On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:45:13 -0600, Richard J Kinch
wrote:

My swimming pool pump quit, and the new one is just slightly longer, so to
connect it in the space available, I need what in steel pipe you would call
a threaded nipple, except in 2-inch PVC pipe. That is, instead of gluing a
PVC male adapter, which would add too much length. Swimming pool plumbing
has to be all plastic due to the chemistry of the water.

Now Home Depot threads steel pipe, with a nice powered pipe threader on the
plumbing pipe aisle, but when I asked them to thread some PVC they
practically called me a pervert. They said the only way to get threads on
a PVC pipe was to glue on a male adapter, and you can't thread PVC pipe.

However quite a few bits of the PVC pool plumbing appear to have been
threaded on-site. And interestingly, the classic Ridgid 12R pipe threader
has replacement dies specifically for PVC:

http://ridgid.com/Tools/Hand-Threader-Die-Heads/

So is threading PVC pipe an unnatural abomination like the top industry
experts at Home Depot, in their orange aprons, assert? Or just not often
worth the labor versus a glued fitting?


Like others have said....

You can thread sch80 but not sch40. It can be done with a standard
pipe threader, but I would suggest NEW dies. Ones used on steel will
most likely chew up the PCV. The dies Ridgid sells for PVC have a
differant rake angle on them to cut nicer than the ones for steel.

Mcmaster Carr is most likely your best bet if they have the lenght you
need. MCM-C is where I go for PVC or Stainless, the plumbing houses
around here just look at you strange if you ask for SS or threaded
PVC.

Heck, I had to McM-C galvanized steel fittings for my air lines as the
local plumbing house no longer carries that stuff either. Houses are
all plastic now. Soon it will be tough to find copper.
Thank You,
Randy

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