DC piping material

[jussi]

What type of material do you guys use to pipe your DC? The only 4" (non perforated) material I can find at the borgs seem to be ABS. No PVC in that size. Is that ok?

[JR]

Yes, that should be fine. I started out with PVC, but it was overkill - too expensive as compared to the white sewer and drain stuff you can find at HD. S&D is cheap, light weight and easy to use. Plus the connectors have just the right amount of give to facilitate that hammer blow required to make the thing fit. Once your set up you can tape the joints with duct tape if you want to.

Since it sounds like you're just getting started with DC plumbing, I'll add that there is no universal truth and there are no easy answers. Each solution will require some amount of invention on your part to make what you have match what you want.

Good luck and have fun!

JR

[LarryG]

I also used S&D pipe, but mine is the green variety which I think has a slightly different wall thickness than the white. Here, Lowe's carries the green stuff but HD does not (or didn't the last time I looked); at even at Lowe's, it's in a separate section from the regular Schedule 40 PVC, along with an accompanying assortment of styrene fittings. You will be able to recognize the last by their prices: they are a TON cheaper than PVC.

+1, or maybe +1,000, on JR's "no universal truth and no easy answers" statement. It is absolutely astounding how many different ideas there are out there as to exactly what constitutes a "four-inch fitting."

[dbhost]

4" S&D, non perforated. White outside, black inside. Cheap cheap cheap... Effective too.

[steve-norrell]

I found lots of variation in thickness among the so-called 4" pipe available at the orange and blue Borg and local establishments. They usually would not accept one or another of the fittings.

I finally found some at a plumbing supply place that accepted those 'PVC-to-hose' and other fittings --- and the pipe was much, much less expensive than the usual retail outlets.

Best advice would be to take some fittings with you to make sure they fit.

Regards, Steve

[Kristofor]

I used S&D as well (gray color from Lowes in my case) for Dust collection. At the time the HD by me didn't have any (they do now) and it was much cheaper than Schedule 40. These days the prices of both are lower, but I would still use the S&D as it's lighter.

I make myself feel stupid anytime I setup/change a run though, as I seem to have issues with fittings... With PVC it's a snap and aways fits correctly, with S&D it always seems to be a struggle. It did become somewhat easier once I decided to simply use couplers and cut off all the flared ends, but it still seems to be a bit of a pain.

[Sid]

Am I the only one that uses round metal furnace duct? Works fine for me . . . cheap, available, easy to change, no static/grounding problems.

Sid