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Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe is a type of plumbing pipe commonly used for drains. These are the white pipes with purple primer often seen in residential basements. Ambitious DIYers who attempt a kitchen or bathroom renovation, as well as those who like to tackle their own plumbing repairs, will likely have to work with PVC pipe. Moving a shower, sink, or toilet—or even replacing a rusty sink trap—will also require some PVC know-how.
Dealing with PVC can be a bit tricky. While you’ll have no trouble finding the necessary fittings and cements to bond pieces of pipe together, PVC pipe can be difficult to cut. Poor technique tends to leave the cut ends off-square with pesky burrs that can hinder the progress of a repair. The good news is that with the proper method and tools, you can cut PVC pipe for square, smooth results.
There are three tools that will allow you to cut PVC pipe with enough accuracy to ensure a tight seal: a PVC cutter, a handsaw, and a miter saw. Depending on the space you’re working in and your comfort level with tools, you might find one a better fit over the others. Ahead, find instructions for how to cut PVC pipe with a variety of tools.
Before You Begin
Almost all materials benefit from a little lubrication during the cutting process, and PVC pipe is no different. Lubricants keep friction down, which allows a blade to glide easier. Lubricants can also keep dust and particulates from getting into the air.
When cutting PVC pipe, choose a lubricant with a silicone base, such as WD-40 Specialist Silicone Spray Lubricant; you can also use a food-grade lubricant, like cooking oil. These oils are safe for plastic, so they won’t eat away at the pipe as some other solvents will. Applying a quick spray directly on the pipe is all it takes. Any more than a short burst will make the job messier than it needs to be.
The Best Tools for Cutting PVC Pipe
1. PVC Pipe Cutter
Using a PVC pipe cutter, which looks like a pair of pliers with a very sharp, thick blade fitted on one side—is by far the quickest, most convenient way to cleanly cut PVC pipe. The Ridgid ratcheting pipe and tubing cutter, one of the top picks in our researched guide to the best PVC pipe cutters, works on up to 1⅝-inch pipe.
Operating a pipe cutter is simple: Place the pipe on a stable surface like sawhorses or a workbench (even a cabinet will do), line the blade up on the cut mark, hold the tool square, and then squeeze the handles together to push the blade through the PVC.
Tried-and-True Advice
“I highly recommend using a PVC pipe cutter. These come with a ratcheting system that helps grip the pipe and keeps it in place so the pipe doesn’t roll around while you’re trying to cut it—trust me, it will roll otherwise. The pipe cutter helps achieve a nice, straight cut each time, something I found challenging with a hacksaw. They are worth their weight in gold.”
—Amber Guetebier, Contributing Writer
Pro tip: Keep the cutter blade sharp, and use it in temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In temperatures colder than that, PVC becomes brittle and a dull blade can crack the pipe.
Note: Squeeze-style cutters are only capable of cutting PVC pipe with smaller diameters. For pipes 2 inches in diameter and larger, you’ll need a rotary-style cutter, which is a far more expensive tool. Ridgid’s plastic and copper tubing cutter, for example, will work on plastic pipe up to 4 inches in diameter.
2. Hand Saw
Just about every DIYer has a hacksaw or carpenter’s hand saw. To successfully cut PVC pipe squarely with either of these basic tools, use a guide for the blade to follow. One way to accomplish this is with a miter box, like the Great Neck 12-inch miter box, which provides a built-in square angle to guide the saw blade. The good news is that most miter boxes come with a saw suitable for cutting PVC pipe.
To use a miter box, cut slowly—doing so will ensure that the blade stays perfectly on course. Don’t jam the blade into the PVC pipe, either. Guide it back and forth. This is what tradesmen mean when they say, “Let the saw do the work.”
3. Miter Saw
A quality miter saw, a powerful electric saw typically used in carpentry, can cut PVC piping accurately. The cuts are just about guaranteed to be square because miter saws lock into place at preset angles, including 90 degrees.
To cut a PVC pipe with a miter saw, position the pipe against the fence of the miter saw so the cut mark is easily seen. Line up the blade with the desired cut mark, lift the saw up and start the blade, and slowly lower the blade into the PVC pipe until it cuts all the way through. If the miter saw doesn’t cut through the pipe on the first attempt, let the blade come to a stop, then twist the pipe so the remaining material can be cut with a second drop of the blade. Twisting the pipe while the blade is running is unsafe and is hardly ever accurate.
Pro tip: For fewer burrs on the cut ends of the pipe, use a fine-toothed blade, such as the Freud 10-inch Thin Kerf Plywood Blade, with the miter saw. To minimize burrs even more, install the blade backward and lower it through the PVC very slowly.
How to Clean PVC Pipe Burrs
No matter which tool you use and how carefully you cut PVC pipe, there will still be some burrs left behind. Burrs can hamper a perfect fit and potentially clog pipe filters and screens. These are two quick ways to remove these burrs:
- Run a sharp utility knife around the inner and outer rim of the cut. Hold the blade at a slight angle to allow it to run smoothly along the rim and shed off the tiny burrs.
- Sand the inner and outer rim of the pipe lightly with 120-grit sandpaper or plumber’s cloth. Don’t go overboard; only rub off enough to smooth away burrs. Any more than that and you run the risk of a poor pipe fit.
