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the Brass Street Elbow PX17 and a normal elbow?

A normal elbow is female at both ends and needs a nipple to join it to another threaded fitting. A street elbow is male on one end and female on the other, so it threads directly into a port and presents a female thread on the far side — one less fitting and one less joint in a tight housing.

Why is the Brass Street Elbow 45 degrees rather than 90?

Because 45 degrees turns the flow gently and lets the plumbing be offset around an obstruction without kinking the hose. The angle is the reason the fitting exists, so note the orientation before you remove one and put the new one back pointing the same way.

Can I use a steel street elbow instead?

It is not a sound substitute. The fitting is wetted by detergent solution continuously, and a plated steel elbow corrodes from the thread outwards once it has been made up — at exactly the point the seal depends on. Brass also comes apart again years later rather than seizing.

How do I order the Brass Street Elbow (part# PX17) or get help?

You can add the Brass Street Elbow (part# PX17) directly to your cart on this page, or call us at 763-535-0770. Our staff at 5415 West Broadway, Crystal, MN 55428 has been servicing commercial floor-care equipment since 1956 and can help confirm the right part for your machine.

Questions? Call us at 763-535-0770 or visit us at 5415 West Broadway, Crystal, MN 55428.