Is Flex PVC safe to use?
- Thread starter fritz
- Start date
- Location
- Wallingford, CT
No primer on flex pvc and you "should" use flex pvc solvent.
- Location
- Marine Park
FWIW my RO/DI is 0 tds. I washed out a four foot length of 1 inch spa flex that I have with RO/DI for a few minutes.
I again tested the water, 0 tds
and then filled the four feet of spa flex with the RO/DI and let it sit for 10 minutes.
I was worried about the results as RO/DI is not the same as saltwater. My worry was that RO/DI being unstable will suck in things it comes in contact with, including the air. This caused me to worry that tds readings may be different with RO/DI than with salt giving a false impression that spa flex can leach.
Anyhow, after 10 minutes the spa-flex soaked water read:
0 tds
I again tested the water, 0 tds
and then filled the four feet of spa flex with the RO/DI and let it sit for 10 minutes.
I was worried about the results as RO/DI is not the same as saltwater. My worry was that RO/DI being unstable will suck in things it comes in contact with, including the air. This caused me to worry that tds readings may be different with RO/DI than with salt giving a false impression that spa flex can leach.
Anyhow, after 10 minutes the spa-flex soaked water read:
0 tds
I have used spaflex on many large custom reef tank setups and I have always treated it like another piece of PVC, gluing it to the joints like any other pipe. As long as there is a good bond there shouldnt be a problem with the integrity of the seal. The thriving reef tanks which were set up in these spaflex plumbed tanks assures me that spaflex is safe to use with marine invertebrates.
- Location
- Marine Park
I don't think anyone's arguing that it can kill marine invertebrates. My initial concern was over the integrity of the bonds between flex pvc and sch 40 pvc. I'm sure that all flex pvc is the same, possibly all manufactured in the same place and just re branded Flex PVC, Flex-Spa, Spa Flex, etc..
What worried me is that these seemingly identical materials had such varying installation instructions. What was the recommended practice for one voids the warranty on another.
WTF is up with that?
I've never used purple primer on spa flex. I was told that it was for commercial use, when the inspector comes he can visibly see that primer was used on all the joints. Since no one was coming to inspect my joints I used a clear, really goopy primer that one plumbing place recommended. They also gave me a peanut butter thick cement to use. FWIW it worked fine.
What worried me is that these seemingly identical materials had such varying installation instructions. What was the recommended practice for one voids the warranty on another.
WTF is up with that?
I've never used purple primer on spa flex. I was told that it was for commercial use, when the inspector comes he can visibly see that primer was used on all the joints. Since no one was coming to inspect my joints I used a clear, really goopy primer that one plumbing place recommended. They also gave me a peanut butter thick cement to use. FWIW it worked fine.
- Location
- Westbury L.i
alot of times..compared to the long lengths the plumbers need to connect......our tanks plumbing is usually not that long.....even from the basement to the tank upstairs is 10-12feet....and plumbers need to plumb the house following regulation rules and plan for the pipes to last 10yrs and up....
i have even used conduit pipes with no problems........right now im using a combination of different types of pipes for my return....but its a short ride from the pump to the loclines.....but i have always used rigid pvc pipe for my drain...
i have even used conduit pipes with no problems........right now im using a combination of different types of pipes for my return....but its a short ride from the pump to the loclines.....but i have always used rigid pvc pipe for my drain...
Last edited:
I agree
If you use normal PVC cement the seal can crack over time being that it is less flexible. The Flex pvc cement is more flexible and able to handle the flex pvc. I'm not saying rip apart your current set up and re-glue it. But in the future keep this in mind especially on pressured areas.
- Location
- Marine Park
I wouldn't expect plastic to register on a tds meter but PVC is made of and is stabilized with some nasty stuff. Every year a bill is in front of congress to outlaw vinyl siding for health reasons. Don't kid yourself PVC compounds can be toxic.
