90 degree conduit sweeps for plumbing near pump and filter

[Sneaky D]

Just had to replace my pump and want to revise my plumbing between the pump and filter. Is there any reason I can't use the gray 2" conduit 90 sweeps for my plumbing? I guess I'm more worried if I ever go to sell my house if there is any sort of official code that would prevent this. All the pipes will be painted tan so it won't be an eye sore. At the pressures pool pumps run I doubt there would be any burst or leak issues.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

What grey conduit are you talking about? Grey conduit is typically for electrical work only and it’s not designed for pressurized water applications. Plumbing code requires Schedule 40 PVC (white) or better. Drain Waste Vent (DWV) pipe is not allowed as the glue joints are too short. SCH80 PVC pipe or CPVC (chemical PVC) can be used but that’s overkill and more expensive.

It’s very rare to find standard SCH40 PVC sweeps in hardware stores. You typically can only get sweeps online.

 

[Jimrahbe]

S,

Sweeps instead of 90's will not make a lick of difference at your equipment pad.

Jim R.

 

[4xWTub]

According to a PDF published by pipe manufacturer Orion (part of Watts company), there is a measurable difference in pressure loss in sweeps vs regular 90 degree elbows. The pressure loss numbers vary by different pipe diameters. See the attached PDF, or here is a download link: https://media.wattswater.com/Orion-HP-FrictionLoss.pdf

I agree that the gray PVC pipe/conduit is (by Code) meant for electrical conduit. It is not pressure rated. A local building / code inspector may not approve substituting gray conduit for Schedule 40 pipe. Where I am the gray conduit recently was roughly twice the price of same-size Schedule 40 PVC pipe.

If one wanted to use sweep elbows with PVC Schedule 40 water pipe, they are available. For instance, 1.5" PVC sweep:

406-015S - Spears 406-015S - 1-1/2" PVC Sch. 40 90° Sweep Elbow

Spears 406-015S - 1-1/2" PVC Sch. 40 90° Sweep Elbow - PVC Sch. 40 90° Sweep Elbow

www.supplyhouse.com

There is a price to pay for that sweep though, as a regular 1.5" elbow is less than half the price of the sweep:

SupplyHouse.com - Plumbing, Heating & HVAC Supplies - SupplyHouse.com

SupplyHouse.com offers HVAC, PEX, radiant heat, hydronic heating and plumbing supplies. Shop now for great prices on PEX Tubing, thermostats, fittings & more.

www.supplyhouse.com

 

[Jimrahbe]

Tub,

In the real world, the difference between having an equipment pad with 90's and a pad with sweeps is so small that without instrumentation you can't tell the difference.

It makes a tiny bit of difference when the pump is running at 3450 RPM, but that is not what VS pumps are designed to do.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Newdude]

+1. It's huge in drainage with no pressure. Also a big deal with miles and miles of municipal water spidering through all the neighborhoods.

100-200 feet of 2 inch plumbing and a dozen or so elbows will never see the difference.

You are entirely correct, but not in a way that will ever matter. If you have easy access to the sweeps they certainly won't hurt or break the bank.

 

[Newdude]

*for comparison, your home has 100 or so hard 90s with 1/2 inch pipes and the pump / water tower is 25 (?) miles away, yet not one of our homes has sweeps on the tap water.

 

[Sneaky D]

What grey conduit are you talking about? Grey conduit is typically for electrical work only and it’s not designed for pressurized water applications. Plumbing code requires Schedule 40 PVC (white) or better. Drain Waste Vent (DWV) pipe is not allowed as the glue joints are too short. SCH80 PVC pipe or CPVC (chemical PVC) can be used but that’s overkill and more expensive.

It’s very rare to find standard SCH40 PVC sweeps in hardware stores. You typically can only get sweeps online.

Yes, the gray PVC conduit sweeps. They are a lot easier to find at hardware stores wasn’t sure the plumbing code would apply to pool equipment since it’s exposed and not used for drinking water or anything like that.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Yes, the gray PVC conduit sweeps. They are a lot easier to find at hardware stores wasn’t sure the plumbing code would apply to pool equipment since it’s exposed and not used for drinking water or anything like that.

Pool code follows the plumbing code. If an inspector saw that, and they were smart enough to know the difference (a stretch for most inspectors), it would fail inspection. You can certainly do the incorrect thing and hide it with spray paint but you’re only creating future problems for “the next guy”. No one ever likes it when they repair something in their home only to find out that the builder or last home owner did a shoddy and incorrect job. So don’t be that guy! Do it the right way and get it done.

And, as others have said, sweeps don’t really make a big improvement. Your hydraulic efficiency is not at all limited by the plumbing. There are other aspects of the pool that add much greater head loss to the system than a 90° elbow.

 

[Newdude]

I'd be most concerned about the smaller collar and less glue. You just KNOW it would wait until the cruise ship left port on your 2 week adventure to pop.

 

[Sneaky D]

*for comparison, your home has 100 or so hard 90s with 1/2 inch pipes and the pump / water tower is 25 (?) miles away, yet not one of our homes has sweeps on the tap water.

