Hard PVC or Flexible PVC ?

[comatose]

I broke down my tank the other day cause i am switching from sand to a bare bottom tank, but i also am adding a fishroom 10' away from my tank and putting my Refug and water holding tanks...etc there, now i need to run tubing from my tank to the fishroom, i can't use hard pvc cause i can't make the turn to get a 10' piece of pvc behind the wall so flex tubing is the way to go for me, but i read somewhere that flex tubing isn't a good idea for the return that the pressure would make the joints come apart over time, any advice on this ?

anyone else use flex tubing on their return lines? advice?
has anyone else used flex and had it come apart on them?
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[Anonymous]

I've used it on a small setup just fine.. - 30g with a Mag5 return.

Might be a PITA, but you could use metal hose clamps to hold it in place. - Just make sure you check them for corrosion from time to time and be ready to replace them if they start looking really nasty.

You really shouldn't have so much pressure on a return that it'll cause that sort of problem I would think anyway. - At least, not as long as you're not stepping down in diameter with the flex.

 

[comatose]

I have a mag 12 + 18 for the return with 1 1/4 flexpipe.
i dont think thats to much pressure, do you ?

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't think so.. - I've used both 1/2" and 3/4" on my Mag5 and it wasn't even CLOSE to being enough pressure to worry about. (Though I did go the extra step like I said above and used metal hose clamps just to be extra sure. - But that was after running for a year with the tank in the dining room which had a hardwood floor.. - I moved the tank downstairs and added a SCWD - the only reason I made a change.)

I think 1 1/4" with the same should be plenty. - Heck, if you can find one for a reasonable price, get a cable tie tool and just use those instead of metal hose clamps. - That'll get you a secure connection and no worries about rust. (I just couldn't find one in my little town and didn't want to bother with ordering one..)

Heres one on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 5720774256

 

[comatose]

you can't use clamps the flex hose slides into the fittings and is glued with pvc cement, unless your saying use a barb and do it that way?

 

[Anonymous]

Hmm.. - Theres a few different types of flex hose I guess.. - If you're using one that can be glued with pvc cement (which I'm not familiar with) then I would think that it should be FAR stronger than the barbed connections I'm used to.

 

[comatose]

I guess i'll wait till it gets here, i ordered a 50' roll of it the other day, should be here today or tomorrow, then i'll cement a couple scrap pieces and try to pull them apart and see what happens. if i can't pull them apart then i'm sure the pressure won't be enough to split the joint.

i bought mine from:
http://flexpvc.com/
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[Anonymous]

Ahh... - Yep, I was thinking of the clear stuff..
http://www.savko.com/portal/flexibletubing.asp

I'd guess that if its glueable using pvc cement its gonna be pretty damn tough. - That stuff works by chemically fusing the pieces together if I understand correctly.

 

[GSchiemer]

You won't even come close to testing the pressure rating of flex PVC pipe and joints, if glued properly. Go ahead and use it.

Greg

 

[comatose]

yup, got the roll the other day and glued two scrap pieces into a pvc 90 elbow one side with medium pvc glue(blue) and heavy glue on the other side(clear) and waited a day and tried to pull them apart, i twisted and pulled and banged it on the floor and just could not pull them apart, i even filled the tube up with water and there wasn't even a leak. i'm sold.

 

[Anonymous]

I've used flex pvc on my return; I think it's 1.5 or 2 inch and runs 20 feet up from the basement. Works great, I would use it again. Dry fitting doesn't always work, but they slide together nicely when you get the glue on.

 

[Russ1]

I would not use it! Take it from experience, I've used it and would never use it again. If you don't believe me, try this simple experiment. Glue 2 pieces of regular and flex pvc together with a slip fitting. Try twisting and pulling the regular one apart. You can't. Now try the same with the flex. Surprise, surprise! FWIW I had a 2 inch flex let loose once and almost lost it all. Supposedly, you use a special cement but I would never fully trust it. IMHO, try and plumb with stiff pipe. Russ

 

[comatose]

maybe you did not buy the correct flexpvc, this stuff is used on jucuzzi's and hottubs in your house and is made for connecting to hard pvc fittings.

i did try and pull it apart, i could not, i put it under my feet and pulled with all my power, and it didn't budge, and i'm no small guy.

 

[Anonymous]

Likewise; mine is rock solid...