compression fittings OK on flexible PVC?

bricktron · May 6, 2015

hi folks, i know flexible PVC cannot be used with barbs and hose clamps, but it can be seated in compression fittings, right? thank you!

(my motivation: ease of disassembly. knowing myself, i am likely to want to change things around later.)

jblizzle · May 6, 2015

I have never heard of PVC flex pipe being used in any type of fitting besides the slip fit with primer and solvent.

bk406 · May 6, 2015

Flex PVC is used all the time with barb fittings and clamps. Not an issue, although I prefer PVC glue.
I can tell you even with barb fittings and clamps, those barb fittings are alomost impossible to get off once they are on.
Why do you think you would move things around?

pooldv · May 6, 2015

I'm also pretty surprised by that. Must have to crank the heck out of the hose clamps. I can't even imagine that. might have to google it.

bk406 · May 6, 2015

Kinda like barb fittings, clamp, and black poly. Once you get a barb fitting on, is heck to get it off. Double clamp and they wont blow.

Donny · May 6, 2015

PVC pipe is pretty easy stuff to work with. Use the slip on fittings and primer/cement. You could always cut-out what you want to replace later. No biggie. I've never seen a compression fitting on schedule 40 PVC.

bricktron · May 7, 2015

this was very informative. definitely the slip fit is most common. great to know that i was wrong about the barbs - there is another thread reporting that some worked and some didn't - but if the hose gets so hard to remove, i won't go there.

bk406, i am a tinkerer working with an unorthodox design, so something will go wrong sooner or later. the idea of a system that can't be disassembled without cutting bits of it away and buying new parts is hard for me to swallow. i found 1.5" compression to MPT adapters for $5.