Hello all,
Some aquarium plumbing advice here for those who are going to “hard plumb” their system using PVC. There are many other details about how to properly join PVC pipe and fittings when hard pluming an aquarium but I will detail those in another entry. This one is pretty important though. After you cut PVC pipe, bevel before you do anything else. Bevels are widely available at hardware stores and the internet.
Many to choose from on Amazon.com
This is a good one. Click on any of this blue text to be sent directly to this tool.
This one is decent and half the price if you aren’t doing this sort of thing that often.
You can also find them in the PVC section at your local hardware store. I’ve even used a fine-toothed file in a pinch or on large diameter pipe. You are just looking to put a 45 degree angle all around the cut.
When you cut PVC, it makes a slight lip on the pipe. You can feel this slight lip with your fingers more effectively than just looking at it, unless you have bionic cyborg eyes. This slight lip can sometimes cause leaks in joints after you solvent them together because it can act like a squeegee as you fit pipe and fittings together. When you bevel a cut, it will help to evenly spread the solvent as you push them together.
So now that you know this, you might be thinking, “Well crud, I didn’t do that. Should I tear my plumbing out and redo it?”. To which I would reply, “Is it leaking?”. If it ain’t broke, no need to fix it. Leaks in a plumbing job will pretty much be apparent right away or at least within the first hour.
I hope this helps you do a better job if you decide to hard plumb your aquarium system. No one wants leaky plumbing. Thanks for reading!
Recent Comments