Sprinkler Tools

[cabinetman]

I'm looking for a thread chaser for 1/2" inside and outside threads for PVC sprinkler pipe and heads. Other than standard taps and dies, are there simple dedicated tools to do this. Any suggestions?
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[drillman88]

They are prabaly npt. tapered pipe thread.A quality plumbing store should be able to tell you for sure and have the taps and dies you need.They may be a little pricey.

[Uncle Cracker]

Yes, they are NPT threads. Ace Hardware used to have an inside thread chaser. Maybe they still do, but I don't see it on their website. The sprinkler guys usually just file serrations into the threads of a galvanized nipple (for inside) and galvanized cap (for outside) but, since most threaded components now in use in irrigation are plastic, they don't respond well to any kind of forced thread cleaning. If they don't crack, they still usually leak like crazy. It's just too easy to bugger up those plastic threads.

[wardprobst]

Cman,

Living in irrigation country, the guys around here just replace parts rather than attempt to clean them up. I have repaired some but it's very time consuming compared to replacement.
HTH,
DP

[cabinetman]

Cman,

Living in irrigation country, the guys around here just replace parts rather than attempt to clean them up. I have repaired some but it's very time consuming compared to replacement.
HTH,
DP

Ordinarily that's what I do. But I have one "T" in the main line that will require a lot of digging and exposure to replace it. It's the first thread or two in a female fitting, and It would be nice to try to clear it if I could. A male fitting doesn't get enough turns, and blows out. I'm going to try a steel pipe thread to see if it will chase the thread.
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[Uncle Cracker]

If push comes to shove, C-Man, and you can't get it chased out, take that male PVC fitting that has been blowing out, and glue it into the female fitting with PVC cement. That may give those two threads the extra hold they need to stay together for you. Worst that can happen is that it doesn't work and you gotta replace the fitting anyway. There's a couple other workarounds that you might try also, but only as a last resort. Let me know if you need to try them.

[cabinetman]

If push comes to shove, C-Man, and you can't get it chased out, take that male PVC fitting that has been blowing out, and glue it into the female fitting with PVC cement. That may give those two threads the extra hold they need to stay together for you. Worst that can happen is that it doesn't work and you gotta replace the fitting anyway. There's a couple other workarounds that you might try also, but only as a last resort. Let me know if you need to try them.

That's a good idea for a quick fix. Thanks for the suggestion, I may just do that. With my luck it will go bad and I'll be back to square one. My next "watering day" is Sunday, so, sometime before that, I'll first try the pipe chasing with a steel pipe. I thought the box stores sold hand tools to "tap" or "die" PVC fittings. One other problem is that the extension I'm using in the fitting is CPVC (the gray stuff), not PVC (the white or black stuff), and the threads may be slightly different. I don't have PVC ones to try out.
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[Uncle Cracker]

They are probably all tapered plumbing threads, unless made for electrical use only. PVC also comes in gray (and a few other colors, too).

Remember, too, when chasing plastic threads with a metal tool, go in a quarter turn, and back out again, then go in a quarter past where you were before, and back out again, etc. etc. etc. Otherwise, the metal will split the plastic. You've gotta keep shavings out of the threads as much as possible, too.