Plumbing options ?

[cornishcarlos]

I would like to know what plumbing fittings people are using, if not using the regular blue PVC that is everywhere.. Surely there is a system that allows for repairs/modifications without having to re plumb everything.. !

The pic is the new installation at my sister in law place. Just had to re plumb it all as the pump had to be repaired after 1 month

[NeverSure]

There are unions you can get that will screw apart. Glue on or threaded. Put them in strategic spots so you can get things loose when you need to.

Edited March 11, 2016 by NeverSure

[Lamkyong]

the other option is to use push/press fit connectors but will need a release tool to dismantle but very simple set up

[cornishcarlos]

the other option is to use push/press fit connectors but will need a release tool to dismantle but very simple set up

Got a link or photos ?

[Lamkyong]

How To Use Push Fit Plumbing Fittings - YouTube

▶ 10:20

Jun 3, 2013 - Uploaded by HouseImprovements

How to connect copper pipe with push on fittings - no solder required - Duration: 14:51. ... Using push-fit and ...

How to Remove Push to Connect Fittings - YouTube

▶ 1:29

Feb 12, 2013 - Uploaded by QuickFittingInc

Simple to install, this product has made old labor intensive plumbing processes a thing of the past. But, what ...

[cornishcarlos]

Is this stuff available in Thailand ?

[keeniau96]

Unions are great idea for the future but if you have to work on existing plumbing I always just cut the best I can and glue in a new section. Make sure to twist the pieces together to get the cement properly spread over all the surfaces.

[bankruatsteve]

Special connectors/fittings certainly can make repairs a lot easier. But, in the case of most water pumps, you can simply disconnect at the pump by removing the attaching bolts.

[surat04]

In town at one end of the road where the night market is, there is a small plumbing shop. They have pvc and alloy unions. It's only a small shop but they seem to stock things that are not available elsewhere. I was there this morning to get a check valve.

[surat04]

Dropped pin

https://goo.gl/maps/duXh6WsNbyS2

[KhunBENQ]

You could put some of these connectors, e,g. close to the pump in/out.

And move the pump a bit further from the tank for easier access.

Put them in a straight line after the 1" to 1/2" transition, so you have two easy to remove/reusable "adapters".

Adapter: indeed I tried many shops to find a ready to use adapter from 1" thread to 1/2" plain pipe.

Never found. Always have to "glue" the transitions

About 35 Baht per piece, screwable with O-ring. Can handle the usual pressures.

Available in every serious shop/plumping department.

Edited March 11, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[KhunBENQ]

BTW

Quite likely the pump sucks water from the tank outlet?

Quite poor idea to connect to a 2" tank outlet and transition to 1/2" (!) and then back to 1" at the pump

Either 2" to 1" (pipe) and then to pump or use the 1" outlet of the tank and then 1" to the pump.

The O-ring connectors are available in all these sizes.

Did the "engineer" really dig this short pipe construction in a lump of asphalt?

Or do I misunderstand the pic?

Edited March 11, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[steve187]

You could put some of these connectors, e,g. close to the pump in/out.

And move the pump a bit further from the tank for easier access.

Put them in a straight line after the 1" to 1/2" transition, so you have two easy to remove/reusable "adapters".

Adapter: indeed I tried many shops to find a ready to use adapter from 1" thread to 1/2" plain pipe.

Never found. Always have to "glue" the transitions

About 35 Baht per piece, screwable with O-ring. Can handle the usual pressures.

Available in every serious shop/plumping department.

I have never seen these fitting before, thank you for posting, i will look next time i'm in one of the big diy stores.

[IMHO]

Just use a heat gun to separate the fittings for repairs. Works fast/easy.

[KhunBENQ]

Can't get the pictures in the OP out of my mind

Is this whole thing really just to connect the tank outlet on the right with the pump on the left????

I can hardly believe it!

My suggestion: get a 90° valve elbow / knee like this in one inch (1") size:

With the right amount of tape connect (screw) it to the 1" outlet so that the pipe connection directs to the left and from there "over ground" with 1" pipe to the pump with just another two(!) knees (all 1").

Fixing the knee at the tank might require it to be lifted a bit. Don't know how long these elbow arms are compared to the height of the 1" outlet.

Advice from post #11 still applies (move pump to the left, use removable connectors near the pump).

Edited March 11, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[KhunBENQ]

Just use a heat gun to separate the fittings for repairs. Works fast/easy.

Sounds like a need one.

BTW: have you tried to freely bend a heated PVC pipe?

A stepson did this quite fine over the gas cooker (!), needs some practice to find the correct heat/temperature.

Useful for some tricky angles like for the filter housings mounted to a wall.

Saves some tedious knee "gluing".

Edited March 11, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[sappersrest]

BTW

Quite likely the pump sucks water from the tank outlet?

Quite poor idea to connect to a 2" tank outlet and transition to 1/2" (!) and then back to 1" at the pump

Either 2" to 1" (pipe) and then to pump or use the 1" outlet of the tank and then 1" to the pump.

The O-ring connectors are available in all these sizes.

Did the "engineer" really dig this short pipe construction in a lump of asphalt?

Or do I misunderstand the pic?

To the op please repipe the pump as suggested by benq otherwise it will be very doubtful that the pump will last longer than a month as well.

[Sophon]

You could put some of these connectors, e,g. close to the pump in/out.

And move the pump a bit further from the tank for easier access.

Put them in a straight line after the 1" to 1/2" transition, so you have two easy to remove/reusable "adapters".

