Earlier in the blog (
"mini-hack") I showed how to make heat fusion (AKA: plastic welding) tools.
So far while installing the loop field, I've had some situations where I thought I'd have to resort to barb connections rather than welded pipe. I got some brass barbs and installed them up and tested them.
I can now report that when comparing welded connections to barbed connections,
Welding is cheaper
Welding is easier
Welding is more durable
Welding is faster
Welding is more likely to yield a leak-free connection
The choice is pretty clear.
Regards,
-AC_Hacker