Also, the plastic in a poland spring bottles (polyethelene teraphthalitate, or something close to that spelling) is a very different animal from polyvinyl chloride. That being said, far wiser minds than mine have determined that PVC is fine for drinking water for whatever unknown reason Flex PVC is not. If you have some concrete data regarding that decision it would be of great value to this thread.
Auto,
That's a great point about the length of run and lifespan of most of our plumbing setups.
- Location
- Marine Park
- Location
- Wallingford, CT
Loose fit is normal but it should not be able to slide out or in totally without some pressure.
You should not use any kind of primer for flex PVC or the mating schedule 40 that it's being glued to.
Not sure about the Rain or Shine but flex PVC uses a specific solvent such as Weld-On PVC 795.
You should not use any kind of primer for flex PVC or the mating schedule 40 that it's being glued to.
Not sure about the Rain or Shine but flex PVC uses a specific solvent such as Weld-On PVC 795.
Clearing up some confusion
Hello,
This is Eric from FlexPVC.com. I handle all the technical questions at Flexpvc.com. If you call I'm happy to help with technical questions, but I don't do sales, so I can't help you there. You can also email me via the website.
I'm sorry to resurrect such an old thread but I saw some things stated here that need to be addressed.
First my experience: I've worked in the Pools, Spas, Hot tubs and irrigation trades off and on for over 35 years. I've made millions of pvc glue joints in my life.
Personally I was also a reef keeper for 15 years. (6 tanks at one time.) The only reason I say "was" is when we moved we have not setup a new tank yet, but I still have at least one that will go back up when I find the time.
To address the issues raised here:
The reason for all the confusion is there are more than one type of "flexible pvc hose." We actually carry at least 3 different types of "flexible pvc hose." More if you look at the hybrid hose, pond flex (aka no-kink), EPDM hose and the swimming pool vacuum hose. So you can't generalize like some people have. You really have to know exactly what kind of "flexpvc pvc hose" you have.
For instance, the clear hose you find at the hardware store, or some of the fish places is flexible pvc hose. It's made of PVC and if it were the right size, you could glue it into a fitting. (But you can't, I'll explain why later.) The tubing that comes with the fluval filters is the same stuff but a different color.
Some people call it "vinyl tubing." PVC stands for PolyVINYL Chloride. They just call it "vinyl" tubing for short, but it's the same PVC material. The reason you can't glue it into fittings is due to the sizes it comes in. All sch 40 pvc fittings follow a standard in regard to the socket dimensions. I am not aware of any "vinyl tubing" that has the correct dimensions that will fit Sch 40 pvc pipe fittings and glue without leaking.
You may have also see the "braided pvc hose." It is also made of PVC and you can glue it into some fittings. (These would be specialized tubing or hose fittings, not sch 40 pipe fittings that you find at a hardware or plumbing store.)
The braided tubing is the same stuff as the clear vinyl tubing, but it has a fiberglass braid (string) impregnated into the tubing during manufacturing to give it added strength and a distinctive look. There are also hybrid hoses and pond flex. But I've seen people call all of these "flexible pvc."
All of the above are hoses (aka tubing) and they are hoses because they are meant to be used with barb fittings. The barbs go into the tubing and held on with a clamp.
Now I can get to the product sold on the site called FlexPVC pipe. It it not legally pipe (not per UPC, NSF, IAPMO, etc standards). Instead it is hose that is made to the same physical dimensions as Sch 40 pvc pipe. It is made this way so that it will glue into PVC fittings and create a permanent bond. FlexPVC is a trademark for the company. Thus we call it FlexPVC pipe but it's really a hose that is made to pipe size. We call it "Flexpvc pipe" because it fits pipe fittings and "pvc hose that fits into pvc pipe fittings" is too long and no one would remember it. But it's still legally classified as a hose. However, we don't call it a hose because all hoses are connected with a barb or insert type fitting, not a socket fitting.
I know, clear as mud, right? (Sorry.)
