Calling all plumbing guru's. I want to make a nonstandard fitting.

[NasotheHutt]

I'm plumbing a 1.5" length of spaflex from the basement thru the wall to the tank. The pump is a reeflo hammerhead, so a good bit of flow/pressure. After entering the bottom of the stand I want to plumb it to a union before transitioning to rigid PVC and stepping down to the 3/4" for the returns.

The union has 1.25" of glue depth, I'd like more for insurance. So I found that each side of the coupling will fit inside a 2" coupling. I'd like to glue 2 halves of a union into the coupling (after altering one to be a female receptacle for the flex side) then glue the flex into the new expanded fitting. This will give me 2.5" to glue with a small gap in the center. Anyone see an issue with this?

[EnderG60]

umm why? PVC joints are made for WAY more pressure then that pump can produce.

Just use good glue and primer to make sure you make a good joint if youre worried.

[gjk]

PVC.com has deep socket fittings available if you are looking for that type of added security.

[gjk]

It may be pvcfittings.com

[username in use]

umm why? PVC joints are made for WAY more pressure then that pump can produce.

Just use good glue and primer to make sure you make a good joint if youre worried.

I agree. No reason to reinvent the wheel on this one. I plumb pools, and use pumps in the 1 1/2hp range and some up to 2hp and never had an issue with the pressure blowing a normal joint.

[NasotheHutt]

I agree. No reason to reinvent the wheel on this one. I plumb pools, and use pumps in the 1 1/2hp range and some up to 2hp and never had an issue with the pressure blowing a normal joint.

Do you use flex pvc?

My concern is the combined effects of the pressure and the torque (for lack of a better term) placed on the joint by the flex's coiled memory.

Logically and practically my mind tells me it's fine, but I've read enough from people leery of rigid/flex joints to make me paranoid.

[username in use]

Yeah we use flex, and the pressure is enough sometimes that you can watch the flex expand when the pump turns on and there aren't any problems with it. I think the problem some people run into, is they try and bend it too sharply, and that doesn't allow the pipe to go straight into the joint, which in turn makes a bad glue joint. If you can't make the turn, use a 90.

[slandis3]

Think of a hot tub, they use 2hp up to 5hp pumps with out any problems. I used spaflex on my 240 and never had a problem with it.

Here is the link to every pvc fitting you could ever need.

http://pvcfittings.com/

[Sharpie_]

you can adjust the pipes memory by evenly heating it over a stove element. I have been able to get up to a 3 foot straight length of spa flex, although never tried making a longer one.

[NasotheHutt]

Yeah we use flex, and the pressure is enough sometimes that you can watch the flex expand when the pump turns on and there aren't any problems with it. I think the problem some people run into, is they try and bend it too sharply, and that doesn't allow the pipe to go straight into the joint, which in turn makes a bad glue joint. If you can't make the turn, use a 90.

Awesome. Using unions on both ends, I'll glue the union 1/2 on and let sure to avoid that. Thanks!

Looked at PVC fittings.com and found manifolds and a true 'Y'. Placed my order!

[NasotheHutt]

Think of a hot tub, they use 2hp up to 5hp pumps with out any problems. I used spaflex on my 240 and never had a problem with it.

Here is the link to every pvc fitting you could ever need.

http://pvcfittings.com/

I was just wondering about how much the runs in a hot tub were reduced. There is a lot of pressure coming from the nozzles. I'm just worried about 1.5" worth of water slamming into two 3/4" pipes and the resulting back pressure on that joint. Thanks for the link!

[NasotheHutt]

you can adjust the pipes memory by evenly heating it over a stove element. I have been able to get up to a 3 foot straight length of spa flex, although never tried making a longer one.

OK, I've read hot water, oven, stove, or tourch. But how'd you get it strait one heated? Thread it onto a dowel maybe?

[LPS_Blasto]

FYI

(2) 3/4" pipes are not equal to a single 1.5" pipe.

It's closer to (4) of the 3/4" to equal the size of a 1.5" pipe.

[NasotheHutt]

FYI

(2) 3/4" pipes are not equal to a single 1.5" pipe.

It's closer to (4) of the 3/4" to equal the size of a 1.5" pipe.

Yeah, that's why I'm concerned. 3/4" it what I have to work with. (Aqueon 180)

I'll have quite a bit of head loss since the pump is in the basement. The pump is 1.5". I'll also have a manifold off the pump to run the other stuff as well.

[Clay]

Concerning pipe diameters:
(2) 3/4" = 1"
HTH
The math is easy, and if posting an excel spreadsheet was just as easy, I'd put it up here.
size.....decimal......radius......area........2".......1.5"......1"
2.........2.............1............3.1416.....1.0
1 1/2..1.5...........0.75........1.767......1.8.......1.0
1 1/4..1.25..........0.625......1.2272.....2.6......1.4
1........1...............0.5.........0.7854.....4.0......2.3......1.0
3/4......0.75..........0.375......0.4418.....7.1......4.0......1.8
1/2......0.5............0.25.......0.1963.....16.0.....9.0......4.0

[Cuervo]

Properly glued PVC can easily handle city water, which comes out typically between 50 and 100psi.. I don't think there's a return pump on the market that will put out that kind of pressure, certainly none of our hobby pumps. As long as you're careful when you glue the spaflex to the regular PVC to seat it straight and all the way in, you'll be fine.

[liquidplumber]

Make sure you are NOT using DWV fittings ment for your drain lines in your home and use pressure fittings which have a deeper socket to glue into.
You will be fine with spaflex and pressure fittings with your hamerhead pump. You are gonna want to make a manifold setup (ie. 1 1/2" X 3/4" tees glued togethered) and don't go straight to 3/4" pvc.
A DWV 1 1/2" fitting will have a socket depth of 3/4".
A pressure fitting will have a socket depth of 1 1/2" which is double the depth for your glue joint.
If you are going to HD or Lowes the fittings will be in different sections.