Bushing, Spigot x FPT (Flush Style) PVC Schedule 80 3/8 x 1/4" (838-052)

This 3/8" x 1/4" Schedule 80 PVC Bushing (Spigot x FPT) provides a compact, inline solution for transitioning a 3/8" socket-end fitting hub down to a 1/4" female-threaded connection in industrial, chemical, and commercial PVC piping systems requiring Schedule 80 pressure ratings. Constructed in dark gray Schedule 80 PVC, it delivers the elevated wall thickness and pressure capacity required in demanding installations where a 3/8" socket assembly must interface with a 1/4" male NPT-threaded instrument, gauge connection, pressure tap, or small-bore service component without additional transition hardware.

The 3/8" spigot (male plain end) is sized to insert directly into the hub of any standard 3/8" socket-end fitting — tee branch outlet, cross port, coupling end, or valve body — and is solvent-cemented in place to form a permanent, leak-free joint at the outer face. The 1/4" FPT interior accepts any standard 1/4" male NPT-threaded fitting, nipple, instrument connection, pressure gauge, sampling valve, or equipment tap, providing a direct small-bore socket-to-thread transition in a single compact body. This Spigot x FPT configuration is the correct choice when a 3/8" Schedule 80 socket assembly must terminate at or feed into a 1/4" threaded instrument or service component — making it the mixed-connection approach to this small-bore size reduction, distinct from the all-threaded Schedule 80 Flush Bushing (839 series, MPT x FPT), which threads into a female port rather than cementing into a socket hub. The 3/8" to 1/4" combination is among the most specialized size entries in the 838 series — encountered almost exclusively at instrument port assemblies, pressure gauge tap connections, sampling point stubs, and small-bore chemical injection fittings on larger Schedule 80 systems where the socket assembly uses 3/8" pipe and the downstream instrument or monitoring component requires the industry-standard 1/4" NPT connection size.

Rated to approximately 920 psi at 73°F (governed by the 3/8" spigot end), this bushing is well-suited for demanding pressure service at small-bore instrument and monitoring connection points. Its Schedule 80 PVC composition provides excellent resistance to acids, bases, salts, and chlorinated water, making it a durable long-term alternative to metal reducing bushings in corrosive environments where metal fittings at instrument tap locations would degrade or contaminate the system fluid. NSF/ANSI 61 listing confirms suitability for potable water contact.

Apply solvent cement to the spigot exterior and the interior of the receiving 3/8" socket hub per ASTM D2564 procedures, inserting fully and holding briefly for initial set. On the 1/4" FPT end, use a quality pipe thread sealant or PTFE tape on all male NPT threads before engagement. At 1/4", the small thread engagement depth requires particular care to avoid cross-threading — start threads by hand and confirm square engagement before applying final torque. Avoid over-torquing — PVC threads require hand-tight plus one to two turns; excessive force at this small diameter can crack the fitting body or damage the receiving female threads. Allow adequate cure time on the cemented spigot joint before pressurizing the system, and derate pressure ratings for elevated temperatures per published derating curves.

Specifications:

Industries & Applications:

• Industrial Process Piping — Transitions 3/8" socket-end Schedule 80 fitting hubs to 1/4" male-threaded instrument connections, pressure gauge taps, sampling valve stubs, and monitoring port fittings on chemical processing, water treatment, and manufacturing piping assemblies where 1/4" NPT is the standard instrument connection size and the upstream socket assembly is built to 3/8" Schedule 80
• Chemical Handling — Provides a corrosion-resistant, mixed-connection small-bore socket-to-thread transition in systems conveying acids, caustics, fertilizer solutions, and other fluids incompatible with metal fittings, at chemical injection port taps, dosing system pressure monitoring connections, and small-bore sampling stubs where a 1/4" male-threaded instrument component must be received off a 3/8" Schedule 80 socket fitting hub
• Water Treatment & Aquaculture — Used at pressure monitoring taps, chemical dosing instrument stubs, recirculating system sampling port connections, and treatment equipment instrument interfaces where a 3/8" Schedule 80 socket assembly must supply a 1/4" threaded instrument or monitoring component with NSF/ANSI 61 compliance required throughout the system
• Commercial Plumbing — Connects 3/8" socket-end Schedule 80 fitting ports to 1/4" male-threaded pressure gauge connections, instrument taps, and monitoring port fittings in high-pressure or exposed commercial building water supply systems where Schedule 80 is specified throughout and small-bore instrument connections require the industry-standard 1/4" NPT outlet
• Irrigation & Water Distribution — Transitions 3/8" Schedule 80 socket fitting ports to 1/4" male-threaded pressure gauge taps, flow meter instrument connections, and monitoring port stubs in high-pressure agricultural and municipal irrigation systems where Schedule 80 pressure ratings are specified at instrument connection points throughout the assembly
• HVAC & Mechanical Systems — Provides a compact socket-to-instrument-thread transition at 3/8" Schedule 80 socket fitting ports serving 1/4" male-threaded pressure sensors, gauge connections, and monitoring instrument taps on cooling tower chemical feed lines, chilled water distribution monitoring points, and chemically treated water system instrument assemblies