PVC DC ducts

Darren Wright

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Springfield, Missouri
For those using PVC for their DC pipes, what type are you using? Schedule 40 or the thinner stuff? I saw some of the thinner stuff over by the outdoor drainage supplies, just made me question which everyone was using.
 
6" ASTM-2729 with one bell end for all my stuff. Slides together air tight, is light and easy when changes are required. No problems at all. I'd do it again. Wish I had bought a few more extra sticks before the price jumped a few years back; I think I am down to two.
 
thinner stuff for the above the floor usage darren, and under ground i used scd 40 the plastic gates will fit in the fittings and may need some duct tape to fit snug but most fit fine use the metal duct tape to seal off regular duct tape doesnt hold up for the long haul.. i have some metal pipe here but your to far for shipping or delivery..unless you got someone over this way headed your way its free come get it.
 
Thanks all and thanks for the offer Larry, not quite sure what I need just yet.

I've got the 2hp HF, so I can either pull the splitter off and go from the 5" inlet to some 6" pipe (what is available at the borg) , check with a local plumbing supply to see if 5" pvc is available, or just run two 4" runs, which may work fine for my layout. I've also seen where folks have removed the front plate with the 5" inlet on the DC and replace it with 1/2" mdf with a 6" connector added.

So is dust collection anything like trying to pump water up a wall (think sump pump)? Is there any noticeable suction loss if the lift was to be 10' - 12' high and 30' - 50' in length?
 
BTW, going to try this stove pipe mod out...

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=43715&highlight=Stovepipe+mod

He's using 5" stove pipe with two elbows to replace the flex line between the fan and separator.

Worth it - but imho better is to do what I did and lift the impeller up and turn it sideways and make it just a single straight shot into the fan and the bag assembly.

5" PVC does exist but it rarer and I'm not sure if its available in the thinner/cheaper stuff. My tests with the HF unit and 6" flex weren't very encouraging, it was leaving a lot of material laying in the pipe which makes me think it probably doesn't have enough airspeed to keep the pipes clear at 6". Granted that was with flex not smoothwall so ymmv.
 
try to stay away from any flex you can and lifting does cause trouble.. down draft is better..

Downdraft is better, but my shop is on a slab, so the 4" DWV piping runs through the attic, then drops down to my 2hp double bagger. I use flex for the drop from the ceiling to the tools. It's worked quite well for nearly ten years.
 
I would go for the 6 inch S&D (Sewer and Drain) - the thin stuff. The internal pressure is not like a water main, which is what the thicker PVC is for.

I have 6 inch for my main runs, and the improvement over the 4 inch when I was running a smaller DC was amazing. One 6 inch line has about the capacity of two 4 inch lines. The smooth pipe is FAR more efficient than flex, but I went to higher HP so I could get by with a lot of flex in my shop. When I went to a 5 hp cyclone, the 6 inch suddenly became a small line, so I built a plenum with multiple 6 inch inlets.
 
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