How to Cut PVC Pipe Straight

The socket of a PVC fitting tapers from larger at the start of the socket to smaller at the rear or socket seat.

Cutting a PVC pipe straight is vital to the success of your PVC pipe installation. The importance of a straight-cut lies in the construction of the PVC fitting. The socket of a PVC fitting is tapered from larger at the opening of the socket to smaller at the interior seat of the socket. If the cut end of your PVC pipe is not straight, the end of the pipe will not seat evenly in the socket. This will allow an area for water to bypass the PVC and you will then have a water leak in the completed PVC connection.

Things You'll Need

• PVC pipe
• Tape measure
• Permanent marker
• Safety glasses
• Power miter box with an abrasive blade
• Utility knife

Instructions

1. Lay the length of PVC pipe flat on a stable work surface and stretch the tape measure along the PVC pipe.

2. Place a mark at the length you need to cut the PVC pipe with the permanent marker.

3. Put on your safety glasses and slide the length of PVC pipe into the power miter box.

4. Align the cut mark with the abrasive blade of the power miter bow, start the power miter box and slowly pull the spinning abrasive blade of the miter box toward and through the PVC pipe. Make sure that the PVC pipe is resting tightly against the guide of the power miter box to ensure that you achieve a straight cut.

5. Remove the straight-cut PVC pipe from the power miter box and run the blade of the utility knife around the inside of the PVC pipe to remove the burr left on the PVC pipe from the cutting process.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not drop the abrasive cutting wheel quickly onto the surface of the PVC pipe, as this could cause the PVC pipe to shatter.

References

• Hometime: Plumbing