How to bend PVC pipes and save on fittings?

PVC pipes have been around since the 1930s and have been the go-to solution for transporting water in industrial and municipal applications. Being made of polyvinyl chloride, PVC pipes are strong, lightweight, versatile, and highly recyclable.

Typically available in long and straight pieces, there will undoubtedly come a time where you’ll need to bend PVC pipes to fit your needs. Knowing how to bend PVC pipes curved properly avoids breakage and saves you a lot in the long run.

Where are PVC pipes used?

1. Wastewater and sewage. Polyvinyl chloride has high chemical resistance, which makes PVC pipes suitable for carrying waste and sewage water without being affected by corrosion like metal would.
2. Irrigation and home drainage. Installing PVC pipes comes along with leveling the ground when installing an irrigation or drainage system. PVC pipes are cheap to manufacture and easy to transport because of their weight, making them a great choice for water control in both industrial and household applications.
3. Electrical wiring. PVC’s high electrical resistance makes it great for wire insulation. PVC pipes can be a neat way to conceal electrical wiring and is a good alternative to the more expensive in-wall concealment option. A PVC pipe can also act as a tunnel under the ground or in a building to later feed and run future wiring without demolition.
4. Construction and soil transportation. Its durability and strength make PVC a choice pipe material for a lot of construction projects. The chemical resistance of PVC also makes them viable for transporting material downhill using gravity.
5. DIY projects and crafts. The PVC pipes’ intrinsic qualities and low cost make it an attractive material for DIY projects and crafts such as sculpting and molding.

Where not to use  PVC pipes?

1. Drinking water. Even with its high strength and chemical resistance, PVC can degrade due to high temperatures and exposure to UV. PVC’s components are toxic once it degrades, can leach into and can contaminate water supplies.
2. Hot water. Exposing PVC pipes to hot water can cause warping, making them unsuitable for use with this type of exposure.

Using corner fittings vs bending PVC pipes

Corner fittings offer a stronger and faster solution than bending PVC pipes. They can also be used to create junctions in the piping. However, corner fittings are more expensive. PVC pipes bending is more cost-effective and allows you to orient the pipes over obstacles. You need to consider the job you are doing.

Different methods to bend PVC pipes

Using hot sand

When trying to heat and bend PVC pipes, they would normally kink or collapse at the bent area. Hot sand both heats and fills the inner volume of the pipe to prevent breakage.

Tools and materials needed:

• Tape
• Sand
• Oven
• Oven-safe dish
• Heat-resistant gloves or oven mitts

Procedure:

1. Cover one end of the PVC pipe with tape.
2. Fill the pipe with sand until it’s a few inches above where you plan to bend.
3. Pour some sand into an oven-safe dish
4. Preheat your oven to 282 °C then put in the dish.
5. Leave the sand in the oven for 5-6 minutes.
6. Using heat-protective gloves or oven mitts, carefully pour the sand into the PVC pipe on the bending point and let it heat up until the pipe is pliable.
7. Slowly bend the PVC pipe to the desired angle.
8. Remove the sand and let the pipe cool.

Using a blow dryer or heat gun

PVC pipes bend at a certain point when heated. If you don’t have an oven, use a blow dryer as your alternative heat source. A cordless heat gun can spread heat evenly to bend PVC pipes.

Tools and materials needed:

• Tape
• Sand
• A blow dryer or heat gun
• Heat protection gloves or oven mitts

Procedure:

1. Cover one end of the PVC pipe with tape.
2. Fill the pipe with sand until it is about 2-3 inches above your planned bend.
3. Cover the other end of the pipe with tape to keep the sand from falling out during heating.
4. Evenly heat all around the area you wish to bend until the pipe becomes pliable.
5. Slowly bend the PVC pipe and apply more heat as needed.
6. Remove the tape, pour out the sand, and let the pipe cool down.

Using a spring bender

You can bend PVC pipes without heat guns. A way to bend less brittle PVC pipes is by cold bending. While it doesn’t require constant heating, it does heavily rely on manual labor. Using a spring bender, like the Pipe Viper, makes cold bending PVC water pipes easy and more manageable.

Tools and materials needed:

• Pipe Viper or any other spring bender
• Cloth or rag

Procedures:

1. Make sure that you are in a room that’s at least 10 °C or warmer.
2. Place your pipe into the spring bender.
3. Repeatedly wipe cloth or rag on the area you wish to bend, this introduces a small amount of heat via friction.
4. Use your knee or any thin rigid structure to push against the pipe to create the bend. You might have to over-bend as there is a tendency for the spring to “pop back” a few degrees upon releasing the bending pressure. 
5. Remove the spring bender.

Using a bending tool

Technological innovations have led to better ways of bending PVC pipes. Using a dedicated bending tool such as the PVC Bendit is a good option for when you want to make long and sweeping bends. It internally heats PVC pipes until they become soft and pliable, just enough for them to be bent without breaking.

Tools needed:

• PVC Bendit or a similar tool.
• Bendit bending station or any pipe insulation.
• Heat protection gloves or oven mitts.

Procedures:

1. Insert the PVC pipe into the Bendit and place it on the bending station.
2. Turn on the Bendit and wait as it heats up the pipe.
3. Once pliable, turn the Bendit off and remove the pipe.
4. Bend the pipe into your desired shape/s.

The best method to use when bending PVC pipe at 90°

The best and easiest way to get 90° bends is to use a bending tool, like the PVC Bendit or a PVC conduit. What makes this method more advantageous than those that require heating is that they don’t need constant heat and that you don’t have to juggle between the actual bending and managing heat control. You can work on a flat surface once the pipe is pliable to even avoid skewed bends.

Tips and practices when bending PVC pipes

• Plan ahead. Know the angles and lengths of your bends, as well as the dimensions of the pipes you’ll be working on. This will save you time and materials.
• Don’t overdo it.  PVC has low softening point. Do not intentionally over-bend your pipes as it’s very difficult to revert them back should you need to make adjustments. Be critical and work slowly.
• Use a jig or a former. More often than not, eyeballing bends is a good way to get inaccurate and inconsistent results. Make use of flat and rounded corners or objects to get flat or rounded bends. Consider making a jig for easier and cleaner bends.
• Practice. If you have extra PVC pipes lying around, practice and hone your techniques to get better at bending regardless of if you have the required tools or not.

Safety tips when bending PVC pipes

• Wear a mask when heating PVC pipes. Heating can cause them to emit toxic fumes that are known to be carcinogenic.
• Apply only the right amount of heat. Too much heat can cause PVC to burn which is extremely hazardous as the fires are near impossible to put out since the PVC serves as both fuel and oxidizer.
• Wear heat protection or heat-insulated gloves. PVC softens at temperatures above the boiling point of water and can cause severe burns on contact with the skin.
• Use a clamp set to secure the pipes.

Conclusion

PVC pipes have surprisingly rigid construction and are relatively cost-efficient, making them great materials for many applications ranging from small-to-medium DIY projects to industrial-scale construction. When laying out structural pipework, bending is an essential craft as you’ll most likely need to bend pipes to get them over obstacles and blockades.

Knowing how to bend PVC pipes could save you a lot of time and expense from fittings. In this sense, knowledge really is power – bending spoons? No. Bend pipes instead!