How to Bend PVC Pipe
Use hot sand to fill the pipe and bend it without collapsing., Heat your oven to 425 °F (281.3 °C)., Fill the pipe with sand so that it is a few inches past the bend., Pour the sand into a oven-safe dish and put it in the oven., Carefully pour the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Use hot sand to fill the pipe and bend it without collapsing.
Under too much heat and stress, the PVC may crack or warp without a medium inside to help it hold its shape.
The best candidate — sand.
Get enough sand to fill up the pipe a few inches past the planned bend.
You may need to use some tape to block one end of the pipe and keep the sand in.
Try not to bend the pipe any closer than 3–5" away from a joint. -
Step 2: Heat your oven to 425 °F (281.3 °C).
You don't need to wait for it to pre-heat completely, but turn it on now to get some heat built up. , Block off one end of the pipe and measure out how much sand you'll need to fill the pipe with sand.
You don't have to fill the entire pipe, just fill it until the sand is a few inches past where you plan to bend the PVC. , Let the sand heat up with the oven.
After the oven has hit 425 °F (281.3 °C), leave the sand in an extra five to six minutes to get up to the right temperature.
If you have a lot of sand, more than two to three cups, stir it halfway through so that the sand heats up evenly., Make sure you wear protective gloves or oven mitts.
Let the sand heat the pipe up for a few minutes, until the PVC feels pliable. , Once the pipe is soft, it should easily bend by hand.
For a rounder, more even bend, use an old can or similar round, heatproof object and bend the pipe around that. , Leave the pipe undisturbed and let it cool back to room temperature.
Do not try and bend the pipe again once you've removed the sand.
You can also save the sand to use later, reheating it as many times as you want to bend new pipes. -
Step 3: Fill the pipe with sand so that it is a few inches past the bend.
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Step 4: Pour the sand into a oven-safe dish and put it in the oven.
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Step 5: Carefully pour the hot sand back into the PVC pipe.
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Step 6: Slowly bend the pipe into your desired shape.
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Step 7: Empty the sand out and let the pipe cool.
Detailed Guide
Under too much heat and stress, the PVC may crack or warp without a medium inside to help it hold its shape.
The best candidate — sand.
Get enough sand to fill up the pipe a few inches past the planned bend.
You may need to use some tape to block one end of the pipe and keep the sand in.
Try not to bend the pipe any closer than 3–5" away from a joint.
You don't need to wait for it to pre-heat completely, but turn it on now to get some heat built up. , Block off one end of the pipe and measure out how much sand you'll need to fill the pipe with sand.
You don't have to fill the entire pipe, just fill it until the sand is a few inches past where you plan to bend the PVC. , Let the sand heat up with the oven.
After the oven has hit 425 °F (281.3 °C), leave the sand in an extra five to six minutes to get up to the right temperature.
If you have a lot of sand, more than two to three cups, stir it halfway through so that the sand heats up evenly., Make sure you wear protective gloves or oven mitts.
Let the sand heat the pipe up for a few minutes, until the PVC feels pliable. , Once the pipe is soft, it should easily bend by hand.
For a rounder, more even bend, use an old can or similar round, heatproof object and bend the pipe around that. , Leave the pipe undisturbed and let it cool back to room temperature.
Do not try and bend the pipe again once you've removed the sand.
You can also save the sand to use later, reheating it as many times as you want to bend new pipes.
About the Author
Jennifer Graham
Writer and educator with a focus on practical cooking knowledge.
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