This is the pipe I (and thousands of others) have used on reef tanks for years. It is designed to glue into Sch 40 pvc pipe fittings. The Sch 40 standard actually consists of several parts. One of them is physical dimensions. FlexPVC pipe meets those standards. Another is pressure ratings. FlexPVC pipe does not meet those standards. It's elastic. If you put too much pressure on it, it'll blow up like a balloon. However, all reef and aquarium systems are well below the ratings for flexpvc pipe. (see the chart on the website http://flexpvc.com/PVCPipeSize.shtml Also Sch 40 pipe has a NSF 61 rating, while flexpvc pipe only has an NSF 51 rating. That is what is meant by "does not meet all of the Sch 40 specifications."
The key to making Flexible pvc pipe is the construction method. Tubing is extruded. But Flexpvc is like a slinky made of pvc. Each spiral is connected to the next spiral with an elastic version of pvc. The spirals are rigid pvc. It's hard pvc plastic. But just like a slinky is made of metal, it's still flexible because of the nature of the shape. In a slinky's case, there is nothing connecting the metal spirals, but if you attached a elastic membrane between them, you'd have the general idea of what FlexPVC pipe is. Yes there are other names for it. Spaflex is one.
Note however that not all flexible pvc pipe is the same. The stuff sold at Flexpvc.com is made in the USA and made with 100% virgin (pure) material and has an NSF 51 certification. Some imported stuff is made of recycled plastics and you have no idea what those plastics are. There are other differences. Some are not as smooth on the inside either. Some are not NSF 51 rated.
Note: Only the white Flexpvc has a NSF 51 rating. The gray or black do not. The only reason the black and gray do not is cost. It costs a lot of money to get a product tested and certified ($250K) and we have the white certified, so if someone requires an NSF 51 rating, that's what they buy. But the black and gray are the same materials and product, just different color. The gray has a UL rating for use as electrical conduit, however, no one here is going to use it that way.
Is it safe? Yes. It has an NSF 51 rating. That means an independent lab has certified it to meet government standards for use in food processing. It could be used for milk, wine, and other beverages, as long as it follows certain guidelines with use. You can go to http://www.nsf.org/business/food_equipment/standards.asp?program=FoodEqu if you really want to know more. (Note: One requirement of NSF 51 is virgin materials only, so if it's really NSF 51 rated, you should be able to assume that there are no recycled materials in a product.)
Can you use it with barbs and clamp it on? People have done it. But it's not the correct way to use the product. (you are risking splitting the pipe.) If you are doing that, you should buy the clear vinyl tubing, the braided tubing, the hybrid tubing or the pond flex. There are two great advantages to Flexpvc pipe: it glues directly into standard sch 40 fittings and it's very, very hard to kink.
Should you use primer? What does primer do? YES, you must always use primer. Rigid or flexpvc does not matter. Most people know the primer is a cleaner, but what you probably don't know is how it effects the joint. When you put primer on pvc pipe, you will find it "eating" into the pvc. It's actually dissolving the pvc at a molecular level. It's penetrating the material. Now you put your glue on the pipe and the fittings. The primer provides a capillary like action at the molecular level. Primer has a very low viscosity. Glue generally has a fairly high viscosity. The primer acts as a leader and "pulls" the glue deep into the molecules of the pvc plastic. When done, the primer just "evaporates" away leaving the glue in it's place. When it's done right, the joint is just as strong as the base material. It really is chemical welding. But you prime both the pipe and fittings and you do not let the primer dry (a few seconds are fine, but several minutes is not) before you apply the glue to both the pipe and fitting and join the pieces.
