Measuring PVC

[burtonboy182]

Wondering if anyone has any helpful hints on measuring youre plumbing. I usually get a general measurement and then start putting the pieces together and cutting it shorter if needed.
Problem I usually have is dry fitting and then glueing. When I glue it things always fit in snugger and I end up having to mark everything and put the pipes in up to my mark instead of all the way in snug. If I pushed the pipes in when I glue it all the way things wouldn’t line up.

 

[Greybeard]

It's just practice. You learn, eventually, just how much to leave for glue joints. I would advise that you ALWAYS insert glue PVC joints as far as they'll go when you glue them up. Stopping at a mark short of full engagement is a recipe for leaks.

I'll mock up complex bits, but I no longer dry fit an entire system. Just more work.

Flex PVC or SpaFlex works pretty well in many situations where hard PVC would be more difficult to use. Once glued, it's just as permanent as hard PVC.

I keep waiting for aquarium equipment to start coming with push fit connectors for PEX. Easy, fast, can be disassembled, and doesn't leak. I'm sure it's coming, one of these days.

 

[Redleg]

Measure your pipe to seat completely into the hub on your fittings. Primer/ cleaner then glue it push it in the whole way and give it 1/4 turn. Then make sure to hold it in place for about 10 seconds so the pipe doesn't walk out of the fitting.

 

[burtonboy182]

Yes I totally agree. How much extra do you leave on both sides to account for it the part that fits into the other piece?

 

[Redleg]

If you measure to complete insertion depth of the hub, there is no extra to add on. You do need to consider the overall length of your fittings. There is really no set amount for those. Every pipe size and manufacturer are slightly different.

 

[dbl]

There is a stopping point inside each fitting...typically a little ridge. Just measure that for each fitting and cut the pipe accordingly. So if you have a 12" run from point A to point B, and the stop point of each of the fittings are 3/4" inside the opening, cut the pipe 13.5" and you should be good to go.

As said above, plan accordingly and make sure you push the pipe completely in to the fitting and not some arbitrary mark. As @Greybeard said above, just takes a little practice. I like to recommend picking up a couple extra fittings (they're pretty cheap) and practice on those if you've never worked with PVC.

 

[George Lopez]

If your using a pipe cutter be aware that they almost never cut straight. Also measure the in set of the fittings but they are 90% of the time the diameter of the pipe. If your making complex turns use a Sharpie to mark the parts where they fit to make sure to get the angle when you glue it and If you screw up pull it apart as fast as you can after about 20 seconds you'll need some leverage any longer than that you'll need to start over. Good luck and if you have any questions just ask.

 

[George Lopez]

Oh yea, a rubber mallet is your friend or a good concrete floor to slam the fittings in against

 

[Picesduh]

Yes I totally agree. How much extra do you leave on both sides to account for it the part that fits into the other piece?

Search ReeferGil on YouTube and watch his plumbing video. He says how to measure it correctly.

 

[Gnomy]

Measure your pipe to seat completely into the hub on your fittings. Primer/ cleaner then glue it push it in the whole way and give it 1/4 turn. Then make sure to hold it in place for about 10 seconds so the pipe doesn't walk out of the fitting.

Don't forget to bevel the edges.