S&D PVC in SE Michigan ?

[Doug Shepard]

Anyone happen to know who sells the 6" S&D PVC around here (Metro Detroit area)? A lot of posts say try irrigation suppliers but I struck out there on a couple I tried calling today. Also, Bill Pentz site mentions a heat blanket that can be used to bend & shape the stuff. Anybody used one of those? Is this something that tool rental places would have? Or something available online that isn't real expensive? I'd been leaning towards metal ducting but think I'm finally going to decide on the PVC. Temps in the shop are starting to warm back up enough to get my DC installation going again so I better get some ducting lined up.

[Al Killian]

Did you try Lowes? I know around here they carry it up to 6".

[James Biddle]

I bought mine at Warren Pipe. They also have a few fittings, and I found more fittings at HD/Lowes (near the sprinker stuff for some reason).

[Doug Shepard]

Thanks. I'll give Lowes a call. I did try their website which is usually pretty good about listing the same stuff as in their stores but couldn't find any.

[Doug Shepard]

I bought mine at Warren Pipe. They also have a few fittings, and I found more fittings at HD/Lowes (near the sprinker stuff for some reason).

Hmmmm. I work in Warren. Whereaouts are these guys?

Edit:
Nevermind. Google first, ask questions second. I searched them out and they have a pretty good website with their locations (close to where I work). Thanks

[Ryan Myers]

Heating blankets work great.. I am electrician and use them very frequently. My largest unit only goes to 4" and I paid around $400 for it new. It may fit around 6" pipe barely and might bend thin wall PVC. While I have never seen a unit that does 6", they may exist. Probably $$$.

It is unlikely that you'll find a rental place that even carries them at all since they are primarily used by electricians. For that big of pipe, your best bet would be to find a very large electrical contractor. If they don't have a bending blanket, they probably have a large bending device that uses glycol to heat the pipe for bending.

[Paul Johnstone]

Go to the biggest Lowes in your area. Only some of the Lowes in our area carry it.

[Doug Shepard]

Well I struck out at the local Lowes and HD - both of them have the 4" thinwall S&D PVC but not the 6". Decided to try a find somewhere closer to home before trying Warren Pipe. I dont want to drive that far to pick up last minute fittings if I've got a day off and working on the ducting. A couple of plumbing supply places I found (Hodges Plumbing Supply & Contractors Supply) "normally carry it" but were out. Finally found a place yesterday in Auburn Hills (Hartsig Supply) that has it - sort of. I've got the day off today and am going to check it out, but the guy I talked to said it's not 2729 but the non-cementable equivalent. It's 6" S&D white solid thinwall with the slip-together ends. I wasn't really planning on using PVC cement on everything, but would have thought that cementing some of the fittings (at least on one end of a duct section) might be the way to go. Apparently they've sold some of this before for people using it for DC ducting. But does this sound like what I want? How do you fix any of the fittings into place if you cant use PVC cement?

[Doug Shepard]

Well that trip to Hartsig Supply was a bust. The guy neglected to mention why their S&D pipe wasn't cementable. Being a PVC newbie I just figured the plastic was just slightly different or something. Turns out their stuff has an internal lining out of a different kind of plastic (the guy thought it was ABS). The pipe was white on the outside and black on the inside and overall was just slightly thinner than schedule 40 PVC and had some very subtle ridging inside and out. The outer shell did look like regular 2729 S&D so I guess the fellow was half right. Two other closeby places I called also claimed to have what I wanted but now knowing what to ask about, it turns out theirs also had the black inner lining.
So I ended up taking a drive to Warren Pipe this morning (thanks James) and filled up the Aztek. This should keep me busy for a while.
61015

[Jim O'Dell]

Glad you finally found it Doug! And looks like they carry the fittings. That's a plus. Are you covered with little white shavings yet??:D Jim.

[Jim Becker]

Very nice, Doug...you'll have your system up soon! But about "cementable". Don't. Use caulk and/or foil tape. Your duct work system WILL change over time and PVC "cement" is totally permanent since it welds the plastic together.

[Matt Meiser]

And (speaking from experience) don't caulk until after the fittings are together. If you caulk and then shove the connectors together, you'll never get them apart. If you caulk after, a quick cut with the utility knife and they'll come right apart.

[James Biddle]

Here's my $.02 worth on connecting the pipes. I bought some of the electrical rubber tape from the Borg (very cheap) and wrapped the joints (I first used 2 screws to secure them). Next, I wrapped them with the aluminum duct tape (helps hold everything together). I've moved a lot of the pipes around and this system works pretty well in that it is completely sealed and yet is easily reconfigurable. The tape is self-vulcanizing, so it seals itself to iself and is still easily removable.

http://home.comcast.net/~jbiddle/pics/pipegasket.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~jbiddle/pics/pipetape.jpg

[Doug Shepard]

... Are you covered with little white shavings yet?? Jim.
I haven't touched it yet. Still have a bunch of experimenting to do trying to bend some of it. But what's the best way to cut this stuff anyway. I've got a jig saw, sawzall, or hacksaw? I figured I could also use the disc sander to square up any ragged cut ends if need be.


...But about "cementable". Don't. Use caulk and/or foil tape. Your duct work system WILL change over time and PVC "cement" is totally permanent since it welds the plastic together.

Was mainly only planning to cement the elbows onto the bottom ends of my downdrop tubes. THe downdrops are going to be removable at the rafters (for vehicle parking). I think I'd probably want the fittings on the floor ends to be permanent. I bought plenty of foil tape and silicone for the overhead joints though.


And (speaking from experience) don't caulk until after the fittings are together. If you caulk and then shove the connectors together, you'll never get them apart. If you caulk after, a quick cut with the utility knife and they'll come right apart.

Thanks for the warning.


Here's my $.02 worth on connecting the pipes. I bought some of the electrical rubber tape from the Borg (very cheap) and wrapped the joints (I first used 2 screws to secure them). Next, I wrapped them with the aluminum duct tape (helps hold everything together). I've moved a lot of the pipes around and this system works pretty well in that it is completely sealed and yet is easily reconfigurable. The tape is self-vulcanizing, so it seals itself to iself and is still easily removable.

Thanks for the tip and pics. After todays outlay, I really like the cheap part too.



Anybody know where I might be able to find a PVC fitting that would put about a 1" or 2" flange on the end of a piece of pipe? Warrren Pipe didn't have anything like that and I haven't spotted anything online yet. Just looking for a way to get a flat lip around the pipe end. I've got an idea for a homebrew quick connection for the removable downdrops and a flange around the ends of the mating sections is part of that. Or an alternative is finding some flat PVC sheet stock, cutting a ring from it, and cementing it onto the ends.