Flex PVC and Winter... leave in or pull it out?

[michey1st]

Hey Guys! I recently appropriated some FlexPVC tubing to replace the corrugated stuff I had been using.

Some background, with the corrugated stuff, I had it "buried" in a raised flower bed (so, still above ground level, but under a bunch of dirt) to feed my bog from the pond. I fished it through a buried PVC pipe to sort of protect it so I didn't have to stare at hoses all summer. The first winter, it ended up busting even though the pumps were off and I thought the pipes were drained, but perhaps not in hindsight, lol. Since then, I have been pulling it out for the winter.

Now that I have "the good stuff" (ie flex pvc), i'm wondering, is it safe to bury in my raised bed (so, still above ground level but under flowerbed soil and behind rocks) for the winter? If I make sure they really are drained when I pull the pump and disconnect the bog, will it be safe? I'm not opposed to fishing it through PVC so I can pull it out, but i'm wondering if that is really necessary. My preliminary research says it should be fine, but wondering what your experience is?

Thanks for the advice!
Michey

 

[RobAmy]

You will be fine. My flex PVC is buried and above ground with no issues at all and I am a bit colder then you. Some of my buried might only be 2" under the dirt and mulch. I would still drain them. If you need them fernco fittings make great connections with that stuff. Make sure you use the blue pvc cement for the flex pvc.

 

[snoozer]

Mine runs 40 foot to the header pond for the waterfall and is only under 2 to 4 inches of dirt. I hook the hose on my shop vac to the exhaust port and blow the water from the lines when I shut everything down for the winter. I haven't had any issues doing it this way.

 

[michey1st]

Thank you both! You've confirmed my suspicions! RobAmy, what's the advantage of using Fernco fittings vs the regular Schedule 40?

 

[RobAmy]

what's the advantage of using Fernco fittings vs the regular Schedule 40

If you need to disconnect anything for something like draining for the winter, it will come apart very easy. The Schedule 40 is glue together where the fernco is a clamp. I use both and both work great

 

[snoozer]

I didn't know the clamp fittings had a name, I just use them. Glad i learned this, I was running out of time to learn something today.

 

[addy1]

I have the rubber fittings on a lot of my pipes makes it real easy to pull the pump for the winter. I also disconnect some pipes so they are open for the winter. Some do keep a little water in them but have not split with freezing

 

[michey1st]

If y'all had a choice between a fernco and a PVC Union (the kind with the screwy together bits and the connecting o-ring), which would you go with? I know the Unions are more expensive, but if it's a matter of my pond emptying out because of a flimsy connection, i'd rather spend the extra $$. My main connection of concern is where the flexPVC will join the bog piping. That particular connection is out of the water and has the potential to drip into the surrounding flowerbeds if there's a leak.

 

[addy1]

I use the screw type anywhere this is pressure , the rubber type mainly on the draw side. I did have the rubber type release on the out flow side of the pump, now it has screw connections.

 

[addy1]

When I release for the winter I coat the o ring with silicone grease, and cover the end of the pipe with netting to keep critters out of the pipes

 

[mgmine]

I use PVC unions on my UV light which is piped with schedule 40 and Fernco on the pump which is piped with flex pvc . The unions are a more permanent way of connecting things however so I would go with them. When gluing the flex pvc they would be easy as long as you take the union apart because you are only gluing a small fitting on. One thing to be careful of is that you have the screw part of the union on before gluing things together.