Bending Gray PVC Conduit

I was looking at a building under construction and they are puting on the gray PVC electrical conduit. They made some bends around obstacles that I did not think were possible. I've bent EMT metal conduit with a pipe bender around obstacles, but with that PVC I thought a person was stuck with glue on elbows and such. How do the pros bend this stuff and make it look so good? I'm guessing they use some sort of heat, but I cant see how it would bend without kinking or ballooning. Seems like it would be much more trouble and time consuming than just using EMT and a pipe bender.

Reply to
jw
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They use a heat box, which makes the stuff very pliable for a short time.

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Reply to
RBM

*There are a few means to heat PVC. Heat blankets are available as well as heater boxes. I've even used customer's kitchen ovens in a pinch to heat small pieces . They also have end caps available to help prevent the PVC from collapsing, but it usually retains its shape.
Reply to
John Grabowski

I've used a propane torch. The 1/2" stuff bends fairly easily. One can do it without discoloring the PVC if one is patient and holds the torch far enough away from the pipe. It helps if it's warm outside. I've bent 2" by putting the torch head inside of the pipe. The bend has to be close to the end of the pipe but it can be done. This isn't a professional solution but it works.

Reply to
Dean Hoffman

Heat guns work well. A sharp bend may want to kink but you can stuff a rag (with pullout string) just past the bend, fill with sand, cap with another rag and bend away. Cool in position.

Reply to
Mr.E

As John said, a kitchen oven can be used. You just fire it up to 450 and hold the end of the pipe in there with the door partially closed. You do have to be carefull not to touch the inside of the oven, especially any heating elements. Easier is to use a gas range if available and just hold it over it for a minute or so. It really works well. I've layed the pipe out on a kitchen counter, market the existing angle with tape on the counter. Then when it's hot you bring it back, lay it down again, and you know where it started from and can judge how much more or less to bend it.

The correct solution is to use an IR heat box. And here's a tip. Don't let the bell ends for joining get hot. When it's hot it resumes it's normal shape, ie it shrinks back to regular pipe dimensions.

It also helps to have a spray bottle handy and an assistant. While you hold it in the shape desired, they spray it so you don't have to keep holding it for a couple minutes.

Reply to
trader4

Stick it in or over the tail pipe of the truck if you don't have the heat box. I minute or less will do it. Don't let it turn to goo.

Be sure you have a cold coupler handy and shove that over the end of the pipe as soon as you remove it from the heat to hold the shape. Bend and let cool. I have done it many times, including once on my pool equipment with 2" just to get a good custom fit on something that was slightly out of line but not enough for any standard fitting.

Reply to
gfretwell

The tail pipe trick seems like a good one. I'll have to try it sometime. Never thought of it.

Reply to
Dean Hoffman

The Boy Scout leader that lives next store to me bent a whole bunch of PVC pipe to make snow shoes with his troop.

They made wooden forms, filled the PVC with sand, heated it in a heat box, and bent it around the forms.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

You can also slip a steel spring inside to keep the tube from collapsing.

Reply to
salty

An outdoor barbecue does a pretty decent job also.

Reply to
Larry Fishel

Glue on joints don't cut it when you have an odd angle to deal with. I've used a heat gun, it works great, doesn't take much heat at all. You could probably do it with a hair dryer.

Reply to
Steve Barker

I tried a hair dryer recently, 1500W and it didn't work. Hair dryers move a lot of volume of air, but only achieve a modest increase in temp, since it's aimed at your head.

Reply to
trader4

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Reply to
salty

The professional tool is a PVC conduit heater:

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When I worked as a construction electrician, we used the 3" tailpipe on our 2%1/2 ton flatbed truck to heat 4" PVC conduit so we could bend it. We would stick it up to the tailpipe on the truck, rev up the diesel engine and use a piece of 2X4 to block half the exhaust gas coming out the opposite end to speed the heating process. The heated conduit was as limp as an old man's...., uh, as a noodle. 8-)

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

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