Monday, July 02, 2007

Repairing a PVC Break

A very common thing to break on a sprinkler system is one of your PVC pipes. This can happen for many reasons such as being hit with a shovel from someone digging around or the fittings can blow-out at weakened or stressed connections. No worry. I've listed a few simple step-by-step instructions on how you can repair your PVC pipe yourself, without having to hire anyone.

REPAIRING PVC BREAK
1. Locate break and dig up 1' - 2' on each side of and around the PVC pipe. The actual amount you have to dig up depends on the size and degree of the break.

2. Examine break and cut out broken or cracked piece with pipe cutters or PVC saw.

3. Clean any debris or pipe shavings off of both ends of the pipe.

4. Determine if a slip fix & another fitting (such as a tee) or just a coupling is needed for the repair. Grab the fittings from the truck along with a piece of pipe.

5. Measure the amount of pipe you will need for the repair by lining up your slip fix & fitting(s) with the break.

6. Eyeball or make a mark and cut your piece of pipe.

7. Now remove any debris or shavings from the new piece of cut pipe.

8. Make sure all pipe surfaces are clean of any dirt by wiping with a rag. Use cleaner if necessary, or on any pipes bigger than 1".

9. Apply an even coat of PVC to the inside of the first fitting and a light coat to the outside of the pipe.

10. Push pipe into fitting and make an approximate ΒΌ turn.

11. Wipe off any excess glue from the pipe and around the fitting. Too much glue can create a hole or break in the pipe.

12. Now finish the repair by extending your slip fix or bowing your coupling into place and repeat steps 7 -11.

13. First let the glue dry & then test the zone where the break was. Make sure there are no leaks or other breaks. The amount of time needed for the glue to dry will vary depending on the temperature. The warmer it is, the quicker the glue dries.

14. Cover up hole and tamp in ditch.

There you go; a step-by-step process to repair PVC! Good luck & have fun!

Scott
http://www.autolawnsprinklers.com

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