Ideas for extending down pipes a half inch

Red_Beard

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Illustration Simpsons GIF by Juta Studio

"Look Geroldine, cardy-board tubes! Now we can have us some indoor plummin!"

I jest, that will work, but looks scabby.
 

VintageReefer

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Illustration Simpsons GIF by Juta Studio

"Look Geroldine, cardy-board tubes! Now we can have us some indoor plummin!"

I jest, that will work, but looks scabby.
This would work and is cheap and easy. This is a drain so it’s not a pressurized line, it’s gravity downflow, leaking chance is almost non existent. Pair it up with some heavy duty zip ties (I know. I’m getting even more ghetto) as a fail safe and call it a day. It’s behind the tank. Who cares lol
 

TangerineSpeedo

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I would just cut it somewhere in the middle, add a slip x slip coupling (please cement it), and then cut off whatever is extra on the bottom piece so that it fits.
Just adding a coupling will not give him the 1/2” he needs unfortunately. He is raising his Tank a 1/2 off the base with a piece of acrylic.
 
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JoJosReef

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Took some more pictures for detail and had a call with Frank. I'm probably sorted getting a PVC cutter, coupler and another union, but I'll have to draw it out to make sure it makes sense.

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VintageReefer

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Yes the union is the threaded sections that attach together.

The pipe is attached to each side of the union. The union half’s connect together by threads and a knuckle

9E582FF4-F311-47A3-A986-DAB397F78DD7.jpeg
 

VintageReefer

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Ok I’m super smart

Here’s what you do. You take this J section out. Cut out a section. Let’s aim for 8”. So mark and cut out 8” piece

Then measure that piece. Whoops its 8 1/4. Or maybe its perfect and 8. Whatever

Get a new piece of identical pvc and make a piece 1/2 longer than the one you removed. Then use two 1” - 1” couplers, glued on each end of the new improved piece. and reassemble into the J shape

Picture left as current with the marked section being your cuts. And right is reassembled with a new middle that’s cut 1/2” longer

8C88619E-4876-45F8-A99F-59A6F4BC8EBA.jpeg



4 couplings and 1’ of pvc should do it if you cut out 5” and make your new sections 5.5”
 
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JoJosReef

JoJosReef

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Would this be like the quote above, where instead you would cut out a 1/2" section of tube and then connect the teo ends with this 1" tube?
Ok I’m super smart

Here’s what you do. You take this J section out. Cut out a section. Let’s aim for 8”. So mark and cut out 8” piece

Then measure that piece. Whoops its 8 1/4. Or maybe its perfect and 8. Whatever

Get a new piece of identical pvc and make a piece 1/2 longer than the one you removed. Then use two 1” - 1” couplers, glued on each end of the new improved piece. and reassemble into the J shape

Picture left as current with the marked section being your cuts. And right is reassembled with a new middle that’s cut 1/2” longer

8C88619E-4876-45F8-A99F-59A6F4BC8EBA.jpeg



4 couplings and 1’ of pvc should do it if you cut out 5” and make your new sections 5.5”

Sounds like what Frank was telling me, but with a precut piece with accompanying unions @fishguy242
 

VintageReefer

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I think this would be harder to measure exactly what’s needed to remove. I don’t know how far pvc can slide into this adapter or how big it ends up being. It’s not 1” long. The measurements are the two sides. It’s 1” diameter x 1” diameter.
 
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B&CinB.C.

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Do you have room to put a true-union ball valve in each vertical pipe ? That should give you enough length to make it the size you need and would give you shut offs if you needed it .
 

VintageReefer

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@JoJosReef i don’t even understand the problem. So the tank was raised 1/2” but the plumbing doesn’t actually connect to anything in the sump. Why can’t the pvc enter the cutout 1/2” higher? Is there not 1/2” to spare? What about making the cut out 1/2” bigger?
 

Red_Beard

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1737403182294.png

That looks like a slip fitting, IE glued. That removes the nipple option. That said, either replace the whole of it, from that half union down, that will look the best and be cleanest, or second best would be to do like @VintageReefer suggested with 2 couplers and adding a slightly longer section between the 2.
1737403379030.png

The other couplers and compression fitting are pretty redneck dude. From my experience, the more redneck something looks, the more likely it is to fail. Not always, but pretty often. The reason you don't want to use just one coupler and half insert to get your length, is that you remove surface area for the glue to hold, remove pipe inside the fitting reducing torsion strength, and, that added gap between the pipe ends causes some additional turbulence which may result in noise. None of that is a deal breaker though, it would likely work, just def not good practice.
 

hoffmeyerz

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Bit of a bummer. My first thought, as mentioned by @Vintage reefer would be to make the cutout larger to accept the plumbing at the new height.
Short of that I personally would re-make the pipe run. Other than the re-make I'm in with @Red_Beard on the also previously mentioned cutout and longer pipe insert with couplings.
Seriously though, just get another union and remake the run, if you don't everytime you look at it you'll kick yourself in the butt for not doing it!!
 

Paul - LakesideReefer

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why not just add 2 new unions halfway down the pipes...the unions will add some length to the pipe.
 

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