How to Connect PVC Pipe to Copper Pipe
PVC is not a pipe you can use in your home because of building codes, but it is often used for basic plumbing in irrigation systems or to connect sink drains to the home plumbing. You cannot, however, just thread a PVC pipe onto an existing copper pipe. Instead, you will need to purchase a specially designed copper-to-PVC connector piece designed specifically to join the plastic PVC pipe to the copper plumbing. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Locate the end of the copper pipe you wish to connect to PVC. You may need to excavate ground around the pipe. You may also need to cut off the end of the pipe if the pipe has been previously capped in any way.
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Clean off the copper pipe to ensure there is no grit or grime around the edges. This will help ensure a water-tight connection.
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Place the rubber fitting over the end of the copper pipe. Push the fitting onto the pipe until it stops moving.
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Insert the end of the PVC pipe into the other side of the rubber fitting. Push the PVC pipe as far into the fitting as it will go.
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Make sure the sealing bands -- the steel bands encircling either end of the fitting -- are in place over the pipes, then tighten the bands down by turning the screws clockwise with your screwdriver. Continue tightening until you are unable to tighten any further. This will ensure a water-tight seal around the pipes.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure you purchase the correct diameter pipe couplings. They should be just large enough to allow your pipe to slide in without much room around the pipe walls. If they slide in with no resistance, your couplings are too large.
Never connect a PVC male adapter to a copper female adapter. In the presence of heat or water friction, PVC can shrink dramatically and the joint will eventually fail.
Check your local building code to be sure PVC is acceptable for the application you are installing or repairing.
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