The difference is the directrion the elbow faces. In a standard gutter installation, if you are facing the gutter for example, an A Elbow is the elbow that will come out off the wall or gutter straight to you. B elbows would be the ones that would fit the downspout and carry the water either to the left or the right, instead of out (forward) or in (backward). These do not apply for round elbows.
Elbows normally come in #0 (30°), #1 (45°), #2 (60°), #3 (75°) and #4 (90°). Seamless elbows are offered in 40°, 72° and 85°.
Although normally referred to as 45s or 90s, the standard elbow angle is actually 75°.
Elbows with harsh angles, such as 90° elbows are usually not recommended, although needed in some situations, these elbows allow for water to directly hit their bottom side without being carried at an easier angle like a 75° for example. This causes an elbow to not last as long.
Custom degrees are available for square smooth and plain smooth elbows, where they would be 2 solid pieces put together rather than one piece with incremental bends.
These are the same as downspout sizes. Square Corrugated and Smooth elbows are 2"x3" and 3"x4". Round elbows are 3", 4", 5" and 6". We can also manufacture other sizes, such as 4"x5", 3"x3", 7" and 8" round, for example.
We so manufacture and sell round corrugated elbows, although these are a little more intricate and custom made to order. Please call us or email for a quote.
Although some manufacturers use 0.019" material for dowsnpouts and elbows, our standard for aluminum is 0.027". For Kynar aluminum, 0.032", 24 gauge for steel and galvalume and 16 oz for copper.
For aesthetics, seams should be hidden, which means on plain square and on custom round elbows (made out of 2 pieces of pipe rather than having the incremental bends), the seam would be on the back, against the wall, versus it being visible. This is not an option for regular elbows that are made with incremental bends, such as square corrugated and standard round elbows as the seam would have to be stretched if bent the other way and would break.
Seamless elbows, also known as European elbows are elbows that don't have a seam on the back, or if they do it is welded and barely visible. It is a more robust item, made with a thicker gauge material that also costs more.
The bottom portion of an elbow is crimped to allow for easy fit to another elbow or downspout, however, the end may need to be crimped or tweaked to allow for a good fit. If an elbow needs to be cut down, or to fit a downspout from another company that could be slightly different, we offer tools such as crimpers to get the job done.
Zigzag elbows or offset elbows are elbows that turn onto to 2 directions. For example, on a standard gutter situation, where the gutter is mounted to a fascia that protrudes from the wall, an outlet would also be a few inches from the wall, and since a downspout is close to the wall, 2 elbows are needed. One carries the water from the outlet to the wall, while the second ones brings it down to the downspout. Another example would be a ledge, where a downspout needs to come off the wall then straight down. An offset elbow is simply these 2 elbows combined into a single piece. Such elbows are available as a custom order.
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