Quick Answer: An L shaped tubing connector is a plastic elbow with two spigots set at 90 degrees, used to join two flexible tubes around a sharp corner without kinking. It keeps rubber, PVC or silicone tubing fully open where a line must change direction abruptly.
An Elbow Instead of a Folded Tube
Soft tubing bent through a tight angle folds, and the fold narrows or closes the bore. This elbow replaces the bend with a rigid corner, so water, air or vacuum passes at full bore even where the run turns sharply. It does the job of the bent glass tubes found in older set-ups, without the risk of snapping glass while pushing tubing onto it.
Among the plastic fittings in this range the elbow is the simplest: two ports and no branching. A line that must split needs the T and Y connectors, and a junction of four lines needs the cross connector. Elbows are often fitted at the end of a run to point tubing down into a sink or container so that it cannot lift out.
Applications
- Routing condenser cooling-water tubes neatly from the tap and down to the sink
- Turning a delivery tube down into a pneumatic trough when collecting gas over water
- Joining the side arm of a filter flask to a vacuum line that drops vertically to the pump
- Taking aquarium or aeration tubing around the corner of a tank
Specifications
| Configuration | Two ports at 90 degrees (elbow) |
| Material | Moulded plastic (commonly polypropylene for this fitting type) |
| Ends | Ribbed push-on spigots |
| Main purpose | Right-angle turn in a tubing run without kinking |
| Tubing size | Confirm at enquiry |
Care & Handling
- Choose an L shaped tubing connector that matches your tubing bore and push the tube past every rib.
- Avoid levering the tubing sideways at the joint; the bending load falls on the root of the spigot, where plastic fittings usually crack.
- Discard elbows that have discoloured, crazed or split.
Why Choose LabEquip
Buyers are usually lab technicians and teachers building tidy, kink-free tubing runs for distillation, filtration and aeration practicals. LabEquip lists elbows with its other plastic fittings in the Lab Glassware section; send tubing sizes and quantities through the LabEquip contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does an L shaped connector compare with a bent glass tube?
Both turn a line through 90 degrees. The plastic elbow is short, will not shatter while tubing is pushed on, and can be reused in many set-ups. A bent glass tube can be made to any length but snaps easily if forced into tight tubing.
Does the elbow restrict flow?
Very little, provided its bore is similar to that of the tubing. The sharp internal corner adds a small resistance, which only matters in long, low-pressure runs such as gravity-fed water lines.
How do I stop tubing slipping off the elbow?
Use tubing with a bore slightly narrower than the spigot, push it past all the ribs, and add a hose clip or cable tie if the line carries tap or pump pressure. Stiff tubing fits more easily after a dip in hot water and grips well once it cools.
Can the elbow carry hot water?
Warm cooling water and hot tap water are generally fine for polypropylene, but the plastic softens as temperature rises, so check the item’s temperature rating before using it with near-boiling liquids or steam.
Which tubing materials work with these elbows?
Rubber, PVC and silicone tubing all push onto ribbed plastic spigots. Silicone is soft and suits repeated autoclaving, clear PVC lets you see the flow, and thick-walled rubber grips firmly and is the usual choice for vacuum lines.
How should plastic elbows be cleaned?
Flush water through the bore straight after use. After salts or culture media, soak the fittings in warm detergent solution and push a pipe cleaner round the bend, where deposits collect. Rinse, dry and store them by size.
Last Updated: September 2026
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