There are a couple of drain pipe materials and fittings you can use for the plumbing in your bathroom including: plastic pipe, copper piping and black ABS pipe. Installing plastic drainpipe (PVC) is cheaper and easier to install than copper piping but the trade-off is that it takes a little more planning because once the pipe is glued, it cannot be adjusted. The only way to correct the problem would be to cut out the section and start from scratch again which is why it is important to make a preliminary drawing of your drain pipes and vent assembly before attempting to put your plumbing pipes together.

"Summary: PVC plastic drain pipes have become a popular plumbing supply for plumbers installing drain pipes and fitting in residential homes. Working with plastic drainpipe is easier and cheaper to install than copper pipes because plastic pipe is easier to cut and join the fittings but the trade off is that working with plastic drain pipes takes a little more planning."

The tools and materials you will need when working with plastic PVC drainpipes are:

1) A miter box (to keep the cut square and hold the pipe in place while cutting).

2) A power miter saw with a fine cutting blade (is most accurate) or PVC saw or plastic pipe saw (which is made specifically for cutting plastic).

3) A felt tip marker for marking adjoining pipes so when they are taken apart they can be accurately put back together along the felt marked lines.

4) A deburring tool for removing the burrs from cutting the pipes to length.

5) Primer and PVC cement (make sure you choose the correct brand made specifically for your type of pipe and remember the applicator should normally be just about half the diameter of the pipe you are joining so you don’t have to dip in the container more than once)

Work methodically to make sure you measure and cut your pipes accurately. When cutting, it is very important to include the length of the pipe “inside the fitting” in your measurement. You can remove excess shivers of plastic with a deburring tool, which fits over the end of your cut pipe and you twist to get rid of the burs of plastic. If you don’t have a deburring tool, you can simply use an x-acto knife.

Before you glue your PVC pipes together its always good to first do a “dry assembly” without the glue to ensure your PVC pipes are properly spaced, at the right angles and point in the proper direction. To check your plumbing design, using a felt marker, mark the pipes with alignment lines and number each pipe and joint so when you disassemble the dry run to glue the pieces back together again, all the sections can be assembled in the correct order.

Now you are ready to put everything together for real. Disassemble your PVC pipes (dry assembly) and apply primer (this cleans the surfaces) to the pipe’s end and to the inside of the fitting. Apply the primer so that it is moist but not dripping. It is also import to make sure the primer stays clean, if debris gets on the primer; the joint seal will not be as secure as it should be. For the following part you have to work speedily because the cement dries quickly. Next apply the cement to one end of the PVC pipe and to the inside of the adjacent fitting and fit the two pieces together in their predefined order by twisting so the alignment marks line up. Hold briefly then wipe off any excess with a damp cloth. Wait a minute then move on to the next section of your pipe assembly. The great thing about this procedure is that after about twenty to thirty minutes you can run un-pressurized water through your PVC pipes without a problem.

Reader comment:

"PVC is a wonderful way to update any waste system, not only is it cheaper, lighter, and flexible but after 10yrs of use it remains easy to work with, repair and replace if any washers or seals go bad. And replacing the pipe usually isn’t necessary, not to mention it is way faster to cut to size and PVC can be fitted 2 different ways permanently using primer… More cement is typically used on a main waste set up or standard thread such as p-traps (to prevent backup and returning odour), overflow and standard drainage to the main pipes, and the great thing is almost anyone can do this themselves. Regardless, copper pipes will be needed when supplying water, otherwise ipex lines can be used which cost more but is a better insulated material that will last about 50+yrs, and remember to always recycle copper when updating!" 

-Clint Shirley-

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