Can PVC fittings be taken apart?

Saggs

I have a 3" fitting leaking at the joint w/ no extra pipe tp cut and install a coupling. Is there a way to remove the elbow from the pipe w/ out trashing the pipe and be a ble to reuse it w/ a new fitting? There is a massive conglomeration of pipes and fittings in this area and removing this one would be alot easier and cheaper. Does heat or other chemicals work?

Singh_9

drill bit

there is a drill bit that you can attach to your drill . I forget the name. But you would cut the pipe flush with the fitting, then drill out the rest. It is sized to remove the pipe without oversizing the fitting. Prime and glue generously.

I have used this and then pressure tested up to 5psi and holds well.

Bob Vennerbeck

Socket Saver

I have used 'PlumBest Socket Savers' in 3" and 4" PVC with good luck - but they allow one to cut the PIPE and drill out to reuse the fitting - which is the opposite of the solution you are looking for - unless you can figure out a way to cut back to the next good fitting in each direction, and then replace short lengths of pipe and the fitting - if it's all a tight fit, you might not be able to reassemble entirely with PVC - I'm not real partial to the rubber fittings, but they do work, and are available in els and tees, not just straight couplings.

You can soften PVC with heat, and with chemicals - but not in any controllable fashion that would allow the joints to come apart, and certainly not leave the pipe in condition to be reassembled

Good luck!

Vbob

Big Will

If you take your time. You can cut the fitting with a hacksaw
parallel with the pipe in three or four places. Take a chisel and a hammer and tap at the fittings edge were the pipe goes in. It has worked for me many times it helps if the pipe is warm. You do have to cut the fitting in the center first. If you really take your time though you should be able to remove the fitting in three or four pieces. Sometimes you lose a bit of the end of the pipe but it usually is not enough to make a difference. If the pipe was not primed or poorly glued it goes real easy.

Unknown

If you have lots of patience this sometimes works, if the pipe and fitting aren't "welded" too tightly together. Cut off the hub of the elbow with a saws-all, so that the cut is real close to the end of the pipe. Then with a small angel grinder or Dremel with a cutting wheel, cut through the 1 1/2" wide piece of the remaining hub that's remaining, but don't cut into the pipe. Then, about 1/2 - 3/4" away, make another cut. Then, with a small wood chisel and hammer, attempt to knock out the piece of plastic between the two cuts. Then with the chisel point between the pipe and remaining piece of the hub, carefully try to separate them with the hammer. You may have to file some high spots off the pipe before a new fitting will properly fit on the pipe. Also, apply the cleaner 2 or 3 times before gluing on the new fitting. I hope that works for you.

Saggs

Thankyou all for the replies. This is encouraging and I'm sure I can get one of these methods to work. Thanks Again!!

Mitch_6

Ram bits

We use ram bits, our trucks carry 1.5 to 3" in the truck. We cut the pipe flush to the hub and drill the rest out. You have to work the bit back and forth and a little in reverse but it does a good job. The bits appear to last indefinitely.

One trick is to cut the shaft short and put a flat spot on it with a grinder or file. It lets you get in tighter. Make sure you have a good 1/2" drill, variable speed with a handle on it.

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