I get what you are saying, but the tap in a bathroom is maybe 1.5 GPM with an aerator. Even showers are maybe 2.5GPM. With the pool it seems there is a lot more water to move especially with a pump set on high. I know the pipes are bigger (mine is 2”). Just looking to improve flow and experiment with my system.

 

[Sneaky D]

I'd be most concerned about the smaller collar and less glue. You just KNOW it would wait until the cruise ship left port on your 2 week adventure to pop.

Hahaha! I always wanted a skatepark in my backyard!

 

[Newdude]

Just looking to improve flow and experiment with my system.

If $3 extra in sweep elbows helps you sleep better, please, by ALL means. It will be a $25 copay at the Dr and co-pays up the wazoo for Ambien to sleep better that way.

But use the *correct* sweep elbows.

 

[Sneaky D]

Pool code follows the plumbing code. If an inspector saw that, and they were smart enough to know the difference (a stretch for most inspectors), it would fail inspection. You can certainly do the incorrect thing and hide it with spray paint but you’re only creating future problems for “the next guy”. No one ever likes it when they repair something in their home only to find out that the builder or last home owner did a shoddy and incorrect job. So don’t be that guy! Do it the right way and get it done.

And, as others have said, sweeps don’t really make a big improvement. Your hydraulic efficiency is not at all limited by the plumbing. There are other aspects of the pool that add much greater head loss to the system than a 90° elbow.

Ok cool, that’s really the answer I was looking for. I’ll just order some online. Would be nice if they were more readily available but seems like overkill for most plumbing situations.

 

[4xWTub]

*for comparison, your home has 100 or so hard 90s with 1/2 inch pipes and the pump / water tower is 25 (?) miles away, yet not one of our homes has sweeps on the tap water.

Well, some houses do not have hard 90s. All the fresh water piping in my house is PEX, and that Pex intentionally has 'curved' continuous Pex instead of 90 / 45 degree fittings. Eliminating as many fittings as possible has the added benefit of minimizing potential 'in wall' leaks. In my case it was important to me to set up the fresh water plumbing to minimize pressure loss as the house is on top of a big hill, approximately 125 vertical feet above the water meter. Even though my meter connection is 3/4", I used 1" pipe to get to the house, and 3/4" Pex for the individual branch lines in the walls.

There are even 'support guides' for Pex to facilitate corners with continuous Pex:

A5150750 - Uponor (Wirsbo) A5150750 - 3/4" Plastic Bend Support

Uponor (Wirsbo) A5150750 - 3/4" Plastic Bend Support - Plastic Bend Support (glass-reinforced nylon) provides rigid 90-degree bend for PEX tubing.

www.supplyhouse.com

 

[Newdude]

Well, some houses do not have hard 90s. All the fresh water piping in my house is PEX, and that Pex intentionally has 'curved' Pex instead of a 90 / 45 degree fittings.

Touche' With remodels there is usually less room to work /sweep and a plethora of 90s are available for use.

Pex is swept when possible, not for the head loss, but for the simple fact that no connection is better than a connection that will eventually fail.

 

[Sneaky D]

According to a PDF published by pipe manufacturer Orion (part of Watts company), there is a measurable difference in pressure loss in sweeps vs regular 90 degree elbows. The pressure loss numbers vary by different pipe diameters. See the attached PDF, or here is a download link: https://media.wattswater.com/Orion-HP-FrictionLoss.pdf

I agree that the gray PVC pipe/conduit is (by Code) meant for electrical conduit. It is not pressure rated. A local building / code inspector may not approve substituting gray conduit for Schedule 40 pipe. Where I am the gray conduit recently was roughly twice the price of same-size Schedule 40 PVC pipe.

If one wanted to use sweep elbows with PVC Schedule 40 water pipe, they are available. For instance, 1.5" PVC sweep:

406-015S - Spears 406-015S - 1-1/2" PVC Sch. 40 90° Sweep Elbow

Spears 406-015S - 1-1/2" PVC Sch. 40 90° Sweep Elbow - PVC Sch. 40 90° Sweep Elbow

www.supplyhouse.com

There is a price to pay for that sweep though, as a regular 1.5" elbow is less than half the price of the sweep:

SupplyHouse.com - Plumbing, Heating & HVAC Supplies - SupplyHouse.com

SupplyHouse.com offers HVAC, PEX, radiant heat, hydronic heating and plumbing supplies. Shop now for great prices on PEX Tubing, thermostats, fittings & more.

www.supplyhouse.com

Hey that PDF is pretty interesting. Yea looks like its basically 4.3 feet added for a sweep vs 5.5 feet for a regular 90.

Funny thing... I was as at Lesley's a really long time ago their tech was telling me how they used 45s for everything and that it took 7 45s to equal the restriction of a 90. This data clearly doesn't support that.

 

[sktn77a]

A 90 degree sweep (make sure it's Sch40) has half the pipe length equivalent of a standard 90 (4 feet vs 8 feet). You can decide whether it's worth it to you.