# Cold bending PVC



## zapped_electric (May 24, 2013)

Never tried.

what size were you bending??


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## MIKEFLASH (Apr 14, 2012)

Yeah ive done it with 3/4 you just roll it back and forth to create heat at the same time you bend it, with enough heat it will stay in that position.


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## Rochsolid (Aug 9, 2012)

zapped_electric said:


> Never tried.
> 
> what size were you bending??


We were bending half inch and 3/4"


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

I could bend 1/2 and 3/4 " pvc and EMT with my foot, 90's and kicks.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

doesn't work so good below freezing.....~CS~


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## rexowner (Apr 12, 2008)

Yes, and it will spring back over several days, not just in
the short term.

It is definitely doable, but you need to overbend it even if you think
you bent it far enough.


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## ohmontherange (May 7, 2008)

chicken steve said:


> doesn't work so good below freezing.....~CS~


snap


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

All PVC up to 32mm is cold bent here in NZ, we tend to make use of available factory fittings aswell, which make for a tidier looking install in my opinion.


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## George S (Aug 4, 2013)

I used to work with a guy that used his EMT Benders to bend PVC pipe. I was surprised how well it worked.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

I have always bent 1/2 and 3/4 with a foot bender up to and including 90s.
It's best to limit the outcome to underground work. :thumbsup:


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

chewy said:


> All PVC up to 32mm is cold bent here in NZ, we tend to make use of available factory fittings aswell, which make for a tidier looking install in my opinion.


You think pre-bent 90's are neater looking than a heated bend? I'd disagree. Clic hangers installed and then a blanket heater:thumbsup:


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

wendon said:


> You think pre-bent 90's are neater looking than a heated bend? I'd disagree. Clic hangers installed and then a blanket heater:thumbsup:


I fined them aesthictally pleasing, tight 90's not bananas.


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

chewy said:


> I fined them aesthictally pleasing, tight 90's not bananas.


With those ugly looking couplings? I prefer a nice heated bend with a longer radius and no couplings to snag on.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

wendon said:


> With those ugly looking couplings? I prefer a nice heated bend with a longer radius and no couplings to snag on.


Snag? Are you pulling on the outside of the conduit? Haha. There just isnt the time alloted to most jobs to warrant hand bending pvc here. Only thing I really bend is saddles and offsets. If its one run I might hand bend 90s but not if running to a rack or panel and theres heaps of them.


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

I use a lot of PVC for exposed work here so I make use of proper fittings quite often.

However my underground runs go in quick and fugly; cold bending, knee bending, even a scrap-and-coupling abortion like BBQ's parking lot conduit from a week or two ago.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

erics37 said:


> I use a lot of PVC for exposed work here so I make use of proper fittings quite often.
> 
> However my underground runs go in quick and fugly; cold bending, knee bending, even a scrap-and-coupling abortion like BBQ's parking lot conduit from a week or two ago.


:laughing:


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

Shockdoc said:


> I could bend 1/2 and 3/4 " pvc and EMT with my foot, 90's and kicks.


emt 90 with your foot, must be a real eye catcher:blink:


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

erics37 said:


> I use a lot of PVC for exposed work here so I make use of proper fittings quite often.
> 
> *However my underground runs go in quick and fugly;* cold bending, knee bending, even a scrap-and-coupling abortion like BBQ's parking lot conduit from a week or two ago.


best time to use all the scraps


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## mattd88 (Aug 3, 2013)

I worked on a acid regeneration plant a few years back. All the conduit in the plant had to be pvc. cold bending works fine for a duct bank but I prefer to use a shoe and a heat gun for exposed stuff smaller than 1 inch. It looks better and it doesnt make the conduit egg shaped and hard to pull thru.


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