Is there special "flexpvc pvc glue?" Only in the marketing brochures. It's all the same glue. Just different label. Look at http://flexpvc.com/pvc-glue-compatibility-chart.shtml. You will see they break it down to "irrigation" "conduit" "pool and spa" etc... I say that's all just marketing. I recommend the clear or blue medium body glue or the gorilla glue for just about any pvc project. The gray I do not recommend because it seems to dry hard. I believe the blue glue is the best because it still has some flexibility to it even after dry. But blue glue is about 4x the cost of what clear costs and it's hard to find. The blue glue is known by "rain or shine" "wet-n-dry" etc. That does not mean it will glue submerged in water, but it does mean the pipe does not have to be 100% dry. For inexperienced users, the blue gives you an extra margin of safety. But if you do it right clear or Gorilla Glue will work just as well. Gorilla PVC Glue is a different type of PVC glue. No VOCs (at least below the legal threshold so they can make that claim.) It goes on clear and dries white. If I'm gluing in an enclosed space, I prefer the Gorilla, but for outdoors, I use the clear to save money. But any Oatley, Elchem, IPS, EZWeld, etc, brand glue will work. And always flush your plumbing before you start setting up your tank. I also always use a big carbon cannister for about a week before adding fish or inverts. I do this just as a safety precaution. Once the glue has cured, I do not believe there is any issue, but it takes about a week for the glue to fully cure. (for the primer to competely "evaporate" thru the pipe.) So that's why I always use the carbon for the first week.
Is a loose fit normal? NO! You really have to be careful here. The correct fit is this: With no glue or primer, just the pipe and fitting, if you take the pipe (rigid or flex) and start to insert it into a fitting, it should start very easy and about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way down the socket you should start to feel a little resistance. If you keep shoving the pipe all the way into the fitting, to the bottom, it should be very hard to pull out. PVC pipe and fittings are an interference fit. The socket it tapered. It is wider at the top than at the bottom. As you shove the pipe into the socket, it gets harder. You can easily feel this if the pipe and fittings are "dry" ie no glue or primer. When you put the glue on it acts as a lubricant and makes it easy to push together. But if the fit is loose with no glue or primer, you have mixed standards. You probably have electrical conduit in a sch 40 fitting. For drainage, non-pressure situations, it'll be fine, but for pressure, you are taking a risk of joint failure.
Correct, a TDS meter will not pick up anything that comes out of pvc pipe. They measure minerals. Dissolved minerals and maybe metals. Neither of which is in pvc pipe.
PVC is nasty stuff. No. The products that go into making PVC can be very nasty stuff. The C in PVC is for Chloride, which is chlorine gas. Yes, that is lethal. And if you have your reef take in the plant that is making the pvc pipe, and there are no safeguards in place, yes it's terrible. However, once the chlorine atoms bond with the carbon atoms, it takes a great deal of energy to break that bond. That is why PVC is so strong. The general consensus is that there are no health risks with the use of PVC pipe. The manufacturing, recycling and elimination of pvc products do have health risks, but all of those are due to the individual chemicals that make up PVC, not the end product.
Varying installation instructions. Okay the only varying that I am aware of is that with rigid pvc you twist the pipe as you insert it into the socket. With flex pvc pipe you do not. There are two reasons why: #1 When you cut rigid pvc pipe, you can get a nice straight cut, perpendicular to the pipe. But due to the spiral nature of how flexpvc pipe is made, you can never get that perfect cut. There is always a little dogleg in the cut. (Unless you use a cut off saw, but most people use cutters, which even the ones we sell, leave a little dogleg.) Now if you were to insert the flexpvc pipe into the socket and twist, that little dogleg can create a spot where you actually swipe away pvc glue from the most critical point in the joint: at the base of the socket. That's a bad thing. #2. Flexpvc is spiral wound. It's like a corkscrew. If you twist in the wrong direction, the very small ridges on the outside of the pipe would pull the glue away from the most critical part of the joint: the base of the socket. Other than that, flexpvc and rigid pvc pipe are glued in the same mannner.
Is gluing less strong or reliable than a barb and a clamp? Not at all. Both will produce a perfect and reliable seal if done properly. Personally I prefer gluing in flexpvc or rigid pvc pipe compared to barbs and clamps. Here is the reason: with a barb, the pressure of the water inside the tubing is always working against the seal. It's trying to get in between the barb and the inside wall of the tubing. Only the clamp stops that from happening. With a glue joint, the tubing is inside the fitting. The pressure inside the tubing only pushes the tubing tighter against the wall of the fitting. At the base of the socket, the tubing and the fitting have been chemically welded to become a solid piece of plastic. There are no gaps for the pressurized liquid to try to work it's way into. Just my preference. If you are happy with clamps and barbs go for it. (assuming you are using hose.)
