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#1
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When is one inch NOT one inch? (plumbing)
I want to add another yard hydrant to my well water system. I bought
some High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) black plastic water pipe, made to be used underground. I told the guy I needed some brass barbed fittings for that pipe, and he handed me an elbow and a tee in plastic bags. They said PEX on the package, but were listed as 1" fittings. I opened a package and stuck the fitting in the roll of pipe. It was very loose, probably 1/8" gap. I said there are NOT for HDPE pipe. He told me it would not matter. I knew it would, and asked him where the fittings are for the HDPE. After getting the manager, he found a bin of HDPE fittings, but they were all plastic. I placed the 1" barbed end of one of those brass PEX fittings, against the barbed 1" end of the plastic HDPE fitting. That proved that I was right. The 1" PEX fittings are about 1/8" smaller than the 1" HDPE fittings. WTF???? Shouldn't 1" PEX be the same size as HDPE? AN ACTUAL INCH? Although I proved my point, I will have to go to an actual plumbing store to get brass HDPE fittings. I refuse to use those plastic ones underground. They are known to break, and while I may save $3 on a fitting, having someone come with a backhoe, because of a busted fitting, costs several hundred dollars, not to mention the aggravation, and lawn damage. |
#2
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When is one inch NOT one inch? (plumbing)
Gunn,
Don't understand you. 1" pipe is the outside diameter. The barbs need an inside diameter compatibility. Why would anyone think that PEX and HDPE would have the same ID? Dave M |
#3
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When is one inch NOT one inch? (plumbing)
On Sunday, November 17, 2013 11:36:13 AM UTC-5, David L. Martel wrote:
Gunn, Don't understand you. 1" pipe is the outside diameter. In the plumbing world, PIPE is measured by it's inside diameter. Tubing is measured by it's outside diameter. The barbs need an inside diameter compatibility. Why would anyone think that PEX and HDPE would have the same ID? Dave M I agree that I would not expect a fitting for PEX and poly to be interchangeable. The poly fittings aren't even in the same place in the stores I visit. |
#4
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When is one inch NOT one inch? (plumbing)
On 11/17/2013 11:36 AM, David L. Martel wrote:
Gunn, Don't understand you. 1" pipe is the outside diameter. The barbs need an inside diameter compatibility. Why would anyone think that PEX and HDPE would have the same ID? Dave M The OD of 1" pipe is 1.305" The ID of schedule 40 is .824 Note that 2: pipe is not exactly double 1' but is 2.375 Wall thickness changes with larger size pipes also. It seems complex, but once you get working with it, you can tell the pipe size from 20 feet away just by looking. |
#5
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When is one inch NOT one inch? (plumbing)
On Sun, 17 Nov 2013 17:19:55 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 11/17/2013 11:36 AM, David L. Martel wrote: Gunn, Don't understand you. 1" pipe is the outside diameter. The barbs need an inside diameter compatibility. Why would anyone think that PEX and HDPE would have the same ID? Dave M The OD of 1" pipe is 1.305" The ID of schedule 40 is .824 Note that 2: pipe is not exactly double 1' but is 2.375 Wall thickness changes with larger size pipes also. It seems complex, but once you get working with it, you can tell the pipe size from 20 feet away just by looking. Without measuring it, I can see that 1" HDPE is larger than one inch on the outside. I'm not sure about PEX since I've used little of it, but what I did use was 1/2" and it appeared to be smaller than 1/2" ID. I've done my share of plumbing, and it appears that there is no standard as far as what pipes are measured by their ID versus their OD. The steel pipe was always their ID, as was rigid copper pipe. But once it got to flexible (soft copper in a roll), that all changed. And it appears that the plastic pipes are even more confusing. You said that "you can tell the pipe size from 20 feet away just by looking." I agree, and I could see that those PEX fittings were not large enough to fit the HDPE, despite the guy in the store insisting it would fit. But most of those guys dont know **** anyhow. They just sell the stuff and dont know how to use it. Until I get around to actualy measuring it, it appears that HDPE is a true one inch ID, while PEX is the OD measurement. It's too bad they never standarized the measurements of pipes, where all used the ID of the pipe as the listed size. That would have made it easier for everyone. |
#6
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When is one inch NOT one inch? (plumbing)
wrote in message ... It's too bad they never standarized the measurements of pipes, where all used the ID of the pipe as the listed size. That would have made it easier for everyone. I don't think there is anything in construction that measuers what it says it is. Maybe some copper tubing that says 1/4 or 3/8 may be, but very little else is. The 2x4s are not that and seem to be srinking over the years. The 8 foot long ones are often a few inches less in length to make up for the ones that are layed flat on the top and bottom of the walls. |
#7
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When is one inch NOT one inch? (plumbing)
On 11/18/2013 3:35 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
wrote in message ... It's too bad they never standarized the measurements of pipes, where all used the ID of the pipe as the listed size. That would have made it easier for everyone. But they did...but, it's like the old saw about serial communications standards--"The nice thing about them is there are so many to choose from." The difficulty is that making things such that everything had an even fractional dimension yields sizes that aren't very useful for physical reasons of either being excessively heavy or not heavy enough for common use. Hence, even if it had been decreed to use such, the resulting standards wouldn't have been followed, anyway. History has much to do with things as well -- one can't simply throw away whatever is in current use at any point in time and as materials and manufacturing processes improve, it's necessary to modify to meet those changing conditions and demands. And, of course, pipe and tubing are two different things... I don't think there is anything in construction that measuers what it says it is. Maybe some copper tubing that says 1/4 or 3/8 may be, but very little else is. The 2x4s are not that and seem to be srinking over the years. The 8 foot long ones are often a few inches less in length to make up for the ones that are layed flat on the top and bottom of the walls. "Precuts" for studs are sold as that and not as 8-footers. It's much more economical that way for both producer and user rather than buying a full 8 and having to cut every one down. -- |
#8
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When is one inch NOT one inch? (plumbing)
On Monday, November 18, 2013 1:35:58 PM UTC-8, Ralph Mowery wrote:
wrote in message I don't think there is anything in construction that measuers what it says it is. Maybe some copper tubing that says 1/4 or 3/8 may be, but very little else is. The 2x4s are not that and seem to be srinking over the years. The 8 foot long ones are often a few inches less in length to make up for the ones that are layed flat on the top and bottom of the walls. Wrong. Ask for a 2x4 8' and you'll get an 8' 2x4. Ask for a 2x4 stud and you will get a 2x4 shorter than 8'. Harry K |
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