How to plug a pipe...

NuggetN8

Hero Member
Mar 13, 2012
618
416
Northern California
Detector(s) used
SDC 2300
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Sounds a bit random asking how I could plug a pipe... but.. I need a way to plug a 3inch metal pipe that will hold a lot of pressure yet still be easy to undo. My hose for my gravity dredge setup is hard to hook up to the sluice box once it's shooting water out the other end... So it would be nice if I could just clamp the hose to the pipe going into my sluice then plug the pipe, fill the hose, let it go and start instead of sticking a can in the hose, hose clamping it in there, filling the hose, loosening the clamp, pull the can out, & wrestling a hose thats blasting water everywhere until I'm soaked and the hose is barely attached to the pipe and sometimes sucking my hole dry before I get the hose attached and having to do it all over again.. Any ideas?
 

Have you thought about a PVC 3" Ball valve?
A metal threaded Ball valve is a better option but at about $100 each it is roughly 5x more than the PVC valve BUT it can handle a lot more pressure and has a nice handle.

770t03n-1.jpg


hv150t-2.jpg
 

A simple end cap works just fine and no need to try and figure out how to attach nuttn'-cost less than a buck. Works just fine for me. John
 

I'm using 3 inch OD to 3 ID exhaust tubing to attach the hose to not PVC. Do they make end caps for something like that?? I guess I could make a PVC end cap fit on there somehow.
 

Anything you find in plumbing in 3" is going to be I.D. so to use it you would have to adapt to it. Maybe a fernco adapter tightened tight. Plumber for 33 years.
 

Thanks for the input! Ill look into some of these things and figure out which one works good.
 

A slide plate for an air duct works fine. Not like the ones pictured, it's just a plate that you slide in by hand or slide out. Any sheet metal shop will have them or can make them easily.
Air shutters
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top