I hope this clears up some of the confusion.
Hello,
This is Eric from FlexPVC.com. I handle all the technical questions at Flexpvc.com. If you call I'm happy to help with technical questions, but I don't do sales, so I can't help you there. You can also email me via the website.
I'm sorry to resurrect such an old thread but I saw some things stated here that need to be addressed.
First my experience: I've worked in the Pools, Spas, Hot tubs and irrigation trades off and on for over 35 years. I've made millions of pvc glue joints in my life.
Personally I was also a reef keeper for 15 years. (6 tanks at one time.) The only reason I say "was" is when we moved we have not setup a new tank yet, but I still have at least one that will go back up when I find the time.
To address the issues raised here:
The reason for all the confusion is there are more than one type of "flexible pvc hose." We actually carry at least 3 different types of "flexible pvc hose." More if you look at the hybrid hose, pond flex (aka no-kink), EPDM hose and the swimming pool vacuum hose. So you can't generalize like some people have. You really have to know exactly what kind of "flexpvc pvc hose" you have.
For instance, the clear hose you find at the hardware store, or some of the fish places is flexible pvc hose. It's made of PVC and if it were the right size, you could glue it into a fitting. (But you can't, I'll explain why later.) The tubing that comes with the fluval filters is the same stuff but a different color.
Some people call it "vinyl tubing." PVC stands for PolyVINYL Chloride. They just call it "vinyl" tubing for short, but it's the same PVC material. The reason you can't glue it into fittings is due to the sizes it comes in. All sch 40 pvc fittings follow a standard in regard to the socket dimensions. I am not aware of any "vinyl tubing" that has the correct dimensions that will fit Sch 40 pvc pipe fittings and glue without leaking.
You may have also see the "braided pvc hose." It is also made of PVC and you can glue it into some fittings. (These would be specialized tubing or hose fittings, not sch 40 pipe fittings that you find at a hardware or plumbing store.)
The braided tubing is the same stuff as the clear vinyl tubing, but it has a fiberglass braid (string) impregnated into the tubing during manufacturing to give it added strength and a distinctive look. There are also hybrid hoses and pond flex. But I've seen people call all of these "flexible pvc."
All of the above are hoses (aka tubing) and they are hoses because they are meant to be used with barb fittings. The barbs go into the tubing and held on with a clamp.
Now I can get to the product sold on the site called FlexPVC pipe. It it not legally pipe (not per UPC, NSF, IAPMO, etc standards). Instead it is hose that is made to the same physical dimensions as Sch 40 pvc pipe. It is made this way so that it will glue into PVC fittings and create a permanent bond. FlexPVC is a trademark for the company. Thus we call it FlexPVC pipe but it's really a hose that is made to pipe size. We call it "Flexpvc pipe" because it fits pipe fittings and "pvc hose that fits into pvc pipe fittings" is too long and no one would remember it.
But it's still legally classified as a hose. However, we don't call it a hose because all hoses are connected with a barb or insert type fitting, not a socket fitting. I know, clear as mud, right? (Sorry.)
This is the pipe I (and thousands of others) have used on reef tanks for years. It is designed to glue into Sch 40 pvc pipe fittings. The Sch 40 standard actually consists of several parts. One of them is physical dimensions. FlexPVC pipe meets those standards. Another is pressure ratings. FlexPVC pipe does not meet those standards. It's elastic. If you put too much pressure on it, it'll blow up like a balloon. However, all reef and aquarium systems are well below the ratings for flexpvc pipe. (see the chart on the website http://flexpvc.com/PVCPipeSize.shtml Also Sch 40 pipe has a NSF 61 rating, while flexpvc pipe only has an NSF 51 rating. That is what is meant by "does not meet all of the Sch 40 specifications."
