The Lemon Fool

For years, our old square brown Hepworth downpipe on an outbuilding has blocked in a particular location, at a 90-degree bend.

Although that Hepworth range is no longer manufactured, various modern systems appear to be compatible.

The plan, such as it was, was to adapt the pipe work to take a different and more gradual routing, using 45-degree bends. (Two 45-degrees make a 90-degree bend.)

Nobody seems to manufacture these, though! I can see various 112-degree bends instead, however. Can they be made to do much the same thing? If not, has anyone any advice?

MDW1954

If this is rainwater downpipe I think this shows the answer

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/261942573432?c ... gLHhvD_BwE

If it isn't please explain exactly what type of downpipe it is.

In my book, those are 135 degree bends, not 45. But what the heck, they seem to be available in square sections.

https://www.google.com/search?q=135+deg ... +drainpipe

And for 90 degrees, https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1OK ... +drainpipe

BJ

MDW1954 wrote:The plan, such as it was, was to adapt the pipe work to take a different and more gradual routing, using 45-degree bends. (Two 45-degrees make a 90-degree bend.)

A 45 degree bend would be much tighter and liable to block than 90 degrees.

Scott.

Scott and bungeejumper,

Between you, you have solved my problem! Thank you. What I need are 135-degree bends.

Thanks, everyone. It looks like the problem is sorted.

MDW1954

MDW1954 wrote:Between you, you have solved my problem! Thank you. What I need are 135-degree bends.

Actually after I said that I had a look at Google - sometimes these are called 45 degree bends, presumably measuring the angle from the horizontal. Not the way I was taught at school!

Scott.

Just different ways of looking at it, although, to be pedantic, one could distinguish between a bend and an angle.

A straight piece of pipe isn't bent so you could say that the bend is 0 degrees. If you bend it 45 degrees, you get a 135 degree angle. If you ask for one at a builder's merchant, it is probably best (and might be cheaper) to ask for a 135 degree bend.


Julian F. G. W.

jfgw wrote:Just different ways of looking at it, although, to be pedantic, one could distinguish between a bend and an angle.

A straight piece of pipe isn't bent so you could say that the bend is 0 degrees. If you bend it 45 degrees, you get a 135 degree angle. If you ask for one at a builder's merchant, it is probably best (and might be cheaper) to ask for a 135 degree bend.


Julian F. G. W.

If you don't have an account it will be expensive whatever you ask for!

jfgw wrote:Just different ways of looking at it, although, to be pedantic, one could distinguish between a bend and an angle.

A straight piece of pipe isn't bent so you could say that the bend is 0 degrees. If you bend it 45 degrees, you get a 135 degree angle. If you ask for one at a builder's merchant, it is probably best (and might be cheaper) to ask for a 135 degree bend.


Julian F. G. W.

You've hit the nail on the head (unless it's a headless nail of course).

Technically I think the item in question is an 'elbow'. In my experience such fittings for a pipe are most commonly referenced by their relationship to the default straight pipe (i.e. 0 degrees, not 180), therefore a fitting on a pipe that in effect puts a 135 degree angle on the pipe flow is usually referred to as a 45 degree elbow because it deviates the flow from the '0 degree' pipe by 45 degrees. In this case the terminology of school geometry is not quite the same as the terminology of pipe engineering.

Having said that you'll find plenty of places will know exactly what you mean if you say you want a 135 degree bend as most of them will be used to the confusion.

BH

bionichamster wrote:
You've hit the nail on the head (unless it's a headless nail of course).

"Lost head" nail actually

Technically I think the item in question is an 'elbow'. In my experience such fittings for a pipe are most commonly referenced by their relationship to the default straight pipe (i.e. 0 degrees, not 180), therefore a fitting on a pipe that in effect puts a 135 degree angle on the pipe flow is usually referred to as a 45 degree elbow because it deviates the flow from the '0 degree' pipe by 45 degrees. In this case the terminology of school geometry is not quite the same as the terminology of pipe engineering.
BH

"Elbow" is generally used for any bend, but does vary from area to area (like slabs and flags). The tend to say 45 or 90 degree, because is it easier to say than "ninety two point five degree bend". A 90 degree bend from vertical would make the 'horizontal' pipe "horizontal", which is not good for flow and blockage prevention.

Paul