Re-pipe in AZ sun

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E

eline65

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Feb 12, 2011
30
Mesa, AZ
Hi all,

I noticed a couple small leaks in the seams of my pipes going from the pump to the filter. It's a 2" line there, and 1.5" everywhere else, and it all looks a little weathered, like the sun gave it a nice UV treatment. I'm betting it's a few years old.

My question is about PVC pipes. What better, Sched 40, or Sched 80, black PVC (maybe not so good in the sun) or CPVC, and is there an issue mating these with the plumbing coming out of the ground? It seams most people use Schedule 40, nut most don't have a merciless AZ sun in the summer. I'm also going to put in unions and change the sand in my filter while I'm at it. Seeing how the prior owner didn't plan ahead and put them in, I'm betting the sand is as old as the pipes that are above the ground.

Another concern is the 3 gate valves I have for the return lines, and where they meet with the plumbing in the ground. It looks like it's been cut close to the ground in the past and the couplings are a couple inches from the valves. Should I unearth a few inches and re-do these?

One last thing, does it make a huge difference if I have long sweep elbows, or are the common 90 degree elbows are fine.

If I understand assembly correctly, I should use Teflon tape at the threads in the pump and filter, then assemble the pipes, then join the unions (Not teamsters :p )

Thoughts?
 
eline65,

Good morning! Schedule 80 is a waste of money. Almost everyone uses schedule 40.

While PVC gets a little chalky on the surface after prolonged exposure to the sun, it still holds up pretty well. I have used some PVC that was out in the sun more than a few years (being cheap) and it welded fine once you clean up the surface with primer. That said, I would certainly replace whatever is leaking (probably due to poor installation rather than UV) and install the unions.

It should all match up fine with the existing plumbing and I would dig down to clean pipe if it makes the installation cleaner and neater. If you have gate valves, it might be a good idea to invest in Jandy valves......they are really good.

The long sweep elbows are not schedule 40 and are not rated for pressurized applications. While they could probably be used just fine, especially on the suction side, most pros would absolutely advise against it and the resistance savings are, surprisingly, not all that much so I would stick with schedule 40 90's.

I personally would suggest pipe thread compound instead of teflon tape at the pump joints. Both will work but I seemed to always have better luck when I used compound on any pipe over 1" in diameter. I prefer the teflon tape for 1" and smaller but that's a personal preference.
 
eline65 said:
Hi all,
My question is about PVC pipes. What better, Sched 40, or Sched 80, black PVC (maybe not so good in the sun) or CPVC, and is there an issue mating these with the plumbing coming out of the ground? It seems most people use Schedule 40, but most don't have a merciless AZ sun in the summer. I'm also going to put in unions and change the sand in my filter while I'm at it. Seeing how the prior owner didn't plan ahead and put them in, I'm betting the sand is as old as the pipes that are above the ground.
Schedule 40 is the correct pipe to use. Krylon makes a paint for plastics and any PVC above ground in direct sunlight should be painted for UV protection. As a side note, PVC conduit is UV protected but it isn't approved for pressure applications.

Another concern is the 3 gate valves I have for the return lines, and where they meet with the plumbing in the ground. It looks like it's been cut close to the ground in the past and the couplings are a couple inches from the valves. Should I unearth a few inches and re-do these?
I would if it were me doing it. I would also change the gate valves out for "Jandy" type valves.

One last thing, does it make a huge difference if I have long sweep elbows, or are the common 90 degree elbows are fine.
Long sweeps make a little difference but they're usually not worth the added expense in this application.

If I understand assembly correctly, I should use Teflon tape at the threads in the pump and filter, then assemble the pipes, then join the unions (Not teamsters :p )
I prefer paste to tape but tape works fine. I assemble as I go, but there are lots of ways to do it and as long as everything fits, it really doesn't matter the order you do it.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Edit -- Dave and I were typing at the same time. He's just faster.
 
bk406 said:
When you get your PVC make sure its rated for pressure. Dont get the PVC fittings designed for waste and drain.
Click to expand...

Ditto...those long sweeping elbows are not usually rated for pressure, but more commonly used in waste water applications. You'll notice that presure rated fittings have a larger joint surface area vs those rated for drain applications
 
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