The key to making Flexible pvc pipe is the construction method. Tubing is extruded. But Flexpvc is like a slinky made of pvc. Each spiral is connected to the next spiral with an elastic version of pvc. The spirals are rigid pvc. It's hard pvc plastic. But just like a slinky is made of metal, it's still flexible because of the nature of the shape. In a slinky's case, there is nothing connecting the metal spirals, but if you attached a elastic membrane between them, you'd have the general idea of what FlexPVC pipe is. Yes there are other names for it. Spaflex is one.
Note however that not all flexible pvc pipe is the same. The stuff sold at Flexpvc.com is made in the USA and made with 100% virgin (pure) material and has an NSF 51 certification. Some imported stuff is made of recycled plastics and you have no idea what those plastics are. There are other differences. Some are not as smooth on the inside either. Some are not NSF 51 rated.
Note: Only the white Flexpvc has a NSF 51 rating. The gray or black do not. The only reason the black and gray do not is cost. It costs a lot of money to get a product tested and certified ($250K) and we have the white certified, so if someone requires an NSF 51 rating, that's what they buy. But the black and gray are the same materials and product, just different color. The gray has a UL rating for use as electrical conduit, however, no one here is going to use it that way.
Is it safe? Yes. It has an NSF 51 rating. That means an independent lab has certified it to meet government standards for use in food processing. It could be used for milk, wine, and other beverages, as long as it follows certain guidelines with use. You can go to http://www.nsf.org/business/food_equipment/standards.asp?program=FoodEqu if you really want to know more. (Note: One requirement of NSF 51 is virgin materials only, so if it's really NSF 51 rated, you should be able to assume that there are no recycled materials in a product.)
Can you use it with barbs and clamp it on? People have done it. But it's not the correct way to use the product. (you are risking splitting the pipe.) If you are doing that, you should buy the clear vinyl tubing, the braided tubing, the hybrid tubing or the pond flex. There are two great advantages to Flexpvc pipe: it glues directly into standard sch 40 fittings and it's very, very hard to kink.
Should you use primer? What does primer do? YES, you must always use primer. Rigid or flexpvc does not matter. Most people know the primer is a cleaner, but what you probably don't know is how it effects the joint. When you put primer on pvc pipe, you will find it "eating" into the pvc. It's actually dissolving the pvc at a molecular level. It's penetrating the material. Now you put your glue on the pipe and the fittings. The primer provides a capillary like action at the molecular level. Primer has a very low viscosity. Glue generally has a fairly high viscosity. The primer acts as a leader and "pulls" the glue deep into the molecules of the pvc plastic. When done, the primer just "evaporates" away leaving the glue in it's place. When it's done right, the joint is just as strong as the base material. It really is chemical welding. But you prime both the pipe and fittings and you do not let the primer dry (a few seconds are fine, but several minutes is not) before you apply the glue to both the pipe and fitting and join the pieces.
Is there special "flexpvc pvc glue?" Only in the marketing brochures. It's all the same glue. Just different label. Look at http://flexpvc.com/pvc-glue-compatibility-chart.shtml. You will see they break it down to "irrigation" "conduit" "pool and spa" etc... I say that's all just marketing. I recommend the clear or blue medium body glue or the gorilla glue for just about any pvc project. The gray I do not recommend because it seems to dry hard. I believe the blue glue is the best because it still has some flexibility to it even after dry. But blue glue is about 4x the cost of what clear costs and it's hard to find. The blue glue is known by "rain or shine" "wet-n-dry" etc. That does not mean it will glue submerged in water, but it does mean the pipe does not have to be 100% dry. For inexperienced users, the blue gives you an extra margin of safety. But if you do it right clear or Gorilla Glue will work just as well. Gorilla PVC Glue is a different type of PVC glue. No VOCs (at least below the legal threshold so they can make that claim.) It goes on clear and dries white. If I'm gluing in an enclosed space, I prefer the Gorilla, but for outdoors, I use the clear to save money. But any Oatley, Elchem, IPS, EZWeld, etc, brand glue will work. And always flush your plumbing before you start setting up your tank. I also always use a big carbon cannister for about a week before adding fish or inverts. I do this just as a safety precaution. Once the glue has cured, I do not believe there is any issue, but it takes about a week for the glue to fully cure. (for the primer to competely "evaporate" thru the pipe.) So that's why I always use the carbon for the first week.
