Master Plumber Practice Exam - Practice Test, Prep & Study Guide

The elbow fitting is specifically designed to change the direction of a pipe. It allows for bends in the plumbing system, typically at angles like 90 degrees or 45 degrees, enabling pipes to turn corners. This is crucial in navigating layouts around structures, avoiding obstacles, or aligning fixtures properly.

While union fittings connect two pipes with the ability to disconnect easily, coupling fittings are primarily used to join two straight sections of pipe together. Adapter fittings serve to connect pipes of different sizes or materials. Each of these fittings plays a distinct role in plumbing systems, but when it comes to altering the direction of a pipe, the elbow fitting is the essential component.