How to Join 6" PVC to 6" HDPE drain pipe

[toddler]

Hi,
I have 230' of smooth interior double wall corrugated outside HDPE pipe, and 130' of schedule 40 6" PVC. At some point, I'm going to need to join the two together.
Is there a special adapter made for something like this? I can't find one online.
Thanks,
Todd

 

[dave1949]

These are often used. Known as "fernco's"

Fernco Flexible Couplings and Adapters | Fernco

 

[kenmac]

As a plumbing contractor, I use fernco fittings a lot. Great fittings when you have to adapt from 1 material to another

 

[rockinmywaypa]

I clicked on this thread to tell you what to use, two guys beat me to it.

 

[toddler]

Thanks for the quick replies.

I have seen 4" versions of those at HomeDepot, but I thought they were rubber, not PVC. The PVC part will clearly be ok to bury, but if this is to join PVC to HDPE that will be 7' underground, will the metal band clamp part survive? Or is the metal part unnecessary once it's buried since the dirt will apply pressure too? I supposed I could put it on, and paint over it with plasti dip before we back fill if I want to protect the metal for 30 or 50 years.

 

[kenmac]

Fernco fittings are rubber Not PVC. They are made to connect different types of material together. PVC to Cast iron Is what I mostly use them for. You can also connect material of the same type together PVC to PVC ,etc, The metal bands are Stainless steel. I've never had 1 to rust

 

[HeLa]

there are glues that claim adhesion to PVC and HPDE. the primary application is probably to allow use of PVC fittings with HDPE pipe.

that being said, if it's just one connection that you plan to make i would go with the fernco's as mentioned above.

afaik, joining pipes of varying material with glue won't pass an inspection. probably because they two materials could respond differently to changes in temperature, humidity, etc... and compromise the connection. fernco's are OK for this application, at least here.

 

[dave1949]

Fernco's are tough and well made, as Kenmac said. I wonder though about burying a potential weak spot 7' deep.

If you ever have to dig it up, the cost savings of using what pipe you have on-hand will look small down the road maybe.

In any case, if you bury that coupling, mark the spot somehow so you can easily find it years later--then hope you never need to. :laughing:

 

[toddler]

Thanks guys.
The HDPE may be used for the run to daylight of the foundation drain or the catch basins at the basement stairs. I don't know if we need 6" drain pipe for a foundation perimeter drains, but I got a good price on it. We'll also have a catch basin at the bottom of a stairwell that goes into the basement, and that will exit via a pipe going under the foundation and then all the way to daylight. The HDPE may be best suited for that purpose. Those runs are probably 250 feet before they see daylight. The HDPE seemed like overkill, but better overkill than collapsed pipe.

The PVC may be used for the gutter down spout collection and their run to to daylight where they go under the driveway.
I don't know if I'll need to join the pipe types, but I wanted to know it was possible, just in case.

We're building a house, and this is a case of my getting a good deal on some construction materials but not knowing exactly where it should be used. I honestly just figured it was better quality than what we'd use if I didn't buy it. Does foundation perimeter drain need to be 6" in diameter? If not, the 4" is a lot less money!

Thanks,
Todd

 

[CurlyDave]

...We're building a house, and this is a case of my getting a good deal on some construction materials but not knowing exactly where it should be used. I honestly just figured it was better quality than what we'd use if I didn't buy it. Does foundation perimeter drain need to be 6" in diameter? If not, the 4" is a lot less money!

Thanks,
Todd

I am not a contractor, but a "very advanced amateur" in the house building and construction areas. I have built two houses, one detached garage, and numerous upgrades (roofs, fences, retaining walls, concrete slabs, combination slab and retaining wall footings, re-plumbed several houses, and new electrical in an entire house). In my early life, the most expensive projects I did always involved getting a good deal, or maybe even free, construction materials and then trying to engineer the whole project, or a major component, around this "screaming deal".

After I added up the extra cost and looked at the cost of using the right materials in the first place, I always lost thousands, if not tens of thousands, on projects involving this kind of "saving".

When I sat down, looked at the problems, and the extra cost I decided not to do this any more. When I actually stopped doing it was a big part of the step from "amateur" to "advanced amateur".

The real bottom line here is that you need to pay a soils engineer to look at the type of soil you have, and the configuration of the grades and house to decide if you need 6" or 4" foundation perimeter drain. The part of the pipe where you collect water needs to be perforated and maybe socked pipe. (The holes go down, at 4 and 6 o'clock, not up.) The pipe that conducts the water away should be solid.