Is a loose fit normal? NO! You really have to be careful here. The correct fit is this: With no glue or primer, just the pipe and fitting, if you take the pipe (rigid or flex) and start to insert it into a fitting, it should start very easy and about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way down the socket you should start to feel a little resistance. If you keep shoving the pipe all the way into the fitting, to the bottom, it should be very hard to pull out. PVC pipe and fittings are an interference fit. The socket it tapered. It is wider at the top than at the bottom. As you shove the pipe into the socket, it gets harder. You can easily feel this if the pipe and fittings are "dry" ie no glue or primer. When you put the glue on it acts as a lubricant and makes it easy to push together. But if the fit is loose with no glue or primer, you have mixed standards. You probably have electrical conduit in a sch 40 fitting. For drainage, non-pressure situations, it'll be fine, but for pressure, you are taking a risk of joint failure.
Correct, a TDS meter will not pick up anything that comes out of pvc pipe. They measure minerals. Dissolved minerals and maybe metals. Neither of which is in pvc pipe.
PVC is nasty stuff. No. The products that go into making PVC can be very nasty stuff. The C in PVC is for Chloride, which is chlorine gas. Yes, that is lethal. And if you have your reef take in the plant that is making the pvc pipe, and there are no safeguards in place, yes it's terrible. However, once the chlorine atoms bond with the carbon atoms, it takes a great deal of energy to break that bond. That is why PVC is so strong. The general consensus is that there are no health risks with the use of PVC pipe. The manufacturing, recycling and elimination of pvc products do have health risks, but all of those are due to the individual chemicals that make up PVC, not the end product.
Varying installation instructions. Okay the only varying that I am aware of is that with rigid pvc you twist the pipe as you insert it into the socket. With flex pvc pipe you do not. There are two reasons why: #1 When you cut rigid pvc pipe, you can get a nice straight cut, perpendicular to the pipe. But due to the spiral nature of how flexpvc pipe is made, you can never get that perfect cut. There is always a little dogleg in the cut. (Unless you use a cut off saw, but most people use cutters, which even the ones we sell, leave a little dogleg.) Now if you were to insert the flexpvc pipe into the socket and twist, that little dogleg can create a spot where you actually swipe away pvc glue from the most critical point in the joint: at the base of the socket. That's a bad thing. #2. Flexpvc is spiral wound. It's like a corkscrew. If you twist in the wrong direction, the very small ridges on the outside of the pipe would pull the glue away from the most critical part of the joint: the base of the socket. Other than that, flexpvc and rigid pvc pipe are glued in the same mannner.
Is gluing less strong or reliable than a barb and a clamp? Not at all. Both will produce a perfect and reliable seal if done properly. Personally I prefer gluing in flexpvc or rigid pvc pipe compared to barbs and clamps. Here is the reason: with a barb, the pressure of the water inside the tubing is always working against the seal. It's trying to get in between the barb and the inside wall of the tubing. Only the clamp stops that from happening. With a glue joint, the tubing is inside the fitting. The pressure inside the tubing only pushes the tubing tighter against the wall of the fitting. At the base of the socket, the tubing and the fitting have been chemically welded to become a solid piece of plastic. There are no gaps for the pressurized liquid to try to work it's way into. Just my preference. If you are happy with clamps and barbs go for it. (assuming you are using hose.)
I hope this clears up some of the confusion.
- Location
- NY
Eric (from FlexPVC) thank you very much for that fantastic post. The information you provided is awesome. We appreciate the time you took to answer all FlexPVC questions.
Russ
Russ
Sponsor Reefs
We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.
Click here to sponsor $10:
