Be aware that when you dry-fit PVC, pieces will be much tighter than they will be glued. Joints are slightly smaller so that when the primer and cement are applied, the PVC will soften and allow for a snug fit.
Lesson 2
Assemble Your System
Back to: Build Your Hatchery
Cut Your PVC
PVC is a common material that has many uses in the hatchery, including plumbing for your tank system. At GreenWave, most of our plumbing uses Schedule 40 ¾” PVC piping.
PVC typically comes in long lengths that will have to be cut to your desired length. Since you’ll likely be using PVC for several different uses, it helps to have your own system on hand to size the material to your desired specifications. Below is a list of common tools used to cut PVC and the pros and cons of each method.
Types of PVC Cutters
Hack Saw
- Pros: Cheap, accessible, will cut almost any size
- Cons: Not practical for large projects, need a guide to cut straight lines, makes rough cuts
Sawzall
- Pros: Quick cutting
- Cons: Does not have a guide to create straight lines, more expensive
Pincher cutter
- Pros: Good for smaller pipes, inexpensive, guide to cut straight lines
- Cons: Only will cut up to a certain size
Table Saw
- Pros: Quick and even cutting
- Cons: Expensive
Circular/rotating cutter
- Pros: Cuts straight lines, good for large diameter pipes
- Cons: Not good for small spaces
If you plan to glue pieces of PVC together, first connect all the parts without glue so that you know everything fits; this is called dry-fitting. Mark on the PVC where one piece connects to the other. That way when you reassemble it with glue, you know which pieces connect together and what angle the corner pieces should be set at.
Industry Tip
PVC is great for set-ups that are going to be more permanent. If you want a small set-up that you can easily disassemble, you might choose to use flexible reinforced tubing instead. This allows for easy disconnection between tanks and equipment and can make moving and reinstalling the system easier.
There are likely times when you will need to make connections that are not PVC to PVC. One example is bringing PVC plumbing to a chiller. Most chillers have a barb attachment that connects to flexible hosing. If you want to connect reinforced flexible tubing, attach your joints with hose clamps.
