In determining the sizes of the needed pipes for plumbing activities, it is not the physical appearance that is considered. It is also important to determine the external pipe diameters in sizing up pipes. Pipe sizes for plumbing are determined on a unit value where thread per inch is the thread size of a plumbing pipe. When measuring the size of plumbing pipe, the thread per inch and the diameter is taken.

Specific types of thread of pipes which are used for projects concerning plumbing are established by the American National Standards Institute or ANSI. In the previous years, determination of size of metal pipe was dependent on its actual diameter. And so for a establishment to have a standard measurement, specifications were made based on the pipes external diameters. Somewhat similar in terms of sizing plumber pipe, the thickness is also considered because the materials used for piping today is not made of pure metal or galvanized iron, but rather more on copper tubes. And so, today size of pipes is called Nominal Pipe Size or Iron Pipe Size.

We could distinguish two types of plumbing pipe sizes, the Iron Pipe Size (IPS) and the Copper Tube Size or CTS. The IPS is based on the pipes length relevant to its single wall thickness. On the other hand, Copper Tube Sizes were devised since copper pipes have various sizes in terms of wall thickness aside from measurements of its length and diameters. Plumbing pipe sizes may come in a number of distinct thicknesses or sometimes termed as “schedules”. These schedules are measured in terms of the pipes inside diameter, the ID, and its outside diameters, the OD, with regard to the thickness of the walls. In terms of weighing the plumbing pipes, there are the Standard Wall (Std.), the extra strong wall or the XS, and the double extra strength wall or the XXS, with the last two plumbing pipe sizes regarded as extra heavy and the double extra heavy ones.

Sizes of plumbing pipes to be used are dependent on the kind of plumbing work or repair to be done. Pipes to be used for holding massive amounts of pressure should be the heaviest possible in order to allow continuous and uninterrupted pressure rates. The heavier sizes also avoids rupture on the pipes and attaining possible leakages and for these purposes, heavy walled pipes are ordinarily smaller in terms of diameter.

For purposes of drainage, waste pipe system and ventilation, plumbing pipe sizes that are relatively thinner and much lighter compared to that of the pressure pipes is required. These pipes would naturally allow the free flow of such materials. The standard residential plumbing pipe sizes are 1 to inch, 2 inches, 3 inches and the 4 inches pipes. The 4 inches soil pipe is most appropriate for disposing solid materials. The 3 inches pipe increases the flowing rate for horizontally inclined piping system that would be very beneficial to avoid clogging problems.

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