Fernco Donut sealing Schedule 40 PVC pipe into the hub of a cast iron tee against a basement wall
 
Compression joint seals

FerncoDonuts

Seal pipe into a hub, bell or socket. No lead, no oakum and no cement. Run PVC into an old cast iron hub without pouring lead.

Made in the USA Cast iron hubs and clay bells Hundreds of sizes ASTM D5926 and C1173
 
How it seals

Compression, not cement.

A flexible PVC ring goes into the hub and the pipe goes through it. The donut compresses between the two and seals the joint, with no lead, oakum or mortar.

Fernco Donut sealing white PVC pipe into an old cast iron hub under a basement floor
No lead

Clean and fast

No pouring lead, packing oakum or mixing mortar. Seat the donut and the pipe, and the joint is made.

Tie-ins

Material to material

Tie plastic pipe into an existing cast iron hub or clay bell, or step down a size at the hub.

Ribbed

Several points of seal

Multiple ribs help the donut seal against the rough, uneven surfaces of old pipe.

Flexible

Moves with the ground

Resilient elastomeric PVC flexes with ground movement.

1964
Where Fernco started

The donut came first.

Before the first Fernco flexible coupling, there was the donut. Fernco began in 1964 in Ferndale, Michigan, with a donut designed to seal sewer pipe joints. The first Fernco flexible coupling followed in 1973. Today, the donut is still made in the USA and still does the same job: a tight seal where pipe meets hub.

Standard sizes

The donuts for the everyday job.

Stocked donuts for the most common jobs, starting with plastic pipe into a service weight cast iron hub. Retail packs, where available, carry a P in front of the part number.

Fernco P44U-405 4 inch service weight hub by 4 inch donut with label
Service weight cast iron hubs
PartCast iron hubPipe going in
22U-1392″ service weight1½″ Schedule 40 plastic or steel
22U-2052″ service weight2″ Schedule 40 plastic
33U-2053″ service weight2″ Schedule 40 plastic
33U-3053″ service weight3″ Schedule 40 plastic
33U-3013″ service weight3″ extra heavy cast iron
44U-3054″ service weight3″ Schedule 40 plastic
44U-4054″ service weight4″ Schedule 40 plastic or steel, or extra heavy soil pipe
Service weight or extra heavy? The donuts above are made for service weight cast iron hubs. An extra heavy hub is larger inside and may need a different donut. If you have an extra heavy hub, or you’re not sure which you have, reach out before you buy.
Don’t see your size?

We make hundreds more.

Extra heavy hubs, clay bells, sockets and odd sizes. Donuts seal by compression, so the fit is tight and the right part depends on the exact hub and pipe. Send us the details and our team will match it for you.

Have this ready
  • What the pipe goes into. Cast iron hub (service weight or extra heavy), clay bell, or socket, and its size.
  • The inside diameter of the hub or bell. Measure across the opening.
  • The pipe going in. Material and outside diameter.
  • The pipe maker, if you know it.
White PVC pipe sealed into a clay pipe bell with a Fernco Donut
Donut or coupling?

Pick the right connection.

A donut seals pipe into a hub, bell or socket. If there’s no hub to seal into, you need a coupling.

Hub is there and sound

Use a donut. Clean out the hub and seal the new pipe right into it.

Cut or plain pipe end

No hub, or a cracked hub cut off? Use a Standard Flexible Coupling on the plain end.

Plastic fitting hub

Tying into the outside of a PVC or ABS fitting hub? Use a Socket Coupling.

Installation

Clean it, lube it, drive it home.

  1. Clean the hubRemove old lead, oakum and debris. The hub has to be clean inside.
  2. LubricateCoat the outside of the donut with a soap solution.
  3. Start the pipePush the pipe through the center of the donut about 1½″.
  4. Drive it homeSet the donut and pipe in the hub and drive them in with a hammer and wedge until fully seated.
  5. Test itTest the joint to the engineer’s specs before you backfill or close it up.

These steps follow Fernco’s drive method for hubs with walls 3/8″ or thicker. See the installation sheet for full details.

Download the installation sheet ›

White PVC pipe sealed into a black cast iron hub with a Fernco Donut

Specifications.

Specification data
MaterialChemical-resistant elastomeric PVC, formulated as a sewer joint material
StandardsASTM D5926 and ASTM C1173
CodeUniform Plumbing Code (UPC)
JointCompression seal. No lead, oakum, cement or mortar.
SizesHundreds of sizes and configurations. Standard sizes above.
Made inUSA
Where to use it
SystemsSewer and DWV
Seals intoHubs, bells and sockets
Standard sizesService weight cast iron hubs, 2″ to 4″
Other sizesExtra heavy hubs, clay bells and more. Reach out.

Documents.

Installation instructions and the catalog page for Fernco Donuts.

Frequently asked questions.

Which donut do I need?

For Schedule 40 plastic into a service weight cast iron hub, pick from the standard sizes. For anything else, measure the inside of the hub or bell and the outside of the pipe, and reach out. Donuts seal by compression, so the fit has to be right.

How do I tell service weight from extra heavy?

Extra heavy cast iron is thicker and its hub is larger inside, so a service weight donut may not seal in it. Confirm before you buy. If the pipe is marked, the marking tells you. If not, measure the inside of the hub and reach out.

Do I have to get the old lead and oakum out?

Yes. The donut seals against the inside of the hub, so the hub has to be clean and free of old lead, oakum and debris.

What should I use to lubricate it?

A soap solution on the outside of the donut.

The cast iron is cut and there’s no hub. Can I use a donut?

No. A donut needs a hub, bell or socket to seal into. For a plain or cut end, use a Standard Flexible Coupling.

Can I use a donut underground?

Yes. Donuts are made for sewer as well as DWV joints. Test the joint before you backfill.