PVC Bends

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Alwayslearningelec

Senior Member
Location
NJ
Occupation
Estimator
When you guys need to bend or offset horizontally underground and your using PVC elbow( not RGS) say 2"-4" do you use factory elbow or bend the PVC with "hot box"?
 
Depends on the number involved. If it's just a few it is cheaper to use factory elbows, if there are a lot it can be cost effective to field bend. We would put a helper on it for maybe a day (and at times many days) bending 90's. We would set up jigs on a plywood table.
 
roger said:
Depends on the number involved. If it's just a few it is cheaper to use factory elbows, if there are a lot it can be cost effective to field bend. We would put a helper on it for maybe a day (and at times many days) bending 90's. We would set up jigs on a plywood table.
Click to expand...
Thank you Roger appreciate the insight. What are the jigs for?
 
When I say jigs, I mean we would bend 90's with EMT and screw them down to the ply wood for guides when we heated the PVC, we would have a water hose to cool the PVC down after laying it between the EMT, that sped up the process.
 
To clarify, we would space the EMT (2 pieces) the proper distance apart (the width of the PVC) and offset them, we could do 4 at a time
 
roger said:
When I say jigs, I mean we would bend 90's with EMT and screw them down to the ply wood for guides when we heated the PVC, we would have a water hose to cool the PVC down after laying it between the EMT, that sped up the process.
Click to expand...
A wet rag will set the pipe too.
 
horsegoer said:
Thanks again. It's hard for me to picture what your describing. Don't worry, thanks.
Click to expand...
I'm not doing a very good job explaining it. For 2" PVC start with a 4 X 8 piece of plywood, bend a short 90 on two pieces of 2" EMT about 4' long, drill holes through the EMT on the 90 end and the tail piece and screw one piece down to the plywood close to the top long edge.

Now lay a piece of 2" PVC against this top piece of EMT and lay the other EMT with 90 tight against the bottom edge of the PVC and screw the EMT to the plywood, you now have two pieces of EMT with 90's that are guides for laying the heated PVC between them. You can put more sets on the plywood, we would have multiple sizes on one board, might be (2) 2", (2) 1.5", etc....
 
Dsg319 said:
Weed burner as long as no inspector is around the corner 😉
Click to expand...
Its called a hillbilly hot box here.. make a quick trench in dirt, put bits of wood in, pour primer on it and royally screw up the pipe.

Since we know what is going in 4" the dangers of a tight offset need to be known. If i cant do a big u.g. feeder w/180° (+or-+ 15°) it better not be a new install. It better be a after the fact nightmare. Id rather change grade w/ a 20' , or at least start there.
 
Smaller conduits - hot box Larger conduits - heating blanket The blanket takes longer to heat up. If you practice with a propane torch and keep it away far enough, you can keep from scorching the pipe. Not the "correct NEC way" of doing it, but a very common practice these days. I've bent a lot of 4" and 5" PVC with a torch. It's more practical to use because you can do the heating down in the trench. Just dont heat up near freshly glued joints or have your can of glue in the trench with you! ;)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top