Adapter: indeed I tried many shops to find a ready to use adapter from 1" thread to 1/2" plain pipe.

Never found. Always have to "glue" the transitions

About 35 Baht per piece, screwable with O-ring. Can handle the usual pressures.

Available in every serious shop/plumping department.

I don't have the best experiences with this type of union. The only thing holding the pipes together is the friction against the rubber rings, which is OK on the suction part of your pump. But on the pressurized side of the pump the pressure will try to push the two parts of the pipe apart, and unless the pipes have nowhere to move it might just succeed. I installed a small sediment filter not long ago, and despite tightening the union as hard as I could it didn't take more than half an hour for the pressure from the water supply to push the two ends of the pipe apart.

There are different types of unions available though:

The first one is the one from KhunBENQ's post. The second one is my favourite, but it is for some reason only produced in 3/4". The third one come in different sizes and is basically the same one as pictured in NeverSure's post.

Sophon

Edited March 11, 2016 by Sophon

[rawhod]

Just my observations...

Presuming the tank outlet is the one you can see in the picture, if the pump was turned through 180 deg., the pump inlet would be be on the side closest to the tank and much easier to pipe in, (it isn't necessary to install the pump with the name facing outwards).

The pump will uninstall easily when the brass flanges are unbolted from the pump.

I wish I had used demountable coupling on my installation since I now have to dismantle it to determine if my check valve is passing...

Maybe I'll try the heat gun trick first.

[Paul944]

In the Netherlands we use copper water pipes. In the old days they were soldered together. Now a days all the DIY people use press fitting because they don't know how to solder. Press fitting won't work with pvc pipes and for the price of a press fitting you can buy a saw, a few meter pipe and glue, good for numerous fittings.

The reason to glue the pvc pipes together is that is much cheaper. When working on it you simply cut the pipe and glue in a new part. Those reusable fittings tend to leak all the time or just get stuck so you have to replace them anyway.

Are those 2 pipes going into the asphalt connected to eachother? It looks like a really weird construction, must be Thai logic.

[sappersrest]

You could put some of these connectors, e,g. close to the pump in/out.

And move the pump a bit further from the tank for easier access.

Put them in a straight line after the 1" to 1/2" transition, so you have two easy to remove/reusable "adapters".

Adapter: indeed I tried many shops to find a ready to use adapter from 1" thread to 1/2" plain pipe.

Never found. Always have to "glue" the transitions

About 35 Baht per piece, screwable with O-ring. Can handle the usual pressures.

Available in every serious shop/plumping department.

I don't have the best experiences with this type of union. The only thing holding the pipes together is the friction against the rubber rings, which is OK on the suction part of your pump. But on the pressurized side of the pump the pressure will try to push the two parts of the pipe apart, and unless the pipes have nowhere to move it might just succeed. I installed a small sediment filter not long ago, and despite tightening the union as hard as I could it didn't take more than half an hour for the pressure from the water supply to push the two ends of the pipe apart.

DSCI1532 (Copy).JPG

There are different types of unions available though:

DSCF0156 (Copy).JPG

The first one is the one from KhunBENQ's post. The second one is my favourite, but it is for some reason only produced in 3/4". The third one come in different sizes and is basically the same one as pictured in NeverSure's post.

Sophon

The pipes need to be fixed with clips or pipe brackets for the fittings to work well

[cornishcarlos]

Thanks for the replies... I have no idea how or why the pipes are routed This is my sister in laws new place... It is just a good example of Thai thought process (fact not bashing)...

[bankruatsteve]

Thanks for the replies... I have no idea how or why the pipes are routed This is my sister in laws new place... It is just a good example of Thai thought process (fact not bashing).

I'll just repeat... you would not have to do anything if <whoever> had just unfastened the threaded flange at the pump in/out. That saying not sure what you had before, but what you have now (like others) seems a bit strange. Maybe to rationalize the cost? Whatever.. seems you are happy with the help to SIL.

[sappersrest]

To be really serious if you do not get the pump plumed in properly with at least 1 inch on the suction side you will be buying another pump within the month.

Plumb in from the tank the largest connection you can then at the last fitting reduce down to 1 inch, the least bends and fittings the better.

[IMHO]

Just use a heat gun to separate the fittings for repairs. Works fast/easy.

Sounds like a need one.

BTW: have you tried to freely bend a heated PVC pipe?

A stepson did this quite fine over the gas cooker (!), needs some practice to find the correct heat/temperature.

Useful for some tricky angles like for the filter housings mounted to a wall.

Saves some tedious knee "gluing".

Absolutely - have used a heat gun to bend PVC pipe many, many times - in many cases it's the only logical way to get the pipes exactly where you want them. For things like the deck jets around my pool, it was the only way to create a constant pressure feed loop, without major pressure losses at the far end..

The only thing I have to point out is, you cannot use heat to separate pipes from fittings if you've used high pressure solvent (the blue label stuff you use on pools) - the technique only works with standard solvent.

For pools/spas, where you're using the high pressure glue, use unions - or buy valves etc with built-in unions for serviceability. For domestic plumbing, just buy a heat gun and separate fittings and re-glue them at will

For example, the main pump on my house has now been removed and refitted several times (removed for warranty repair, temp pump fitted, temp pump removed, original pump refitted, original pump removed, new more powerful pump fitted) - all using the same pipe/fittings

Edited March 11, 2016 by IMHO

[cornishcarlos]

Good to know about the heat gun